Bench Press · GetMyCoach

Bench Press

The Bench Press is a foundational upper body compound exercise targeting the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Lie on a flat bench with your eyes under the barbell, gripping the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width. Retract your shoulder blades, arch your lower back slightly, and drive your feet into the floor for stability. Lower the bar in a controlled manner towards your mid-chest, keeping your elbows tucked at approximately a 45-60 degree angle, then powerfully press it back up to the starting position.

How to perform it

Set up with your eyes directly under the bar.
Grip the bar firmly, slightly wider than shoulder-width.
Retract and depress your shoulder blades throughout the lift.
Drive your feet into the floor for leg drive and stability.
Lower the bar to your mid-chest in a controlled manner.
Keep elbows tucked at about a 45-60 degree angle.
Press the bar explosively back up, maintaining full-body tension.

Common mistakes

Flaring elbows out too wide, stressing the shoulders.
Bouncing the bar off the chest to aid the lift.
Lifting the hips off the bench, losing stability and leg drive.
Lack of shoulder blade retraction, leading to instability.
Not controlling the eccentric (lowering) phase of the lift.
Pressing the bar straight up instead of a slight arc towards the rack.

Train around it

Skip or adapt this movement if any of these apply — and check with a professional when in doubt.

Severe shoulder pain or injury
Rotator cuff tears
Acute wrist or elbow pain
Uncontrolled high blood pressure
Spinal disc issues (if arching causes pain)

Related exercises

More moves that train the same muscles.

Want this programmed for you?

Your GetMyCoach coach builds a full plan around your goal — choosing the right exercises, sets, and progression, and demoing each move like this.

Get your free plan