Chest
Bench Press
The king of upper-body pressing — done right, it builds a chest, shoulders, and triceps that actually move weight.
How to perform.
Follow the sequence — setup is half the lift.
Lie flat on the bench with eyes directly under the bar. Plant your feet, squeeze your shoulder blades down and back, and arch your upper back slightly.
Grip the bar just outside shoulder width. Wrists stacked over elbows, not bent back.
Unrack the bar and bring it over your lower chest with straight arms.
Lower the bar under control to touch your mid-chest. Elbows tuck to about 45–75 degrees, not flared straight out.
Press the bar up and slightly back toward your face in a shallow arc until elbows lock out.
Rerack only after your final rep is fully locked out — never bail forward.
Common mistakes.
Fix these first — they cost reps, kilos, and joints.
- Flaring elbows out to 90° — wrecks the shoulders and kills your press.
- Bouncing the bar off your chest instead of touching with control.
- Lifting your hips off the bench to cheat the rep.
- Half-repping by stopping inches above the chest.
- Gripping too narrow or too wide for your build.
Muscles worked.
The primary movers do the work; the stabilizers keep the path honest.