Muscles worked
What the bench press trains
Tap a muscle to see just that one and what it does in the lift.
Before the first rep
How to set up
- 01
Set the rack. Put the J-hooks where you can unrack with arms almost straight, and set the safeties just below chest height.
- 02
Eyes under the bar. Lie down so the bar is straight above your eyes. Too far down the bench and you clip the hooks on every rep.
- 03
Grip. Hands a little wider than shoulder width, so your forearms are vertical when the bar touches your chest. Wrap your thumbs around the bar.
- 04
Shoulder blades back. Pull your shoulder blades together and down, like putting them in your back pockets. Keep them there for the whole set.
- 05
Feet down. Plant your feet flat, a bit behind your knees. Your glutes stay on the bench; a small natural arch in your back is fine.
Step by step
How to do the bench press
- Lockout: bar over the shoulder, arms straight
- Touch: the bar meets the mid-chest
- Forearm vertical under the bar at the bottom
Lower 2s → Press 1s → Lockout 0.7s
Hatching marks the highlighted muscle groups.
- 01
Unrack. Take a breath, lift the bar off the hooks and bring it out until it sits over your shoulders with your arms straight.
- 02
Lower. Bring the bar down under control to your mid-chest, around nipple line, with your elbows tucked to about 45 degrees from your body.
- 03
Touch. Touch your chest lightly. Do not bounce the bar off it or let your chest go soft.
- 04
Press. Drive your feet into the floor and press the bar up and slightly back, so it finishes over your shoulders again.
- 05
Rack. After the last rep, lock your arms out and move the bar back into the uprights before you bend your elbows.
Cues to say in your head
- Eyes under the bar
- Bend the bar
- Shoulders in your pockets
- Touch, then drive
- Push the floor away
Fix these first
Common mistakes
Elbows flared straight out to the sides
Tuck them to roughly 45 degrees. Flared elbows put the strain on the front of the shoulder instead of the chest.
Bouncing the bar off your chest
Lower with control and touch. A bounce hides a weak bottom position and can bruise your sternum.
Hips lifting off the bench
Drive your feet down and back, not up. If your glutes rise, the weight is too heavy or your feet are too far forward.
Shoulders rolling forward at the top
Stop the rep at straight arms. Reaching up off the bench loses the back position you set before the first rep.
Bent-back wrists
Let the bar sit low in your palm, over your forearm bones, so your wrists stay stacked.
Stay safe
Bench in a rack with safeties set just below your chest, or with a spotter standing behind your head, any time a set is close to failure. Do not use a thumbless grip; it is how bars roll out of hands. If you are training alone without safeties, leave the collars off so you can tip the plates off one side if you get stuck.
Programming
Sets, reps and how much weight
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Load | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 3 to 5 | 3 to 6 | 80–90% 1RM | 2 to 4 min |
| Muscle | 3 to 4 | 6 to 12 | 67–80% 1RM | 1.5 to 3 min |
| Technique | 3 to 5 | 5 to 8 | 50–65% 1RM | 1 to 2 min |
Plan your next session
Put in a recent set. You get working weights for your goal, a warm-up and the plates to load.
Estimated 1RM 216 lb
Muscle sets
145–175lb
3 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps, 1.5 to 3 min rest. The range most people should live in. Take sets close to failure.
Warm up to 160 lb
Tap a set to see its plates.
45 + 10 + 2.5
Estimates use the Epley formula and work best from sets of 3 to 8 reps. Treat them as a starting point and adjust by how the first working set moves.
Questions
Bench Press questions
What muscles does the bench press work?
Mainly the chest, with the front of the shoulders and the triceps as the other two prime movers. Your lats and upper back hold the bar steady, and your legs and glutes keep you tight on the bench.
Should the bar touch my chest?
Yes, for a full rep the bar should touch your mid-chest lightly, without bouncing. If touching hurts your shoulders, a slightly narrower grip or more elbow tuck usually fixes it.
How wide should my grip be?
Start with your hands a bit wider than shoulder width, so your forearms are vertical at the bottom. Wider grips shorten the range and use more chest; narrower grips use more triceps.
Is it OK to arch my back?
A small natural arch with your shoulder blades pulled back is normal and safe. Keep your glutes on the bench and your head down. A big powerlifting arch is a competition technique, not a requirement.
How often should I bench press?
Most people do well benching two times a week, with one heavier day and one lighter or higher-rep day. Beginners can add weight almost every session at first.
Bench press or dumbbell bench press: which is better?
Both build the chest. The barbell lets you lift more and progress in small steps; dumbbells give a longer range and work each side alone. Many programs use the barbell as the main lift and dumbbells as the second chest exercise.
Train in Protocol
Log your bench press by voice. Protocol tracks the rest.
Your last session shows up before every set, warm-ups and plates are worked out for you, and your coach sees every lift next to your sleep and recovery.