Bench press
Barbell bench press
Works
Also works
Equipment
How to do it
- Lie flat on the bench with your feet planted firmly on the floor and a natural arch in your lower back.
- Grip the bar with a pronated grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Unrack the bar and hold it over your chest with your arms fully extended.
- Lower the bar under control until it lightly touches your chest at nipple level.
- Press the bar up and slightly back until your elbows are extended but not locked out.
- Keep your shoulder blades retracted and pinned to the bench throughout the movement.
Common mistakes
- Bouncing the bar off your chest for momentum
- Over-arching the lower back and lifting the hips
- Flaring the elbows to 90° from the torso, stressing the shoulder
What the evidence says
Over the same 10-week program, full-range bench press produced greater strength gains than two-thirds or one-third range, even when strength was tested in the partial ranges themselves.
Martínez-Cava A, Hernández-Belmonte A, Courel-Ibáñez J, Morán-Navarro R, González-Badillo JJ, Pallarés JG. «Bench Press at Full Range of Motion Produces Greater Neuromuscular Adaptations Than Partial Executions After Prolonged Resistance Training». Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2022;36(1):10-15. View the study
If you're after the upper chest, 30° of incline is where it's most activated; past 45° the work shifts to the front delt, while the mid and lower chest do more on a flat bench.
Rodríguez-Ridao D, Antequera-Vique JA, Martín-Fuentes I, Muyor JM. «Effect of Five Bench Inclinations on the Electromyographic Activity of the Pectoralis Major, Anterior Deltoid, and Triceps Brachii during the Bench Press Exercise». International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020;17(19):7339. View the study
Between free barbell, Smith machine and machines, no differences in hypertrophy show up; what is specific is strength — training with free weights pays off when you test with free weights.
Haugen ME, Vårvik FT, Larsen S, Haugen AS, van den Tillaar R, Bjørnsen T. «Effect of free-weight vs. machine-based strength training on maximal strength, hypertrophy and jump performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis». BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2023;15(1):103. View the study
What isn't settled: Grip width isn't settled. What exists is single-session electromyography, not growth measured over weeks, and it doesn't even back the usual belief: a wide grip doesn't activate the pec more, it mainly lowers triceps and raises biceps involvement.
Other variations
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