Bench press
- Lie on a flat bench with your eyes directly under the racked bar and your feet firmly on the floor. Grip the bar slightly wider than your shoulders, unrack it, and hold it with straight arms over your chest.
- Lower the bar with control until it lightly touches your mid-chest, keeping your elbows slightly tucked.
- Drive through your feet and press the bar back up to the starting position until your arms are locked out.
Tips
- Before unracking the bar, plant your feet flat on the floor and press them down throughout the set to create a stable base for the press.
- Keep your wrists stacked directly over your elbows as you lower and press the bar, rather than letting them bend back.
- Lower the bar with control and pause briefly when it touches your chest before pressing, rather than bouncing it off your sternum.
Common mistakes
- Flaring the elbows out to the sides so they point perpendicular to the torso, rather than keeping them slightly tucked toward the body.
- Lifting the hips off the bench during the press so the lower back arches excessively and the body loses contact with the bench.
- Gripping the bar with the thumb on the same side as the fingers rather than wrapping the thumb around the bar.
Make Every Set Count.
Plan your workouts, track every session, and see your progress over time.
