How to Bench with Proper Technique to Build a Powerful Chest and Godlike Strength
Bench Press Form: What Not to Do
Incline benching and flat benching are my two favorite chest exercises! Simply, with proper technique these two movements can build an absolutely phenomenal chest and godlike upper body pressing power. Unfortunately 90% of guys, if not more, that I see benching are doing it entirely wrong, yet they think they are using proper form. Not only are these poor souls putting their shoulders in a compromised position, but they are also placing less work on their chest. The people that say bench press and incline bench does nothing for their chest usually have horrendous form. Similarly the people that can’t add weight to their bench to save their life, tend to have sloppy form.
If they were to use this shaky form with heavy weights exceeding 250+ lbs their shoulders would buckle and tear. In fact, I often cringe when I see people take the barbell out of the rack for bench press. Their shoulders are rolled forward, as if they’re trying to reach for something and their chest is completely flat. This is an incredibly weak and dangerous bench press position. One which places extreme amounts of stress on the rotator cuff. For example, take a look at the picture below. Back is flat and shoulders are pulled forward, this is a very weak and dangerous position.
It reminds me of a story a long time ago when I was going for a one rep max on bench press. It must have been 4-5 years ago and at the time I was attempting 265 lbs. I asked one of the personal trainers to give me a spot. I got into position, had my chest up and shoulders rolled back and down and I proceeded to unrack the barbell. As I pulled the barbell out, the personal trainer lifted the barbell up 3-4″ higher than the pins, this caused my shoulders to roll forward and out of position. At this very second I new I was in for a surprise. I began to lower the barbell down towards my chest and my shoulders felt completely out of whack.
After touching the bar to my chest I attempted to push the bar up but I had absolutely no strength. I just didn’t have a solid base to push off of. I managed to get the bar half way up and then said, “help”. The next week I came back with my buddy and got him to spot me. I instructed him to only lift the bar up just high enough to clear the pegs. I managed to blast 265 lbs up with ease. It’s amazing how much a slight adjustment in shoulder position can make to your strength. The heavier you’re going, the more noticeable this is. If you’re ever going to do a one rep max you better have rock solid form.
The Perfect Bench Press Position
The ideal position is to have your shoulders pulled back and down and locked in place. With this position, you will naturally create a space under your lower back, between the bench. You’re not intentionally arching your lower back, it just naturally happens with proper form. You just can’t possibly have your chest up and scapula retracted (shoulders pulled back and down), while keeping your lower back on the bench. The space between your lowerback and the bench is good, you want this! As long as your butt is on the bench then you’re in an advantageous position.
As for your feet, I like to drive my toes into the floor, under my butt. This reinforces the stable position and keeps my body tight and secure. It may feel awkward at first, but ever since switching to this foot position a month ago I have added 5 lbs each week to my bench.
With this bench press position you are going to be doing a few things
1) You will protect your shoulders from injury
2) You are putting your chest in the strongest position possible. This will allow you to lift more weight and give your chest a much better workout
3) You will be working your entire body. Your lats will be tense and activated, your glutes and legs will be working hard, driving into the floor and you will build strength and support throughout your entire body.
4) You will also be making it much easier on yourself to make steady strength gains. The stronger you get the more muscle you will build. The stronger the bench presser, the much more likelihood they are using proper form with retracted scapula, chest up high, natural lower-back arch and feet under their butt.
Seeing it in action
Here is a video of me hitting bench press with tight, solid form.
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rSCoqWuuvg
Incline Example
Here is a video of me hitting incline bench with proper form. You’ll notice my back looks very arched, this naturally happens just by rolling my shoulder back and sticking my chest up. The arch is perfectly safe and in no way is dangerous. If you’re not used to this position, I recommend doing a lot of hip and back bridging. This will strengthen your lower-back, as well as the muscles along the spine. The functional triad is great for this.
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Dr881sB9Vs
Key Points
It’s crucial that you have the barbell at the proper height. If it’s too high you won’t be able to maintain proper form while un-racking the weight. If it’s too low then it will be very difficult to safely take the barbell out of the rack. With shoulders pulled back, you should have the pegs 2-3″ shy of lock out.
I also recommend having your mouth under the barbell for flat bench when the weight is racked. You don’t want to have to pull the barbell out with your arms stretched back. For flat bench you want to lower the weight to your nipples or slightly below. Some people do flat bench with their elbows flared out to the side, this is a very dangerous position for your shoulders. As well, it sucks for building strength.
