equipment

Barbell, Bench

sets

3-4

reps

6-12

rest

90-120 sec

1. Lie flat on a bench with your eyes under the bar.
2. Take an overhand grip roughly shoulder width apart.
3. Plant both feet flat on the floor.
4. Retract your shoulder blades against the bench.
5. Unrack the bar and hold it over your chest with arms extended.

1. Lower the bar under control toward your lower chest.
2. Keep your elbows tucked close to your torso throughout.
3. Lower until the bar lightly touches your chest.
4. Press the bar back up by extending your elbows.
5. Finish with arms fully extended over your chest.

Inhale as you lower the bar, exhale as you press it back up.

• Keep your grip about shoulder width — narrower is not better.
• Keep your elbows tucked close to your sides.
• Keep your wrists stacked over your forearms.
• Control the descent rather than dropping the bar.
• Keep your shoulder blades pulled back.

• Gripping so narrowly that the wrists are strained.
• Letting the elbows flare out, which turns it into a regular bench press.
• Bending the wrists backward under the bar.
• Bouncing the bar off the chest.
• Lifting the hips off the bench.

From arms extended to a light touch on the lower chest, with the elbows tracking close to the body throughout.