technique library

How to
bench press

The bench press looks like the simplest lift in the gym, which is why so many people do it badly. This is the flat barbell bench press in six steps, three positions and the five faults we fix most often. The bar should touch your chest, not bounce off it.

  • FIVE POINTSHead, upper back and glutes on the bench, both feet on the floor. Nothing leaves its post until the bar is racked.
  • STACKEDAt the bottom, wrists over elbows and forearms close to vertical. The bar sits over the forearm, not behind it.
  • ~45-75°Approximate angle between upper arm and torso at the bottom. Your shoulders set the exact number.

the picture

Three positions

Side view, head to the left. The bar touches the lower chest and travels back up toward the shoulders in a slight arc. The lockout looks the same as the start.

  • 01 / start

    Locked out, set

    Arms straight, bar over the shoulders, shoulder blades pinned back and down, feet planted. Every rep starts and ends here.

  • 02 / bottom

    Touch the lower chest

    The bar meets the chest about at the lower breastbone. Forearms vertical under the bar, elbows tucked, upper back still tight.

  • 03 / midpoint

    Press back toward the shoulders

    The bar travels up and slightly back along the dashed line, and the elbows stay under it. Head, back and glutes stay put.

  • bar path from chest to lockout

the method

Six steps

Do them in this order, every rep, including the warm-up sets. Most of the bench press is decided before the bar moves.

  1. 01

    Lie down under the bar

    Lie back so your eyes are under the bar. That puts the bar over your shoulders when you unrack it, so you press from where you are and not from where you hope to be.

    cueEyes under the bar.

  2. 02

    Set your grip

    Hands slightly wider than your shoulders, so your forearms are close to vertical at the bottom. The bar sits low in the palm, over the wrist bones, with your thumbs wrapped around it.

    cueBar over the wrist, thumbs around.

  3. 03

    Set your upper back

    Pull your shoulder blades back and down, as if putting them in your back pockets. Keep a small natural arch in your upper back and let your chest rise toward the bar.

    cueShoulder blades back and down.

  4. 04

    Plant your feet

    Feet flat on the floor, about under or slightly behind your knees, and pushing into the ground. Your glutes stay on the bench from the first rep to the last.

    cueFeet planted before the bar moves.

  5. 05

    Unrack and lower

    Take a breath, brace, and unrack with locked arms so the bar sits over your shoulders. Lower it under control to the lower chest with your elbows tucked, and keep your forearms vertical.

    cueBring the bar to your chest.

  6. 06

    Press and rack

    Press the bar up and slightly back until your arms are locked over your shoulders. Keep your head, upper back, glutes and feet in place the whole way. Rack it only when the set is over, not when the bar starts to wobble.

    cuePush yourself away from the bar.

troubleshooting

Five common faults

Most bench press problems are one of these five. Film a set from the side, compare it with the diagrams above, then pick the closest match.

Bar bounces off the chest

likely cause

The bar drops too fast, so you rely on the rebound instead of strength.

what to try

Lower the bar in about two seconds and touch lightly. Practise a one-second pause on the chest with a lighter weight.

Elbows flare out wide

likely cause

Elbows drift toward 90 degrees from the torso, which loads the front of the shoulder.

what to try

Tuck your elbows to about 45 to 75 degrees. Think about bending the bar around your chest rather than pushing it straight up.

Wrists bend backward

likely cause

The bar sits too high in the palm, so it hangs behind the forearm.

what to try

Move the bar lower in the palm, over the wrist bones, and keep the wrist stacked over the elbow.

Glutes lift off the bench

likely cause

The load is too heavy, or the feet are too far forward and you are using them to heave the bar up.

what to try

Lighten the bar and move your feet back until you can press without your hips rising. Glutes stay on the bench.

Bar tilts or rises unevenly

likely cause

One arm is stronger, or your hands are not the same distance from the centre.

what to try

Use the knurling marks to centre your grip evenly. Add dumbbell presses so each side works on its own.

progression

Earn the barbell

Skip rungs and the bar finds the weak link for you. Move up when every rep on the current rung looks like the diagrams.

  1. Push-up, hands raised if neededsets × reps3 × 10tempo3-1-1effortRPE 5
  2. Dumbbell bench presssets × reps3 × 8tempo3-1-1effortRPE 6
  3. Barbell bench press, empty barsets × reps3 × 5tempo2-1-1effortRPE 5
  4. Barbell bench press, loadedsets × repsper your programtempoper your programeffortRPE 7-8

Numbers are an illustration of how a coach writes a prescription, not a program for you. Tempo reads as seconds down, pause at the bottom, seconds up. RPE is effort on a 10-point scale, where 10 means no reps left.

before you load the bar

Press safely

  • Use a spotter, or set the rack's safety arms just above your chest. A bar you cannot press has nowhere to go but down.
  • Keep your thumbs wrapped around the bar. A thumbless grip lets the bar slide out of your hand.
  • Warm up with progressively heavier sets before your working weight.
  • Do not take heavy sets to failure when you are training alone.
  • Effort burns and pinches. Sharp or lingering pain, especially in the shoulder, is a stop sign, not a challenge.
  • This page is general guidance and not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, check with a qualified professional before you bench under load.

get it coached

Train like an athlete

A diagram shows you the positions. A coach watches your bench press, catches the fault you cannot feel and fixes it in the session. 2 free – no obligation – sessions are available on request.

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