Bench Press

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When you think about lifting weights, the bench press is one of the first exercises that comes to mind. It's a classic, used for general fitness as well as more specialized disciplines like powerlifting. How much someone can bench is also commonly used to gauge how strong they are. While this doesn't really give the whole picture, the bench press is great for demonstrating and improving upper body pushing strength. It's easy to progressively load, develops most of the upper body pushing muscles, and is safe if done with the proper form and precautions.

The Basics

The bench press is primarily used as a strength exercise. It is classified as a horizontal upper push movement. It is more generally classified as a upper push movement. Since it involves significant activation of multiple muscle groups, it is considered a compound exercise.

Form

Set Up

• Lie flat on your back on the bench
• Grab the bar with your hands just outside shoulder width apart as evenly as possible
• Set your shoulder blades by pulling them back together
• Keep your chest up, and drive your traps into the bench
• Your back can be arched, but make sure your butt stays in contact with the bench
• Lift the weight off and let it settle, making sure to stay set as before

Execution

• Lower the bar in a straight line under control to the bottom of your sternum
• Let the bar gently touch your chest
• Push the bar back up in a straight line

Common Mistakes

Going Too Heavy

How much someone can bench is often a point of pride, and it can be a different sort of challenge to lift less weight. However, proper form is much more important since it leads better and safer development. Going too heavy and injuring yourself is a good way to ensure that you'll never lift as much as you want.

Losing Back Tightness

Keeping your shoulder blades pulled together, chest up, and traps being driven into the bench are all super important. Once you've set yourself and let the weight settle, keep that same tightness throughout every rep.

Butt Off the Bench

Your butt should remain in contact with the bench throughout every rep. If your butt is lifting off the bench, you're turning the lift into more a decline bench press which changes the muscles worked.

Additional Info

Benching Safely

There are several ways to bench safely. The first, as well as safest, is to use a power rack with the pins set slightly below your raised chest position. This allows you to simply set the bar on the pins if you fail a rep. A close second is to have someone spot you. While not necessarily as reliable, having someone spot you allows you to still finish out that otherwise failed rep with some assistance from them.

The third option, while certainly not the safest, can be done in a pinch as long as the weight isn't too heavy. Often called the "roll of shame", you'll support the bar as best you can with your hands and roll it down along your body to your hips. From there you can sit up and then get out from under the bar.

The fourth option, while effective, is not recommended unless you truly have to use it. For this one to work, you can't be using collars because if you fail a rep, you'll tip the bar to one side so that the plates fall off. This will cause the bar to then fall to the other side and you'll be able to get out.

Thumbless Grip

Using a thumbless grip, also called suicide grip, has a few benefits. However, the risks far outweigh the rewards. You won't be able to grip the bar as tight, won't be able to keep your body as tight, and it greatly increases the odds that the barbell can fall out of your hands and have all that weight land directly on your neck or chest.

Leg Drive and Arch

Both arch and leg drive are two techniques that allow you to lift more weight when bench pressing. In both cases, they put your torso in a more advantageous position to push the barbell up. However, unless you're a competitive powerlifter, these techniques aren't necessary. As long as your goal is simply to get stronger or gain muscle, keeping your butt on the bench and just a slight arch will allow you to build the same amount of muscle using less weight.

Related Exercises

Reviews

Performance Standard Ranks

The ranks assume that you are generally healthy, with no underlying health conditions or injuries and have the mobility to perform the exercise correctly. You can determine your rank by comparing your numbers to the tables below. Your rank is also tracked automatically when using our Workout Log feature.

Strength Standards

The tables show the one rep max* in pounds needed to reach each rank at different body weights (also in lbs). The 1RMs on the table are based on world records, balanced ratios, and the average time needed to attain each rank. To see personalized strength standards for every exercise, check out the Strength Standards page. You can also find your Strength Score to see how you rank as part of our Fitness Score System.

*Added weight if positive, assistance if negative. The planche and levers are also notable exceptions as they show the moment at the shoulder, not weight. For more info, check out the Moment Calculator page.

Muscular Endurance Standards By Body Weight With 0.75x BW Added Weight

The tables show the reps or isometric hold times (in seconds) needed to reach each of the muscular endurance ranks at different body weights. The reps on the table are based on world records, ratios, and the average time needed to attain each rank. To see personalized standards for every exercise, check out the Muscular Endurance Standards page.

The amount of weight used to test for muscular endurance of some of the exercises is a percentage of body weight. The percentage was chosen to be memorable and to require a Novice to Intermediate level of strength so that most trainees could reasonably use it while not having to do an excessive amount of reps.