Exercise guide

Barbell bench press: muscles worked and how to do it

The bench press trains your chest, shoulders and arms as you press a barbell up from your chest while lying on a flat bench. GymTribe's library lists it as Flat barbell bench press, with the mid chest as its target muscle.

How to do a bench press

Lie on the bench with your eyes under the bar and your feet flat on the floor.
Grip the bar a little wider than shoulder-width, with your thumbs wrapped around it.
Pull your shoulder blades back and down, so your upper back is set firmly on the bench.
Lift the bar out of the rack and hold it over your shoulders with straight arms.
Lower it under control to the middle of your chest, with your elbows angled partway toward your sides rather than straight out.
Press the bar back up until your arms are straight and it is over your shoulders again.

These steps describe common technique. If something hurts, stop and ask a qualified coach or clinician.

Common bench press mistakes

Bouncing the bar off your chest
Touch your chest lightly and press, so every rep you log is the same rep.
Elbows flared straight out
Bring them partway in, so your upper arms sit at an angle to your body.
Hips lifting off the bench
Keep your glutes on the bench and push through your feet instead.
Training heavy with nothing to catch the bar
Use a spotter or set the rack's safety arms just below chest height.

How to track your bench press

Log the weight and reps of every set. Over a few weeks, the heaviest weight you lift and your estimated one-rep max show whether you are getting stronger, even when your sets use different rep counts.

Estimated 1RM, Epley formula

80 kg × (1 + 6 ÷ 30) ≈ 96 kg

A set of 6 at 80 kg estimates a one-rep max of about 96 kg.

Try the 1RM calculator →Strength tracking in GymTribe →

Barbell bench press questions

What muscles does the bench press work?

Mostly the chest, with the front of the shoulders and the triceps. In GymTribe's muscle map, each set of Flat barbell bench press counts toward the mid chest.

How wide should my grip be on the bench press?

Most lifters start a little wider than shoulder-width, so the forearms are close to vertical at the bottom. A narrower grip shifts more of the work to the triceps.

Should the bar touch my chest?

In a full-range bench press the bar lightly touches the middle of your chest on each rep. Keeping the same range every session keeps your logged numbers comparable.

How do I estimate my bench press one-rep max?

Use the Epley formula, weight × (1 + reps ÷ 30). A set of 6 at 80 kg estimates about 96 kg. The 1RM calculator on this site does the sum for any set.

How do I track my bench press in GymTribe?

Log each set's weight and reps under Flat barbell bench press. Every session adds a point to its charts: heaviest weight and estimated 1RM, best set volume and most reps, and best session volume and max session reps. A New PR alert appears when a set beats your heaviest weight, estimated 1RM or rep record.