Let’s talk about the bench press. We all know that benching the barbell is one of the all-time greatest hits of the workout world. Everyone loves the chest gains - until you’re feeling those shoulder strains!
In this article we’ve got some tips for you to work towards that barrel chest while avoiding injury.
Key points in this article:
While most of us who are involved in strength training love the bench press, it can be a point of pain and frustration for anyone dealing with injury. Our vision of piling those plates on the bar can sometimes obscure the reality that if we don’t bench with proper technique, we could end up being demoted to leg day everyday due to injury (no offense to the leg lovers out there)!
The fixed arm position in bench pressing can strain the front of the shoulder, potentially leading to inflammation and pain, and in severe cases, a rotator cuff injury.
In this guide, we’re going to break down some bench press cues and give you a blueprint to safely excel in this exercise and build that bigger chest.
The first step to a successful bench press is getting your grip right. Your hand position on the barbell can greatly affect the muscles you engage during the exercise. Close grip benching will work more on your triceps, while a wider grip press primarily targets your upper and outer chest muscles.
For a standard bench press, grip the bar slightly wider than your shoulders. The exact position will vary from person to person. You want your hands to be placed on the bar so that when you lower the weight to your chest, your wrists are over your elbows and your forearms are vertical.
Use the cue “knuckles up” as a reminder to lock your wrists with your knuckles to the ceiling. This position aligns your wrists over your elbows, keeps the focus on your chest rather than your arms, and allows for optimal force production.
Once your grip is set, pay attention to how you position your body on the bench. A common mistake is setting up too close to the bar, which can hinder your lift-off and bar path.
Align your forehead with the bar to ensure a seamless lift-off. Use the cue “eyes under bar” to help you remember roughly where you should be.
When it comes to foot placement, you want your feet to be slightly behind your knees. This helps to create a tight and natural arch in your lower back, which contributes to a more stable and powerful press.
Keep your heels planted on the ground to allow you to properly drive your knees out and 'screw' your feet into the ground, creating torque throughout your lower body.
Now that you’re on your back, imagine you have a foam roller on the bench along your spine. Squeeze your shoulder blades together into that imaginary roller, and use your lats to pull your shoulders down.
Combined with your foot placement, this will naturally cause a slight arch in your lower back, while your lats and your glutes remain anchored to the bench. Don’t force the arch, as this will be counterproductive.
Focus on staying tight through your whole body and pinning those shoulders back to create a stable base to push from.
With a stable setup in place, it's time to initiate the lift-off phase. Unrack the bar and bring it over your sternum. The cue here to help you keep everything tight is ‘break the bar’. Your hands won’t actually move but imagine that you are trying to bend the bar away from you. This helps to generate and maintain that essential torque.
Caution: some people over-react to ‘break the bar’ and tuck their elbows in. Don’t do it! Keep your grip tight and your elbows stacked over your wrists.
As you lower the bar to your chest, think of rowing the bar to engage in a controlled, vertical descent. The bar should come down to your sternum – just below the nipples or the bottom of the sports bra.
The final phase of the bench press is the ascent or the press. Here, you want the bar to explode back up in a controlled motion as you push through the floor with your feet and push yourself into the bench. This not only helps with stability but also generates more power for the lift.
Keep pushing the bar straight up towards the ceiling and finish your lockout before re-racking the weight.
As well as being a popular exercise, the bench press is a complex movement that requires careful attention to form and technique. By understanding and applying the cues in this article, you can enhance your performance on the weightlifting bench, maximise your chest gains, and reduce your risk of injury. Remember, it's not just about lifting heavy - it's about lifting smart.
Got questions? Get in touch with our Personal Trainers and someone from our team would love to help you!
Your grip width depends on your goals and shoulder mobility. A standard bench press grip sits just wider than shoulder-width, index fingers on the power ring (81cm mark). Wider grips (pinky on ring) recruit more chest but increase shoulder strain. Narrower grips (hands inside the rings) shift load to triceps and reduce shoulder rotation. If you have shoulder issues or limited mobility, start narrow and gradually widen as your technique improves. Most lifters find their sweet spot between the two ring marks. At ChasingBetter247, our personal trainers can assess your shoulder health and prescribe the right grip for your build and training goals, available as an add-on (extra fee applies).
Shoulder safety starts with scapular retraction, pull your shoulder blades back and down before you unrack the bar. This creates a stable shelf and keeps your shoulders out of internal rotation (the injury zone). Keep your elbows at a 45-degree angle to your torso, never flared to 90 degrees. Lower the bar to your mid-chest or slightly below, not your neck or upper chest. If you feel pinching or clicking in the front of your shoulder, stop immediately, that's a red flag for impingement. Warm up with band pull-aparts and face pulls before every bench session. ChasingBetter247 members can book a personal training session (extra fee applies) to film your bench press and diagnose shoulder positioning issues before they turn into injuries.
Leg drive is the force you generate by pressing your feet into the floor during the bench press. It's not just a powerlifting trick, it stabilises your whole body and lets you press more weight safely. Set your feet flat on the floor (not on tiptoes) directly under your knees. As you lower the bar, drive your heels into the ground and push your hips toward the bar (your glutes stay on the bench). This creates tension through your legs, core, and upper back, turning your body into a rigid platform. Most lifters leave 10-20kg on the table by ignoring leg drive. If you're training at ChasingBetter247 in Malaga or Ellenbrook, our strength coaches can cue your leg drive during a personal training session (extra fee applies).
The bar should travel in a slight diagonal, not straight up and down. Lower the bar to your mid-chest (nipple line or slightly below), then press it back toward your face as you lock out. This creates a subtle J-curve that keeps the bar over your forearms and shoulders at every point in the lift. If you press straight up from your chest, the bar drifts forward and your shoulders move into a mechanically weak (and dangerous) position. If you press straight down to your chest, you lose power at the bottom. Film yourself from the side, the bar should stay over your wrists and elbows throughout the entire rep. Need a form check? ChasingBetter247 personal trainers film your lifts and send you annotated video feedback (extra fee applies).
Most lifters see best results benching 2-3 times per week with at least 48 hours between sessions. If you're a beginner, start with twice per week, one heavy day (3-5 reps) and one lighter volume day (8-12 reps). Intermediate lifters can handle three sessions: heavy, medium, and light or volume-focused. Advanced lifters often bench 3-4 times per week using Daily Undulating Periodisation (DUP), varying intensity and volume each session to avoid overtraining. Your chest, shoulders, and triceps need recovery time to grow stronger. If your shoulders feel achy or your pressing strength stalls for two weeks straight, you're probably benching too often. ChasingBetter247 Malaga and Ellenbrook locations are open 24/7 with bench press stations, power racks, and full dumbbell racks, train any time that fits your recovery schedule. $11.95/week, no lock-in.