Bench Press (How To, Muscles Worked, Benefits)

The Bench Press is one of the most well-known upper-body strength exercises, building pressing power through the chest, shoulders, and triceps.

It’s a staple in strength programs for developing pushing strength, improving muscle mass, and supporting overall athletic performance.

Primary Muscles Worked: Pectoralis Major (Chest)
Secondary Muscles Worked: Anterior Deltoids, Triceps
Equipment Needed: Barbell, Weight Plates, Flat Bench, Safety Rack (recommended)

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How To Do Bench Press

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Set-Up:
   • Lie on a flat bench with your eyes directly under the barbell.
   • Plant your feet firmly on the floor and maintain a slight arch in your lower back.
   • Grip the bar just wider than shoulder-width with wrists stacked over elbows.
2. Execution:
   • Unrack the bar and hold it directly over your chest with arms extended.
   • Lower the bar under control toward the bottom of the sternum, keeping your elbows at about a 45° angle to your torso.
   • Press the bar back up by driving through your chest and triceps until arms are fully extended.
3. Tips for Proper Form:
   • Keep your shoulder blades pulled back and down for stability.
   • Drive your feet into the floor for full-body tension.
   • Lower with control. Don’t bounce the bar off your chest.

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Key Benefits

• Builds chest, shoulder, and tricep strength.
• Improves upper-body power and pressing mechanics.
• A fundamental lift for strength, muscle building, and athletic performance.

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Modifications and Variations

• Easier Option:
  • Use dumbbells for a greater range of motion and less shoulder strain.
  • Perform floor presses if a bench isn’t available.
• Harder Option:
  • Add pauses at the chest to eliminate momentum.
  • Use chains or bands for accommodating resistance.
  • Perform close-grip or wide-grip variations to emphasize different muscles.

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Common Mistakes

• Flaring Elbows: Keep elbows tucked slightly (about 45°) to protect shoulders.
• Bouncing the Bar: Always lower under control for safety and effectiveness.
• Poor Foot Positioning: Don’t let your feet move. Drive them into the floor.
• Lifting Hips Off the Bench: Maintain contact with the bench for proper form.

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Reps and Sets Recommendations

• For Strength: 4–6 sets of 3–6 reps with heavy weight.
• For Hypertrophy: 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps with moderate load.
• For Endurance/Accessory Work: 2–3 sets of 12–15 reps with lighter weight.

Bench Press Variations

There are ton of different Bench Press variations that you can incorporate into your workouts by simply changing the grip, tempo or angle.

Here are just a few examples:

Paused Bench Press

Perform the bench press and pause with the bar on the chest. (MAINTAIN CONTROL AND RIGIDNESS WITH THE BAR. DO NOT JUST LET IT SIT ON YOUR CHEST) for 1-3 seconds (Number of seconds based on training program, periodization, and athlete readiness).

Board Bench

Perform the bench press to a board that is elevated off the chest. (Board height based on training program, periodization, sticking point weaknesses, and athlete readiness).

Close Grip Bench Press

Perform the bench press with a close grip. The close grip I most commonly use and prescribe is putting the index finger on the knurling.

I find this provides a nice angle for the chest to still freely eccentrically move while also focusing on tricep engagement.

Bench Press Alternatives

Need an alternative for Bench Press? Here are a few exercises that you may be able to use as a replacement:

Barbell Push-Ups

Set the barbell on the lifting rack at a low setting. Perform push-ups with your bench press grip. This is a great movement for lifters to get some volume with the same implement but now the scapula can freely rotate and is a little more shoulder-friendly.

Of course, if you don’t have a barbell – regular push-ups are a great alternative as well.

Dumbbell Bench Press

For Dumbbell Bench Press, grab some dumbbells and perform the bench press movement. This is a great secondary movement to perform after the main work for the day is done.

It is important to start light (like other exercises) until you feel comfortable using dumbbells for bench press.

Med Ball Chest Pass

Stand in an athletic position with a lighter med ball (for most, 10-15 pounds will work well here).

Extend the hips and chest pass the ball into the wall. This should be fast and explosive. I think this is also a great warm-up exercise for athletes getting ready for a bench day.

Need more options? Here are my 10 favorite Bench Press alternatives.

Exercises to Superset with Bench Press

Looking to turn your Bench Press reps into a superset?

Try pairing your Bench Press sets up with these exercises:

Pull-Ups

Why: Pull-ups primarily target the back and biceps, offering a balanced approach by working antagonist muscle groups.

Plus, Pull-Ups are an extremely effective upper-body exercise making the Bench Press/Pull-Up combo an absolute powerhouse.

Bent Over Barbell Row

Why: This exercise also works the back muscles and biceps. Bent Over Rows helps to balance out the pushing motion of the bench press with a pulling motion, reducing the risk of muscle imbalances.

Need more ideas? Here are the best exercises to superset with Bench Press.

Risks

I would be doing the reader a disservice without discussing the potential risks of the traditional barbell benching. This lift is highly technical and requires a tremendous amount of attention to detail, practice, and a slow gradual increase in weight. An athlete who does not consistently set up the right way and sacrifices form to lift more weight will get hurt.

It is also important to consider rest, recovery, and balancing other life activities.

Because the bench press stresses the upper body and is very hard on the smaller and delicate tissues of the shoulder, it takes time to recover from a serious bench press session. 

Field and court athletes should consider what days of the week they are benching.

Usually, in the off-season, most athletes can handle benching 2 days a week. One heavy day and one either volume or speed day.

If you are going to bench heavy on a particular day of the week, it is not recommended you do any other heavy upper body lifting or serious competition, until fully recovered. Training history, readiness, and history of injury all need to be considered.

As an athlete, it is important to make sure the lifting in the weight room is correlating and in conjunction with your sport. Rest and recovery are absolutely critical to reap the benefits of any lift and should be taken seriously by all athletes.

More Info and Links

Looking to supplement your bench day with some accessory work?

Head over to the Upper Body Section of our exercise library to find step-by-step exercises to help you crush a personal record.

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