For incline bench, due to the angle you want to have your eyes directly under the bar when taking the barbell out of the rack. This is because with incline bench you need to lower the barbell high on your chest to keep your forearms perpendicular to the ground.
Build Huge Strength and a Killer Physique
Once you have proper form locked down then you will benefit from a solid strength training program. My Kinobody Muscle Building Course works incredibly well at building strength and adding muscle for the chiseled greek god look. Most people will add about 15 lbs to their incline and flat bench each month on the strength and density program from the manual.
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Greg, if I do just Dips and Incline Bench Press at 45 degrees for chest, and can’t lower the angle of the incline, the lower part of the pecs will be correctly engaged? Do you recommend in this case the “Chest Dips” when you put your legs backwards to engage more the lower part of the chest and less triceps?
Thanks in advance.
Yes that will handle your entire chest.
sorry if I’ve missed this, but what would your strength targets be for incline bench?
1x bw for 5 = good
1.2x bw for 5 = great
1.4x bw for 5 = godlike
brilliant cheers….any target for dips?
0.6x bw attached for 5 = good
0.8x bw attached for 5 = great
1x bw attached for 5 = godlike
Sup Greg I’ve been using your advice to try and increase my incline bench. Retracted scaptula, chest up high etc. But I still don’t feel my chest in the movement and I’ve been stuck at 170×5 for a while. I’m 145 pds and wud luv to get to 225×5. Any more tips on how to feel my chest more, I think that’s what’s leaving me stuck.
I’d focus on flat bench for a while and then go back to incline once you get your flat bench to 225 for 5 +
Hey Greg,
Good information you have here. I have been bench pressing since I was fourteen and I couldn’t agree more. Handling Barbells at the correct height requires quite some practise.
Quick question: What angle do you use on the incline?
Somewhere between 30-45 degrees.
Also, is it a good idea to strengthen the rotator cuff muscles with isolation exercises for about a month or more before you begin shoulder pressing and chest pressing? Would this contribute to healthier and more injury proof shoulders? Or can you go straight into chest press and shoulder pressing without doing any exercises to strengthen the rotator cuff beforehand. Thanks.
As long as you do warm up sets and use proper technique you can go straight into presses. You should do rotator cuff work at the end of your workout.
Thank you for your response. There is also one more thing I would like to ask.
Do you know why everyone seems to write off resistance machines? Because personally I think they are way safer than free weights/barbell and still provide the resistance needed to build a great physique. I was put off using machines because everyone who has an amazing physique seems to use free weights. However, I have picked up several injuries from using free weights, and I can’t seem to get the technique down for the barbell bench press, I still feel the stress on the shoulder is too much. I mean, weren’t resistance machines designed in the first place to reduce injury and still stimulate muscle effectively?
Good question. Machines don’t translate as well to real world situations. It’s very rare to not have any need for stabilization. As well, free weights actually reduce the risk of injury because they build the stabilizers and require balance and coordination.
Hi Greg,
Big fan of your work!
Recently (before I found out how to do the chest press correctly) I picked up an injury in my left wrist through doing the technique incorrectly, it’s kind of like a sharp pain. I noticed previously you mentioned you have dealt with wrist injuries before. Can I ask how long you rested it before it got better and did you do any wrist stretches during the rehab of it? I’m a bit worried about it. Thanks in advance.
I didn’t do much to rehab my wrist. I took a week off training and stopped doing any exercises that aggravated it. This meant I used mostly dumbbells for presses which are easier on the wrists than barbells.
Hi Greg,
do you also make sure that you bring the bar down over your nipple line and make sure you don’t bring your elbows down past 90 degrees?
For flat bench you don’t want to bring it over your nipple line or your elbows will be too flared out. Slightly lower than nipple is usually best.
Hi Greg,
Recently I have found the chest press to be an incredibly damaging exercise for the shoulders. I have tried this technique but the stress still isn’t taken off the shoulder. Now, i’m probably still doing something wrong with regards to the technique but I would be willing to bet that 99% of guys do the technique incorrectly on their last rep when they are shaking all over the place to complete the last rep.
I do agree that the bench press is a fantastic exercise and completely healthy when done correctly, but for the inexperienced lifter like myself it has so many red flags. Can you suggest other exercises to replace the bench press that are more injury proof? Thanks.
Incline bench and dips.
Hey Greg,
Can I/should I use this technique on close-grip bench as well?
Yep for sure!
10% increase in PB immediately and no half reps! BOOM!
Single best technique article I’ve ever read.
Cheers Chris,
Thanks! You’re going to destroy it, keep it up!
Hey Greg!
