Bench Press Form

Prop up your phone and RepSensei counts your bench press reps and flags some visible issues, right on your device. Video never leaves your phone.

How to do it

1. Lie on the bench with your eyes roughly under the bar. Plant your feet flat on the floor, a little wider than your hips.
2. Grip the bar slightly wider than your shoulders, wrists stacked over your elbows rather than bent back.
3. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and down, as if putting them in your back pockets. Keep your bum on the bench.
4. Unrack with straight arms, or with a spotter's help, and bring the bar over your shoulders.
5. Breathe in and lower the bar under control to your lower chest, around the nipple line, elbows at roughly 45 to 70 degrees from your body.
6. Press the bar up and slightly back towards your face so it finishes over your shoulders. Breathe out near the top.

Coaching cues

Shoulder blades pinned

A tight upper back gives the shoulders a stable platform and shortens the press a little.

Bend the bar

Trying to snap the bar in half engages the lats and keeps the elbows from flaring.

Legs drive

Pushing your feet into the floor keeps your whole body tight, even though the legs do not press the bar.

Touch, then press

A light touch on the chest without bouncing keeps the rep honest and controlled.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

Elbows flared straight out

Arms at 90 degrees to the body put the shoulders in a vulnerable position under load. Fix: Tuck the elbows to around 45 to 70 degrees and touch the bar lower on the chest.

Bouncing the bar off the chest

The rebound hides weakness at the bottom and can be uncomfortable for the sternum. Fix: Lower under control and pause briefly on the chest for a few weeks to learn the position.

Bum lifting off the bench

Driving too hard with the legs turns it into a decline press and stresses the lower back. Fix: Keep your glutes on the bench and use leg drive to push towards your head, not up.

Wrists bent back

The bar sits in the fingers, so the wrists take strain and force leaks away. Fix: Set the bar low in the palm, over the forearm, and keep the knuckles pointing up.

Losing the upper back

The shoulder blades spread apart as you press, so the shoulders roll forward. Fix: Reset the squeeze before every set, and keep it through the last rep.

Muscles worked

Main: Chest, Triceps. Also: Shoulders, Lats.

Who should take care

Bench with a spotter or with safety arms set just below chest height, and avoid using collars without one so you can tip the plates off if stuck. If your shoulders ache, try dumbbells or a narrower grip, and see a physiotherapist if pain persists.

Variations

• Pushups: Easier: the same pressing pattern at home, with no bar.
• Dumbbell Bench Press: Alternative: each arm works alone and the wrists can rotate freely.
• Floor Press: Shoulder-friendly: the floor limits the range at the bottom.
• Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press: Variation: a narrower grip that puts more work on the triceps.
• Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip: Variation: more work for the upper chest and front shoulders.

Filming your bench press

Prop the phone on the floor level with the bench, a couple of metres away from the side, so the bar path and your elbows are in view. You can track it with the RepSensei camera, which counts reps and can flag some visible issues from one angle; it cannot see everything. See how to film your form.

Questions

Where should the bar touch my chest?

Usually around the lower chest, near the nipple line. Higher than that usually means flared elbows; lower can feel awkward on the wrists.

Should I arch my back?

A moderate arch from squeezing the shoulder blades is normal. Your bum and head should stay on the bench.

How wide should my grip be?

Slightly wider than shoulder width suits most people, with forearms roughly vertical when the bar touches the chest.

See the Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip exercise guide with a 3D figure.

More form guides

• Overhead Press form
• Push-Up form
• Triceps Dip form
• Dumbbell Chest Fly form

General guidance, not medical advice. Stop if anything hurts. The camera can miss things, so no issue seen doesn't mean perfect form.