The bench press is an exercise in powerlifting and bodybuilding in which the lifter lies on his back on a bench, raising and lowering the bar directly above the chest. It is intended for the development of the chest, or pectoral, muscles, but a variation exists for the triceps. Although in powerlifting, where the focus is to achieve a single very heavy repitition, the force for a bench press is exerted by both the pectoral and tricep muscles.

It is properly performed while laying on your back with your shoulder blades pinched together on a specially designed bench with a weighted barbell suspended on a rack over your chest. Not pinching your shoulder blades together causes the anterior deltoids (frontal shoulders) to take over. Form a slight arch in your lower back for stability, but don't let your buttocks lift off the bench. While keeping your feet planted on the ground, you then take the barbell, lift it off the rack, and lower it to your chest at about the middle of your sternum. The weight is then raised back up to the starting position. This exercise should always be performed with a spotter to catch the bar in case you drop it on your chest.

Other variations on this exercise:

• Can be performed on an incline, on a decline, or on a stabilizer ball.
• Varying width grips can be used to shift stress between pectorals and triceps
• Can also be performed with dumbbells to incorporate greater use of stabilizer muscles

Each variation is intended to work different subgroups of muscles, or work the same muscles in slightly different ways.

The world record for the heaviest bench press at 1005 lb (456.8 kg) was set by Gene Rychlak under International Powerlifting Association rules in November 2004. It must be noted that the different federations have subtly different rules on technique, the equipment that is allowed and whether performance enhancing drugs are tested for.

See also

• Press up