Right now I’m able to lift my weight at the bench press (165 lbs) for 5 reps. I tried this week to go for 170 and I only did three. I’m not sure where I should go from there in order to break that plateau (drop the weight? Change the rep range etc).
P.S. I’ve been eating at a deficit for the last couple of months now so maybe that’s the main reason why my progress on my lifts have slowed down or stalled completely. One of your last podcast was really helpful in that regard.
You can stay at 170 lbs for a few weeks and you should be able to build back up to 5 reps. It’s going to be difficult to gain strength quickly while you’re cutting so keep that in mind. Gaining 5-10 lbs on your lifts per month on a cut is very decent. So even if it takes you 2-4 weeks to build up to 5 reps with 170 that’s still quite good.
Hi Greg, how many sets and reps per set would you suggest when one is doing both exercises (flat benching + incline benching) in one workout and in succession of each other?
I usually do 2 sets of each. First set is usually about 6 reps and the second set is around 8-10 (I drop the weight by 10% for the second set). If you want to focus on adding more muscle size then I would do 3 sets for each movement. Set 1 – 4-6, set 2 – 6-8, set 3 – 8-10
Which finger should be placed on bar to work the chest best? index, middle, ring or pink ?
Really depends on how tall you are and the length of your arms. I’m average height so I put my pinkies on the ring of the bar and this feels perfect. If you go too wide you’re going to put a lot of stress on your rotator cuff. Conversely, if you go to narrow you will take tension off of your chest and onto your triceps.
Well I’m 5’8 and my flat bench is 10lbs weaker than when I do incline which I find strange. I usually use my pinkies on the ring bar also. So it’s best to put on pinkie or ring finger?
Pinkie. Ring finger is too wide unless you’re 6’2+
Perhaps it’s because you do flat after incline and you’re fatigued. You might need to take more rest between the two exercises.
Hey Greg. Great info! Keep it coming. I tried the “chest up” vibe recently and may have got a slight neck/shoulder injury. Can that happen if you’re switching to this form and using too much weight?
Yah I’d suggest going lighter in weight initially to really get the hang of this form. Use slow and controlled form at first. As well, try not to push your head too hard into the bench.
Articles with pictures and vids are a great addition to the site! Covering the subject of proper form for all the excercises that are at the center of the kinobody lifting style would be great;)
P..S. You gave me those advices about benching months ago and since then, my strengh not only went up but I’m now shoulder pain free:)
Glad to hear! Expect a shoulder pressing article tomorrow.
hi greg, when do you do another calisthenic post? it seems that calisthenics are getting a lot of buzz right now because of financial problems, i see more people at the parq right now then in the gym i used to go, besides that, what are your thoughts about building a great body just by doing calisthenics, i see alot of bar athletes on YT with incredible physics, they are lean and strong, without the big and bulky body that i see in gyms.
thks man
I prefer weights. It’s much easier to make progress through managing the amount of weight you’re lifting. However, I do like to mix bodyweight training in with weight training for fun. There are definitely some people who have built incredible physiques with strictly bodyweight training. That said, I feel that weight training is a more efficient route. Adding weight to a bar is much simpler and more consistent than having to progress to more difficult variations and such.
Hey Greg..i am following ur Superman workout routine right now…while cutting…it all went good …while i cult from 86kg to 77kg ..and now i am with 9.6% bf..with 31inch waist…i want to decrease my weight and waist size so i am 8%Bf….so i will follow the cut for 1 month more…since 3 weeks i am stuck at 77kg..i did HIIT cardio…but still not able to shred fat…..and now by reading ur article i think i should go for 10 days of eating at maintenance and then again follow the cut for 15-20 days…and then again follow the cycle once i am stuck…
sinc i am following ur superman workout…and since i have done Stronglifts 5×5 workout for 1.5 years..i have gained some lowers chest…but not the upper chest…and so to emphasize on the upper chest…i am doing incline Bench press.RPT style…and no Incline DB presss SPT style…since i am cutting….
and for the lower chest…or to be precise to get…a sweet line below the lower chest i am doing Weighted dips for triceps..
IS this enough…or should i add some Flat benching too..and do incline bnch ,flat bnch,weighted dips,and skull crushers in mondays workout for chest and triceps,..
plaese sir…i really wanna be like you..
Incline benching and dips is definitely enough. No need for some flat benching.
If I wanted to sub in DB incline presses for the incline bench, what kind of progression model would you recommend?
I’d recommend using a rep interval like 6-8 for example. When you can do 8 reps then you’d increase the weight and build back up to 8 reps.
What about breathing?
