Barbell Bench Press

What it hits

Parts of the target muscle.

• Upper (clavicular)

  Not hit

  Targeted on incline pressing/flys.

• Middle (sternal)

  Hit

  Targeted on flat pressing.

• Lower (costal)

  Not hit

  Targeted on decline pressing and dips.

The movement

Get it right, not roughly right.

Optimal form

Tap for soundJeff Nippard

12:14· Jeff Nippard

How To Get A Huge Bench Press with Perfect Technique

Shoulder blades pinched and depressed, feet planted, slight arch. Bar travels from over the shoulders down to lower chest in a J-shape, touch, then press up and slightly back.

Common mistakes

• Bouncing the bar off the chest.
• Flaring elbows to 90° - the surest path to a torn pec or wrecked shoulder.
• No spotter for top sets.

Where you should feel it

Stretch through the middle chest at the bottom; press should feel like spreading the floor with your back.

Injury risk · 5/10

SafetyAlways use a spotter or safety pins for top sets. Flaring elbows past 70° is the most common pec-tear pattern.

Progression

Step back, or step up.

Same movement family, different rung. Harder versions sit above, easier versions below — tap a rung to land there.

1. Progress toClose-grip benchSame bar path, more triceps lockout work.
2. Progress toPause bench (3s on chest)Kills the stretch reflex. The bottom is where most lifters cheat.
3. You're hereBarbell Bench Press
4. Step back toIncline dumbbell pressIndependent arms, lower stability cost, no spotter required.
5. Step back toPush-upSame pressing pattern at body weight - earn the bar.

Variations

Same movement, moved emphasis.

Ranked by how directly each variation still trains chest. 80%+ means the target barely changes. Below 60%, the emphasis has meaningfully shifted — useful for variety, but less precise for the specific part. The label calls it at a glance.

• Pause bench (3s on chest)

  Kills momentum, builds the bottom.

  100% on target

  On target

  Same target, minor adjustment.

• Wide grip

  Slightly more chest, less triceps.

  95% on target

  On target

  Same target, minor adjustment.

• Close grip

  Less chest, more triceps.

  70% on target

  Slight shift

  Triceps bias.

Cool-down

Worked it. Walk it back down.

A couple of minutes here pays back in soreness avoided tomorrow. Browse the full library.

• Doorway Pec Stretch

  Forearm against doorway, elbow at shoulder height. Step the same-side foot through. 45s per side.

  ChestFront delts

• Cobra Pose

  Lying face-down, hands under the shoulders. Press the chest up by extending the back. Hips stay on the floor. 30s. Antidote to a long day of crunches and sitting.

  AbsFront deltsChest

• Downward Dog

  Hands and feet on the floor, hips in the air making an inverted V. Press the heels toward the floor. Pedal the heels alternately for a stronger calf stretch. 45s.

  CalvesHamstringsLatsFront delts