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Barbell Bench Press

How to do it step by step, and the muscles it works.

Body part
Chest
Equipment
Barbell
Type
Compound
  1. Barbell Bench Press, position 1 of 2Position 1 of 2
  2. Barbell Bench Press, position 2 of 2Position 2 of 2
Everkinetic, CC BY-SA 4.0

How to do it

  1. Lie on the bench with your eyes under the bar and your feet planted firmly on the floor.
  2. Grip the bar a little wider than your shoulders, pull your shoulder blades back and down, and keep a slight arch with your glutes on the bench.
  3. Unrack the bar over your shoulders with straight arms, then lower it to your lower chest with your elbows about 45° from your body.
  4. Drive your feet into the floor and press the bar up and slightly back so it finishes over your shoulders.
  5. Wrap your thumbs around the bar and use a spotter or a rack with safety arms when you go heavy.

Warm up first and pick a weight you can control through the whole movement. Stop if something hurts.

Muscles worked

Also known as

Flat Bench Press · Bench Press · Flat Barbell Bench Press · Bench Press (Barbell)

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