Do you hold your breath as you push the bar up?
Did you learn the proper form from the book Starting Stregnth?
Good question. Yah I exhale at the top of the lift.
I initially started with Starting Strength then I looked into west side barbell and even lyle mcdonald on proper bench press form for building strength and muscle.
Hey Greg,
Was wondering whether the bar must touch your chest like you are in the videos? I tend to bring the bar down to where my elbows are just below parallel to my chest on incline. I find that the stretch feels too deep if I try to touch my chest. Is that far enough? Cheers man
Well if you get your chest up really high, lats flexed and shoulders pulled back and down then naturally you should reduce the range of motion so that your elbows are at the perfect distance when you touch the bar to your chest. That said, if this still feels unnaturally stretched then I’d go down to just a few inches below parallel.
Read my mind dude! Great article
Hello Greg,
Thank you for this.. I didnt know that i was part of the 90% of guys doing this wrong!!! I notice that you dont fully extend your arms or lock out on the way up. Is it not wise to do that? I tend to fully extend. Oops!!
Thanx again Greg. I also look forward to all the exercises that youre gonna demonstrate proper form with. If possible, can you emphasize if one should fully extend or lockout your arms on those future demos? We would all really benefit tremendously!!
It’s perfectly fine to lockout but I opt not to. This is because the last couple inches of the rep put a lot more work on the triceps and less on the chest. So if you really want to hit the chest hard I’d suggest stopping just shy of lockout. The same is true for shoulder presses.
Hey Greg, greetings from over here in the UK.
Great article and so helpful as I’ve just started taking strength training more seriously and want my form absolutely solid on these big compound movements. Videos for all of the above (in your post) exercises would be brilliant, plus one on deadlifts would be super. Will definitely check out all the other cool resources on your site.
P.S. Dude, incredible work on the podcasts with chris walker, I’m only just catching up on the archives of them all from the past year and can’t tell you how useful they’ve been. And hilarious.
Peace out Zoolander
Thanks so much Drew! The podcast was a brilliant idea, have to give Chris credit for that, never thought about doing a podcast until he mentioned it last year.
Shit I was doing it wrong the whole time
At-least you know now! Your strength and muscle development is going to shoot thought the roof in the next few months.
And I bet i’m doing other exercises incorrectly as well but there is so much conflicting and sometimes wrong information on the net that it is hard to sort it out. For example, the importance of pushing chest up and keeping shoulders down with a natural arch isn’t emphasised anywhere else really. It would be great if you could do similar articles for other exercises that most people get wrong. That would be so, so helpful and I think all readers would be very grateful.
Yes, I will dedicate the next several monday posts to proper exercise technique. Thanks
another insightful & intelligent post, nice one.
would be grateful for your thoughts on the following: i live & work way out in the boonies with zero access to a gym or even a proper exercise bench, so i was wondering if you have any thoughts on exercising the chest by lying on the floor – i have both barbell and dumbbell, but am trying to find the right technique, if there is any?
cheers greg, keep up the good work!
I definitely wouldn’t recommend working chest lying on the floor. You can’t get a good workout that way. It’s best to invest in a bench if you want to get a good chest workout.
i thought as much – i’ll bite the bullet and ship that bench in somehow, cheers greg
Hi Greg,
I cannot tell you how pleased I am to see an article like this on proper form. You have no idea
how pissed off I was getting at freaking Scott Herman videos on Youtube! Do you plan on doing similar
articles like this for most other exercises? Thanks.
Thanks a lot man! Yes, I’ll probably do more articles on proper form for various exercises. I’m thinking of doing standing presses, barbell curls, chin ups, pull ups, lateral raises, skull crushers…. Let me know if there are any specific exercises you’d like me to cover.
Sounds great. This would bring the missing piece in the puzzle to the kinobody website!
Greg please cover Barbell Curls
That would definitely complete your website!
Apart from what you just mentioned, an article about cleans would be really appreciated !
And both rear- and lateral raises would be pretty neat as well! Keep up the great work!
(When more of these articles come, it would be nice with one post linking to the rest – like the beach ripped series <: )
Great info, I’ve really been working hard on my bench, especially incline lately, and after viewing this I feel my form is slightly off so i’m hoping this will help. I’d love to get your take on a standing OH press as I really focus on heavy compound movements and you’re more ripped than I am so i’m all ears. Always appreciate the advice.
Oh man! I’m so excited for these.
But particularly… I’m super excited for a weighted chin-up tutorial/form guide. You seem to have mastered them. My favorite exercise but still pretty hard for me to perfect them…