Barbell bench press

Exercise details

Target muscles: Sternal (lower) Pectoralis Major

Synergists: Clavicular (upper) Pectoralis Major, Anterior Deltoid, Triceps Brachii

Mechanics: Compound

Force: Push

Starting position

1. Lie supine (on your back) on a flat bench.

2. Spread your legs, bring your feet back, and place them firmly on the ground. Either your toes or
your heels should be planted on the floor.

3. Arch your back.

4. Dismount the barbell using a grip that is a little over shoulder-width apart.

5. While holding the barbell, retract (push together) your shoulder blades and straighten your
wrists.

Execution

1. Inhale as you lower the barbell to your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in at a 45-degree
angle.

2. Exhale as you press the barbell back up to the starting position.

3. Repeat.
Comments and tips

 Planting your feet, arching your back, tucking in your elbows, and straightening your wrists
allow you to drive from your legs, through your body, and up through your arms—thus
getting your entire body behind the press. Use this form to produce a strong foundation
from which to press, increase your leverage, and give yourself a mechanical advantage.
 Tucking in your elbows also reduces the pressure on your shoulders.
 Never use a false grip. A false grip (aka thumbless or suicide grip) is when you don’t wrap
your thumbs around the bar.
 If lifting heavy weights, have a spotter ready.
 Like the barbell squat and barbell deadlift , the barbell bench press is a major mass- and
strength-building exercise.
 Also see the dumbbell bench press.

Dumbbell bench press

Exercise details

Target muscle: Pectoralis Major

Synergists: Anterior Deltoid, Triceps Brachii

Mechanics: Compound

Force: Push

Starting position
1. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, sit on a flat bench and rest one dumbbell on each knee.

2. As you lie back on the bench, kick each dumbbell up into position, one at a time.

3. Position the dumbbells to the sides of your chest, with your arms bent at a 90-degree angle.
Your elbows should not be pointing straight out to the sides; rather, tuck them in a little to
approximately a 45-degree angle.

4. Spread your legs, bring your feet back, and place them firmly on the ground. Either your toes or
your heels should be planted firmly on the floor.

5. Arch your back and straighten your wrists.

Execution

1. Exhale as you slowly press the dumbbells upward and inward until your arms are almost fully
extended and the dumbbells nearly touch.

2. Inhale as you slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position, or until you feel a slight
stretch in your chest.

3. Repeat.

Comments and tips

 Planting your feet, arching your back, tucking your elbows in, and straightening your wrists
allow you to drive from your legs, through your body, and up through your arms—thus
getting your entire body behind the press.
 Keeping your elbows tucked in a little also reduces the pressure on your shoulders.
 After you finish, do not drop the dumbbells by your sides. Instead, raise your knees and
carefully bring the dumbbells down onto your knees, after which the weight of the
dumbbells will push your legs down and help you to sit up.
 The advantages of the dumbbell bench press over the barbell bench press are that it
allows a greater range of motion and doesn’t allow your stronger side to make up for your
weaker side. The dumbbell bench press also recruits more stabilizer muscles.
 Also see barbell bench press.

Incline barbell bench press

Exercise details

Target muscle: Clavicular (Upper) Pectoralis Major

Synergists: Anterior Deltoid, Triceps Brachii

Mechanics: Compound

Force: Push

Starting position

1. Lie supine (on your back) on a bench inclined at 45 degrees.

2. Spread your legs, bring your feet back, and place them firmly on the ground.

3. Arch your back.

4. Dismount the barbell using a wider-than-shoulder-width grip.

5. Retract (push together) your shoulder blades and straighten your wrists.

Execution

1. Inhale as you lower the barbell to your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in.

2. Exhale as you press the barbell back up to the starting position.

3. Repeat.

Comments and tips

Planting your feet firmly on the floor, arching your back, retracting your shoulder blades, tucking
in your elbows, and straightening your wrists allow you to produce a strong foundation from
which to press and get your whole body behind the lift.

