Bench Press
Barbell Bench Press, Flat Bench
Chest
Horizontal Push
Compound
Intermediate
Set it up
Lie back so your eyes sit under the bar.
Pull your shoulder blades down and together, then keep them pinned there.
Set your grip about one and a half shoulder widths and squeeze the bar hard.
Plant your feet, take a breath, and unrack to a point over your shoulders.
What I say while you lift
Try to bend the bar in half with your hands.
Row the bar down to the bottom of your sternum.
Touch, then push yourself away from the bar.
Keep your feet driving into the floor for the whole set.
What goes wrong
Flaring the elbows straight out to the sides.
Bouncing the bar off the ribs to get through the sticking point.
Letting the shoulder blades come unglued as you press.
30X1
default tempo
Breathe in at the top, hold through the descent and the press, exhale at lockout.
breathing
Before you load it
Use a spotter or set the safety arms at chest height; if you train alone, leave the collars off so you can dump a failed rep.
Stop if the front of the shoulder pinches at the bottom — a neutral-grip dumbbell press usually clears it.