Barbell Bench Press
Also called: bench, flat barbell bench press, barbell chest press
The upper-body benchmark lift: a pressing pattern that builds chest, shoulders and triceps — and rewards technique over ego.
Technique
How to do it
- 1
Lie with eyes under the bar; feet planted, shoulder blades pinched down and back.
- 2
Grip so forearms are vertical at the chest; unrack with straight arms.
- 3
Lower under control to the lower chest, elbows ~45–70° from your torso.
- 4
Touch — don't bounce — then press up and slightly back toward the rack.
Cue bank
Two cues, picked by context
Internal cues for growth work at moderate loads; external cues when the bar is heavy. The app switches automatically.
“Squeeze the bar and feel the pecs stretch, then snap together.”
“Throw the bar at the ceiling.”
Common faults
What to watch for
Standard coaching taxonomy for this movement. A dedicated Harry Spotter rubric is on the roadmap.
Flaring elbows to 90°
Puts the shoulder in its crankiest position under load.
Fix: Tuck the elbows toward your ribs on the descent.
Bouncing off the chest
The stretch reflex does the work your pecs came to do.
Fix: One-second pause on the chest at lighter loads.
Losing the shoulder-blade shelf
A loose upper back turns a press into a shrug.
Fix: Re-set the pinch every rep; think “bend the bar.”
Standards
How strong is your barbell bench press?
Your Bench Press level (e1RM 117 kg, 1.56× bodyweight)
Intermediate
Advanced at 131 kg e1RM
Heuristic community-standards multipliers — a motivation yardstick, not a scientific claim. e1RM computed with the same engine the app uses (Epley).
Substitutions