The Correct Way to Bench Press

Introduction:

Bench pressing with bad form isn’t only ineffective – it can also cause injuries to your shoulders, elbows, and even your lower back! That’s why it’s so important to learn how to bench press correctly if you plan on doing this exercise regularly in the gym. To maximize your results from this exercise, take note of these five steps in the correct way to bench press.

Grab the bar at a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip

Make sure your grip is just outside shoulder width, but not so wide that you have trouble keeping your upper arms still as you bench. Setting up with too narrow of a grip may lead to shoulder problems down the road and it will keep you from using heavier weights. It also reduces the range of motion for pressing, which can make it harder for you to increase your strength over time. On any given lift, there’s only so much room for improvement—and that means if some part of your form isn’t optimized, you’re limiting how much weight you can lift (and subsequently how strong you can get). For most people trying to lose weight safely to hit specific numbers on their bench press or deadlift, every little bit helps.

Unrack the bar from the rack

Unracking involves unhinging your elbows, taking a deep breath, and stepping back from the rack. You’ll probably want someone spotting you for safety reasons at first, but once you get used to it, you can do it yourself. Make sure that when you’re unracking, your elbows are up high so that your upper arms form a 90-degree angle and aren’t sticking out like wings. Squeeze those shoulders back and down as much as possible—this should keep them from coming off of your ears while benching. Now squeeze those lats! To assume the proper position on the bench press, pull up on your lats with all of your might!

Take a deep breath before starting

Before you even lift that bar, take a second and breathe. Your chest will puff up with air, your body will relax and you’ll feel prepared for what’s about to come. This calms your nerves and helps you get in a good position to start benching. If it seems like such a simple thing can make all of these things happen, consider why more people don’t do it! Try doing 5-10 deep breaths before each set next time you hit weights; notice how much more relaxed you are and how easier it is for you when you start your set.

Squeeze your chest out and contract your lats

When you lower yourself onto a bench, press your chest out and contract your lats. This will help stabilize your shoulders and lead to proper alignment from head to toe. If you've never done that before, it may feel awkward at first, but don't worry: Perfecting your form is essential for avoiding injury in any exercise. (For more bench press tips on perfecting technique, check out these 4 Simple Tips for Your First-Ever Dumbbell Bench Press.) Once you have secured the proper position, keep your eyes fixed forward and focus on form rather than weight. That'll ensure you're lifting safely and effectively! (To make sure you're not making any mistakes in any of your workouts, try these 10 Common Mistakes Women Make at the Gym.)

Lower the bar to your upper chest/lower neck area

Some people advocate lowering it lower, but that puts pressure on your shoulder joint and makes it difficult to use your triceps. If you can do so safely, try going a little lower. However, keep in mind that keeping it at the upper chest or neck still emphasizes strengthening those areas because of their proximity to these areas of your body. This is especially true for upper chest as few people can touch their actual chest with their hands when lying flat on a bench press. Experiment with different variations of bench pressing as well. For example, go wide and focus on your outer pecs by lowering down a bit further than normal into each rep but bringing up less weight.

Hold your breath as you begin to push it back up

An effective tip for pushing more weight is to hold your breath throughout each rep. It sounds counterintuitive, but by preventing yourself from breathing out as you push back up, you’ll allow yourself to produce more force with your quads and chest muscles than if you had exhaled. Holding your breath also helps prevent blood from rushing out of your brain and into other muscle groups, which can hinder performance. So next time you hit that bench press at the gym, try holding it in for as long as possible before blowing it out at max effort. You should notice an immediate improvement in strength—plus a little less fatigue overall.

Release your breath as you finish each rep, pushing through your heels

To help you remember, place a small item (such as a drinking straw) on your lower back just before you begin each rep. You can move it around while you’re benching. As soon as you’ve finished that last rep, grab your straw and hold your breath for 5–10 seconds—exhaling only after time is up. Repeat until you have performed 10 reps total in your set. It takes more effort than exhaling through every rep, but holding your breath will teach you to control your breathing and improve strength at higher lung volumes.

Pause at the top for a second before going down again

Some people don’t wait at all, but taking a quick break ensures you’re not jerking up with your shoulders. At least a one-second pause is needed to protect your shoulders, says Jeffrey M. Janofsky, C.S.C.S., owner of Brooklyn Bodyworks in New York City and creator of 15 Minute Fat Losses: A Revolutionary Program to Double Your Metabolism and Get Fit in Less Time. That pause is long enough for your triceps and chest muscles to relax before beginning again—if you rush through it, that motion alone can injure those body parts. If you feel like your form is bad or if you’re having any kind of pain when benching, stop immediately and reevaluate what you’re doing, he adds. You want to be able to do bench press without feeling any pain whatsoever. You should be able to do it easily and comfortably so that when someone asks how much weight are you lifting or how many reps are you doing, [you can say] ‘I have no idea; I just enjoy doing it!’ (See also: The Best Exercises You're Not Doing).

The Correct Way to Bench Press