Tucking in your elbows also reduces the pressure on your shoulders, which are prone to injury
with this and other pressing exercises.

An angle of 45 degrees is recommended because, when compared with other angles (0, 28, and
56), the clavicular head of the pectoralis major was found to be most active at 44 degrees, and 45
degrees is the closest setting.

Never use a false (aka thumbless or “suicide”) grip with the incline barbell bench press. Hold the
bar deep in your palms and wrap your thumbs securely around the bar.

When lifting heavy weights, have a spotter ready for safety.

Don’t go as heavy as you would with the flat barbell bench press .

The incline barbell bench press is probably the most popular exercise for targeting your upper
chest. However, the incline reverse-grip barbell bench press may be more effective.

Incline dumbbell bench press

Exercise details

Target muscle: Clavicular (Upper) Pectoralis Major

Synergists: Anterior Deltoid, Triceps Brachii

Mechanics: Compound

Force: Push

Starting position

1. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, sit on a bench inclined at 45 degrees and rest one dumbbell
on each knee.

2. As you lie back on the bench, kick the dumbbells up, one at a time, into place.

3. Position the dumbbells to the sides of your chest, with your elbows bent and tucked in to your
torso a little.

4. Straighten your wrists.

5. Spread your legs and place your feet flat on the floor.
Execution

1. Exhale as you press the dumbbells upward and inward until your arms are almost fully extended
and the dumbbells nearly touch.

2. Hold for a count of two and squeeze your chest.

3. Inhale as you lower the dumbbells back to the starting position, or until you feel a mild stretch
in your chest.

4. Repeat.

Comments and tips

Use a bench inclination of 45 degrees because, when compared with other angles (0, 28, and 56),
the clavicular head of the pectoralis major was found to be most active at 44 degrees, and 45
degrees is the closest setting.

Raise the seat of the bench a little to prevent yourself from sliding down.

Planting your feet, tucking in your elbows a little, and straightening your wrists allow you to drive
from your legs, through your body, and up through your arms, thus getting your entire body
behind the press.

Tucking your elbows in a little also reduces the pressure on your shoulders.

Try not to drop the dumbbells on the floor, by your sides, after you have finished. Instead, raise
your knees and carefully bring the dumbbells down onto them. The weight of the dumbbells will
then push your legs down and help you to sit up.

You can perform the incline dumbbell bench press unilaterally (one arm at a time), which will force
the recruitment of more core stabilizer muscles and help you to develop unilateral strength. In
order to enjoy the benefits of both unilateral and bilateral training, alternate between the two
variations.

Chest dip/ Tricep Dip

Exercise details

Target muscle: Triceps Brachii

Synergists: Anterior Deltoid, Pectoralis Major, Latissimus Dorsi, Pectoralis Minor, Rhomboids,
Levator Scapulae

Mechanics: Compound

Force: Push

Starting position

1. Mount the should-width dip bars and straighten your arms so that your legs are suspended off
the ground.

Execution

1. Keeping your elbows tucked in and your body upright, slowly lower your body until your elbows
form a 90-degree angle or you feel a slight stretch in your shoulders. Don’t forget to inhale.

2. Exhale as you push your body back up to the starting position.

3. Repeat for the recommended number of repetitions.

Comments and tips

Do not lock out your elbows at the top of the movement.

Keep your body upright and elbows tucked in. If you lean forward and flare out your elbows, you
will place more emphasis on your pectoralis major, and the exercise will become a chest dip
instead of a triceps dip.

Make the triceps dip more difficult by holding a dumbbell between your legs or wearing a
weighted dip belt (weighted triceps dip).

Make it easier by using an assisted dip machine, or by bending your knees and getting someone to
hold your legs.

In a study by the American Council on Exercise (ACE), the bench dip , which is very similar to the
triceps dip, was found to be the third most effective triceps exercise after the triangle push-up
(aka diamond push-up, which came first) and the

dumbbell kickback (which came second). The bench dip was found to elicit equally great activity in
both the lateral and long heads of the triceps.