Barbell Bench Press

Auto Detected

Intermediate

A foundational compound strength movement pressing a barbell from a flat bench position, primarily targeting the chest, triceps, and anterior deltoids to build upper body strength and hypertrophy.

About Exercise

Equipment

Barbell, Flat Bench, Squat Rack

Difficulty

3/5 • Intermediate

Primary Muscle Groups

Chest, Triceps

Secondary Muscles

Lats

Accessory Muscles

Abs

Popularity Score

Goals

Strength

Hypertrophy

Power

Training Style

Bodybuilding

Powerlifting

Setup Requirements

Requires Rack

Yes

Requires Bench

Yes

Requires Spotter

Yes

Space Needed

Medium

Noise Level

Moderate

Muscle Breakdown

View Muscle Map

Chest

10/10

Mid Chest, Lower Chest

Triceps

8/10

Long Head, Lateral Head

Shoulders

6/10

Anterior Delts

Lats

3/10

Abs

2/10

Programming

Typical Rep Range

5-12 reps

Rest Between Sets

90-180 seconds • Rest longer (3+ minutes) for heavy strength sets.

How to Perform

Lie supine on a flat bench inside a squat rack, positioning your eyes directly under the bar. Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width. Set your feet flat on the floor and retract your shoulder blades to create a tight upper back arch.

Unrack the bar and stabilize it directly over your mid-chest with locked elbows.
In a controlled manner, lower the bar toward your lower chest or sternum.
Keep your elbows tucked slightly, tracking at about a 45-degree angle from your torso.
Briefly pause when the bar lightly touches your chest.
Explosively press the bar back up to the starting position until arms are extended.

Coaching Tips

Form Cues

Grip tight, bend the bar.
Drive feet into floor.
Retract shoulders, chest up.
Press up and back.
Control the descent.

Breathing

Inhale deeply and brace your core and chest before lowering; exhale forcefully as you drive the barbell up.

Tempo

3-0-1

Range of Motion

Lower the bar until it makes light contact with the chest, then press upward until the elbows are fully locked out.

Safety

Safety Notes

Always use safety pins/catches set just below your chest level when lifting heavy.
Never sacrifice shoulder integrity by letting the shoulders roll forward at the bottom.
Use a weight you can comfortably control without excessive spotting assistance.

Spotting

Spot the barbell by standing behind the bench and placing hands under the bar, ready to assist by pulling upward on the bar near the center if the lifter fails.