Barbell Bench Press

How To Do

1. Set up next to a flat bench with a barbell rack. You can also use a power rack or Smith machine if needed.
2. Ensure the barbell is suitably loaded with the safety clips in place. Lie on the bench with your back and head against the pads. The barbell should be in line with your nipples.
3. Grip the barbell using an overhand grip. Ensure your hands are slightly wider than shoulder-width.
4. Take a deep breath in and retract your shoulder blades. Engage your core and un-rack the barbell.
5. With your arms vertical, slowly lower the barbell down to your chest. Ensure your hands are directly above your elbows at the bottom of the movement.
6. As the bar touches your chest, pause briefly at the bottom position.
7. Forcefully press the bar back to the starting position until your elbows are extended. Imagine you are pressing your body away from the bar. At the same time, take a breath out.

Tips From Expert

• Ensure you keep a tight body position when pressing. Engage your core before lifting, and make sure your back stays against the bench pad.
• When the bar touches your chest, pause briefly before pressing back up. Ensure you don’t use your momentum to press.
• When you reach the top of the press, ensure you keep your shoulders on the bench with your chest up. Your head should take facing forward.
• Make sure to keep a tight, overhand grip on the barbell at all times. If you need to adjust your grip width, re-rack the barbell first.

Optimal Sets and Reps

The ideal amount of sets and reps you should perform primarily depends on your exercise goals. Use the table below as a general programming guide.

How to Put in Your Workout Split

The way to program the barbell bench press into your routine largely depends on your exercise goals and ability.

As a beginner, stick to developing a solid lifting foundation. Focus on the correct barbell bench press technique and add different variations once perfected.

As a recreational lifter, you’ll likely have a goal of getting fitter and stronger. In this case, use the flat and incline bench press variations and add others as needed.

Advanced powerlifters will need to stick solely to the flat barbell bench press as their main movement. Other assistance pressing exercises can be done according to your periodized plan.

In general, most lifters will see the best results when performing each lift twice a week. This ensures adequate volume whilst allowing for 48 hours of rest between sessions.

As a strength and power athlete, you’ll likely be performing full-body workouts or an upper/ lower split. Program the bench press as part of your upper body split toward the start of your workout.

As a hypertrophy-focused athlete, you may be performing a bro split or push/ pull split. As a part of a bro split, include it in your chest workout. When performing the push/ pull split, it should form part of your push session.

As a compound exercise, the barbell bench press should be programmed at the start in both these cases.