Push
Bench Press
What it works
Mainly: Chest, Front delts. Also: Triceps.
Setup
Eyes under the bar, shoulder blades pulled back and down into the bench, feet flat on the floor. Grip a little wider than shoulder width.
How it goes
Lower to the lower chest under control, touch, then press up and slightly back towards your face. Keep the shoulder blades set the whole time.
Two things people get wrong
- Flaring the elbows straight out to the sides — keep them at roughly 45 degrees to the body.
- Bouncing the bar off the chest.
If the kit’s busy
Dumbbell bench press, or the chest press machine.
Use the safety pins or a spotter for anything near a maximum. A bar on your chest with no way out is one of the most common serious gym accidents.
In these programmes
These are setup and execution cues, not coaching. If something hurts, stop — and if you're training around an injury or a health condition, get a professional's eyes on it first.