Bench Press

What it is

This foundational compound movement develops significant upper body pushing strength. You will primarily target your chest, with strong engagement from your shoulders and triceps as assisting muscles. Performed with a barbell, it is an excellent exercise for building muscle mass and overall strength.

Technique tips

• Maintain a medium grip width to form a 90-degree angle.
• Control the bar's descent, touching your mid-chest gently.
• Drive the bar up with your chest, exhaling as you press.
• Aim for a controlled lower that is twice as long as your press.
• Fully extend your arms and contract your chest at the top.

How to track your progress

Log the weight and reps of each set. Straddly turns every set into an estimated one-rep max, so a heavier single and a strong set of eight both count as progress, and it flags a personal record the moment you beat your best.