A strength expert reveals how to bench press properly – and three common mistakes to avoid

Up the effectiveness of your push workouts by swerving these common bench press errors

Knowing how to do this move like an expert will make all the difference to your gym sessions (The Independent / iStock )

Known as the big three, the squat, bench press and deadlift are the moves synonymous with building strength and muscle – and the bench press is most people’s favourite pick of the bunch.

This may be because a bench press won’t leave you struggling with the stairs like heavy squats and deadlifts might, or perhaps it’s because it hits mirror muscles like the chest. What’s not up for debate is the fact that this exercise forms the backbone of strength training plans the world over.

But despite its popularity, precious few people truly know how to bench press properly, with commonplace mistakes detracting from the effectiveness of the move. To remedy this, we enlisted the help of Dr Richard Blagrove, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and senior lecturer in physiology at Loughborough University.

Below, he’s provided a beginner’s guide to the bench press, explaining how to execute this exercise with perfect form and the benefits you can expect from doing so.

Which muscles does a bench press use?

All of the big three lifts are compound exercises, working multiple muscles at once. But while the squat and deadlift hold a lower-body bias, the bench press leans in the opposite direction.

“It mainly works the upper limb pushing muscles – pectoral [chest], anterior deltoid [the front of your shoulder] and triceps,” says Dr Blagrove.

However, if you’re performing this exercise correctly you should hold tension throughout your body, calling the glutes, hamstrings and trunk muscles into action, Dr Blagrove adds. But these muscles will be worked to a lesser extent than the primary targets of the chest, shoulders and triceps.

What are the benefits of the bench press?

“The bench press and derivatives of the bench press, such as the dumbbell bench press, are probably the best exercises to develop chest musculature in general,” Dr Blagrove says.

In layman’s terms: this move is an effective way to grow your chest muscles, alongside an appropriate diet. That benefit alone is enough to persuade most people to add it into their exercise plans, but it’s not the only reason to do so.

“[The bench press improves] upper limb pushing strength, functional capacity in everyday living tasks, muscle mass, posture and shoulder mobility,” Dr Blagrove says.

It also shares the many positive impacts of lifting weights in general. These include boosting bone and joint health (particularly in the wrists and forearms), improving body composition and enhancing cardiorespiratory function.

How to perform a bench press correctly

• Lie on your back on a weight bench with your feet flat on the floor, wider than hip-width apart, and your knees roughly forming a right angle. Your head, back and buttocks should be in contact with the bench. 
• Whether you’re using a designated bench press station or a power rack, the barbell should be placed securely approximately level with the crown of the head.
• Push down through your feet so your lower body and trunk tighten, but don’t let your buttocks come off the bench or your lower back hyperextend (arch).
• Grip the barbell slightly wider than shoulder-width with your thumbs around the bar.
• Maintaining the stiffness through your lower body and trunk, lower the bar by flexing (bending) the elbows until it lightly touches your lower chest. Your elbows should track relatively close to the torso and not flare outwards.
• Raise the barbell back to the start position by extending the elbows. The back of the head and buttocks should remain in contact with the bench throughout the exercise.

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Dr Richard Blagrove’s expert bench press tips

• Ensure a spotter [someone to help you lift the barbell out the rack initially, and help you move the barbell back to the rack if you are unable to complete a repetition] is always present for safety and improved confidence.
• Aim to keep your elbows relatively close to your torso as the bar descends. To do this, imagine trying to bend the bar inwards.
• Keep a high level of tension or stiffness in the lower body and trunk by pushing through the ground with the feet throughout the lift. This will provide a more stable platform and turn it into a whole body exercise.

Common deadlift mistakes and how to fix them

Getting trapped under the bar at the end of a set

Challenging your muscles by training close to failure (the point where you can’t physically perform another repetition) is part and parcel of effective strength training. However, if you fail a repetition on the bench press, the bar will fall back onto your body.

“Getting trapped under the bar at the end of a set is highly dangerous and is caused by bench pressing to failure without a partner or spotter present,” says Dr Blagrove. “It is imperative that, when bench pressing close to repetition failure or at a relatively heavy load, a spotter is present.”

Elbows flare out

Flaring the elbows out wide, rather than keeping them closer to the body, is the most common error in any type of pressing movement, according to Dr Blagrove.

“Flaring the elbows out places the shoulder joint in an internally rotated position, which is potentially damaging to connective tissue and bursas [fluid-filled sacs which reduce friction between tissues in the body] around both the shoulder and elbow.

“Keeping your elbows tighter to the body during pressing exercises encourages a more externally rotated position in the joint, protecting the shoulder from injury.”

To counter this, Dr Blagrove recommends placing a taut resistance band around your elbows while learning the bench press.

“As you perform the exercise, the band should encourage you to keep your elbows closer together. Attempting to pull the bar apart as you complete each repetition will also help.

“If keeping your elbows close to your body means the exercise becomes too difficult, don’t be afraid to regress the exercise by lightening the load.”

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Lower back arches excessively

The abdominals play a pivotal role in stabilising your trunk during the bench press, preventing the lower back from moving from a strong neutral position to a more vulnerable hyperextended (arched) one, Dr Blagrove says.

“It is important that, during pressing exercises, you initially find a neutral lower back position and subsequently tighten the abdominals to hold this posture.”

What is a good bench press weight to aim for?

This is a common Google search topic, but Dr Blagrove says defining a “good” bench press weight is tricky to do without considering contextual factors.

“For an elderly person with no resistance training experience, a wall press-up represents a good goal to start with – there’s no need to bench press at all here. For an elite athlete competing in a sport demanding high levels of upper body pushing strength [such as rugby] they should be bench pressing 1.5 times their body weight.”

Should you do the bench press?

This isn’t a PE lesson – there is no exercise you have to do. Exercise doesn’t have to be prescriptive and you can prioritise things you enjoy to make your training as fun as possible.

If you enjoy the bench press and you want stronger upper-body pushing muscles, this exercise is a great choice. You can also use variations such as the dumbbell bench press (which some people find easier on their shoulders) to achieve a similar outcome. As long as you do it consistently and you’re continually challenging yourself, it will be effective.

While exercise selection is largely down to personal preference, strength training in some form is universally recommended by experts. This type of exercise is beneficial for everyone, not just muscle-bound bodybuilders, and it offers plenty of bang for your buck.

It strengthens not only your muscles but also your bones and joints, helping you build a robust, functional and flexible body. This minimises your risk of injury and allows you to maintain an active lifestyle, whatever your age.

“Heavy resistance training [can also lead to] improved body composition, improved cardiorespiratory function, reduced blood pressure, reduced risk of health-related disease, improved metabolic health, enhanced mental health and better cognitive function,” says Dr Blagrove.

That’s why, while the type of exercise you do is completely down to you, we never hesitate to sing the praises of strength training.

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