Bench press
A pressing exercise lying on a bench, lowering a weight to the chest and pushing it back up.
Overview
The bench press is a horizontal pushing exercise performed lying on a bench. You lower a barbell or dumbbells to the chest and press the weight back up until the arms are straight. Lying down provides a stable base, letting you focus on the pushing muscles of the chest, shoulders and arms.
It is a cornerstone of many strength routines and can be done with a barbell for a fixed path or dumbbells for a freer range. Beginners often start with lighter dumbbells to learn the movement before progressing.
The movement
- 1Lie on the bench with your eyes roughly under the bar or weights held above your chest.
- 2Lower the weight to your chest with elbows at a moderate angle.
- 3Keep your feet planted and your body steady on the bench.
- 4Press the weight back up until your arms are straight.
Beginner notes
- Dumbbells allow a more natural path, while a barbell fixes the line.
- The feet stay planted on the floor for a stable base.
- Beginners often start light to learn the groove of the press.
A note on training information
Where it’s used
Sports this relates to:
Weightlifting
A technical strength sport built around lifting a loaded barbell overhead with speed and control.
Powerlifting
A strength sport focused on lifting the heaviest weight you can across the squat, bench press and deadlift.
Bodybuilding
Resistance training focused on building muscle size, symmetry and definition through consistent effort.
Fitness
Strength and general fitness training — the foundation that supports every other sport.
Related exercises
Squat
A foundational lower-body movement where you bend at the hips and knees to lower down and stand back up.
Goblet squat
A squat variation where you hold a single weight close to your chest for balance and control.
Jump squat
An explosive squat variation where you spring off the floor at the top of the movement.
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Movement patterns
- PushPressing a load or the body away from the torso — horizontally or overhead — by extending the shoulders and elbows, developing the chest, shoulders and triceps.
- StrikeA ballistic, whole-body hitting action that channels ground-generated force through a proximal-to-distal kinetic chain to deliver momentum to a target via the hand, an implement or a body part at the moment of contact.
- LungeA split-stance, single-leg-emphasis pattern: stepping or dropping into a staggered stance and pushing back up to build single-leg strength, balance and stability.
- SquatA knee-dominant pattern: bending the hips, knees and ankles to lower and rise while keeping the torso upright — the foundation of lower-body strength.
Tactics
- High pressA football tactic where a team hunts the ball high up the pitch to win it back close to the opponent’s goal.
- Full-court pressAn aggressive basketball defence that pressures the ball across the whole court to force turnovers.
- Fast breakPushing the ball up court at speed after a turnover or rebound to score before the defence sets up.
Techniques
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How this page is maintained
- Content type
- Exercise
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
- Verified external sources
- 0
- Content updated
- 2026-07-06
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