Exercise · Form & cues
Barbell Bench Press — form guide
Chest (primary) · Triceps · Front Delts. Equipment: Barbell + Bench. Difficulty: Intermediate.
TEMPO
3-1-2-0 (3s down, 1s pause at chest, 2s up, 0 rest at top)
The eccentric (lowering) phase is where micro-tears happen — never drop the bar. Own the 3-second descent.
Cues
- Retract and depress scapulae before unracking
- Bar path is slight J-curve, not straight up
- Drive through the whole foot, leg drive transfers force
- Wrists straight, elbows ~75° from torso — not flared to 90°
- Think 'bend the bar' to engage lats as stabilizers
Common mistakes
- Bouncing off chest — kills TUT and risks sternum
- Elbows flared 90° — impingement risk
- Wrist rolling back — loses force transfer
- Butt lifting — fake arch, remove leg drive advantage
Injury notes
Avoid if shoulder impingement — switch to DB Press or Landmine Press
Progression
Add 2.5kg when all reps hit top of range with 2 RIR. If stuck 2 weeks, try pause reps or tempo work.