How to perform the Barbell Bench Press
Updated: Jun 20, 2024
This is a basic introduction to not just barbell pressing but any closed chain horizontal pressing movement. The first thing you want to think about is getting yourself into as stable a position as possible. The more stability you have the more force you will be able to produce.
Therefore, you will have the following contact points:
Both feet on the ground
Hips on the bench
Upper back on the bench
Head on the bench
Positioning:
Head position should be such that your eyes are looking directly up at the barbell.
Hand position for a traditional bench press should be far enough apart where your forearms are parallel with each other at the bottom of the movement. A good place to start is a thumb away from the knurling.
Next, you want to think about creating tension across your whole body which involves driving your feet into the ground as if you are trying to slide back on the bench, a rigid trunk from bracing, and stabilizer muscles engaged around the shoulder joint.
Leg Drive: This is a common fault with new lifters who are so focused on their upper body, they neglect to recognize the importance of keeping a rigid lower body. Ensure your feet are either underneath or slightly behind your knees to allow you to push the ground away.
Strong Brace: Before your rep, you want to take a deep breath in through your belly, and drive your ribs down holding 360 degrees of tension in your trunk.
Shoulder Stabilizer Engagement: Prior to unracking the bar, you want to pull your shoulders back and down against the weight bench. This helps engage a muscle below your shoulder blades called your lower trapezius. After you unrack the barbell, you want the intent to “break” the barbell. Of course, it won’t break, but using this cue to pull your elbows in helps engage external rotator muscles around your shoulder.
Check out these videos to discover drills to improve your shoulder engagement during the Bench Press.
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