Bench Press Technique – The Complete Guide

Strength training helps build muscle strength and muscle mass as well as preserves bone density and the most crucial exercise is the bench press. Bench pressing targets chest, arms, and shoulders and is an exceptional strength builder. With so many benefits to offer, this exercise is rarely performed correctly. Many people think the bench press is just a chest exercise, but your triceps, shoulders, back, and even your glutes are involved.

It's a complex movement and can be disastrous if not performed correctly or without proper equipment
If you've been doing the bench press without being too concerned about how you're doing it, it might be time for you to take a step back and focus on improving your technique. Here I have put together a guide to help you learn the bench press the proper way.
So, let’s get started.

Lie flat on the bench with your body in a relaxed position

As with any lift, the proper starting position is important in performing the exercise correctly and the bench press is no different. So, lie down on the bench with your body relaxed and ensure your butt, upper back and head are all in contact with the pad. Line up the eyes with the bar and make sure your neck is positioned neutrally to prevent injury. You should choose a proper bench that fits your shoulder width as the narrow bench is unstable and a wide bench prevents upper arms from bending back.

Set your feet

The foot placement is not as crucial on the bench as it is for the deadlift and squat, but it’s still important. Your feet are the start of a strong base and help draw power. There are several acceptable foot positions, all of which require your feet to be firmly planted on the floor. You can either keep a neutral foot position or feet back, you need to play around to see which works best. Under no circumstance should you keep your feet up in the air or on the bench? This prevents you from using leg drive as well as loses most of your stability. These are both necessary to execute the lift properly and allow you to progressively lift barbell & weight set.
Arch your back

This is a little bit controversial as many people think that arching the back is a powerlifting move. However, it's not that, arching the lower back will actually help you maintain a neutral spine and keep your back tight and protected.

Set the grip

Grab the bar tightly and hold the bar as far down your palm as possible. If the bar is too high in your hand, or even in your fingers, your wrist will bend backward causing injury. However, the grip width will depend on your body type, goals, injury history and wrist mobility. People with longer arms need to grip wider, as well as those looking to push maximum weight, such as in competitive powerlifting. Individuals with shorter arms will need a narrower grip, and if you're lifting primarily in hypertrophy rep ranges, this may be a better position for the majority of your lifting.

I recommend taking a moderate or neutral bench grip for general fitness. It is also very important to keep the bar as close and tight to the thumb of your hand as possible. This will make it much easier to keep your wrist from hyperextending. The knuckles of your other 4 fingers should be behind the bar and not under it.

Get ready to lift the bar

This is perhaps one of the most important steps as it can make or break the entire lift. It is also the step that I see most people neglect. Getting tight and ready to press will help you prevent injury, stabilize your shoulders, and help you get more out of the lift.

Pull your shoulder blades together and act as if you are trying to rip the bar apart. Engage your core, glutes, and quads by squeezing these muscles. It would be better if you practice these steps with an empty bar until you get the hang of it and then add weight to it.

Unracking the bar

It is always best to have someone to help you lift the baras this will allow you to stay tight while unracking the bar, but if you don’t have a training partner, there is a technique to doing this on your own.

To maintain tension you want to pull the bar off the rack using your back and lat muscles rather than pressing up and over the hooks. This allows you to keep your shoulders back and shoulder blades tight together.

Most of the time when you have to ‘press’ the bar over the hooks, the shoulders also come forward, which makes it very hard to get back into position.

Pull the Bar to Your Chest

To stay tight through the whole movement ensure that you continuously maintain activation of your lats, back muscles, abdominals, butt and quads. Keep your abs, butt, and quads tight by squeezing them. Also, don’t let your elbows flare out to 90 degrees or perpendicular to your body as this will strain and injure your shoulders. It also puts a great deal of stress right on the elbow joint. So, keep your elbows at about 45° angle.

When you are bench pressing, it is essential to remain stable throughout and proper breathing will help you do so. Before you lower the bar, take a big breath in and hold it. You can even do this just after you unrack the bar before you begin to lower. This helps create full-body tension as you bring the bar down to your chest.

These are the bench press techniques to follow for proper form and once you learn to press the right way, you can keep adding weight to the bar and set some new PRs.