Barbell Bench Press

The bench press is a horizontal push performed supine. The bar is unracked from a slight layback, lowered to the lower chest under control, and pressed back to lockout. Foot position, back arch, and grip width all affect how the load distributes across the chest and shoulder — there is no single correct setup, but there are setups that cause shoulder pain and setups that do not.

Grip width is the most common setup variable to experiment with. Most people do well with a grip where the forearms are vertical in the bottom position — roughly 1.5× shoulder width. Closer grips shift more load to triceps and reduce chest stretch; wider grips increase chest activation but can stress the shoulder at the wrist position most people use.

A slight arch in the lower back is normal and protective — it keeps the shoulder blades retracted and depressed, which is the safest shoulder position for heavy pressing. An extreme powerlifting arch to reduce range of motion is a different thing; if your goal is pectoral development, a moderate arch with a full range of motion is better.

Leg drive is real. Pressing the feet into the floor creates full-body tension that transfers through the hips and into the upper body. Beginners sometimes float their feet or put them up on the bench — neither is wrong, but learning leg drive earlier leads to better long-term performance.

• Pull the bar out of the rack — do not push it forward
• Retract and depress the shoulder blades before lowering
• Lower to the lower chest (below the nipple line) — not the clavicle
• Keep elbows at 45–75° from the torso — not flared 90°
• Drag feet toward your head (without lifting them) to create upper back tightness
• Press the floor through your feet at the same time you press the bar

• Bar path drifting toward the face — the press should move in a slight diagonal from lower chest toward the rack, not straight up
• Elbows flared 90° — increases shoulder impingement risk; tuck them in
• Bouncing the bar off the chest — pausing briefly (not resting) at the bottom builds more strength and avoids loading the sternum
• Losing upper back tightness — if the shoulder blades come apart during the press, reduce load and re-learn the setup
• Wrist break — keep wrists stacked over forearms, not bent back

• overhead press→