Exercise guide

Bench Press – Setup, Form, Progress

Get stronger safely: stable base, tight shoulders, controlled bar path.

Zielmuskeln

Muscles used

The visual shows which muscle areas are mainly and secondarily involved in this exercise.

Primary
Brust
Secondary
Trizeps Schultern
Video

Training video

Short technique clips for proper execution, common mistakes and key details of this exercise.

Target muscles

Chest, triceps, front delts

Setup

  • Plant your feet firmly.
  • Pull shoulder blades back and down.
  • Use a slight arch and a solid grip.

Execution

  • Lower the bar to the lower chest with control.
  • Press up while keeping shoulders stable.
  • Keep elbows roughly 45 degrees from the torso.

Common mistakes

  • Shoulders shrugging up.
  • Elbows flaring hard.
  • Bouncing the bar.

Progression

Paused reps, close-grip bench, dumbbell bench.

Similar exercises

More exercises from the same muscle group or training area.

Dips

Highly effective when shoulder position and control stay solid.

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Push-ups

Train chest and triceps anywhere when body tension is solid.

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