“How much do YOU bench?”
Let’s face it: a large chest and a strong bench are the #1 way we compare ourselves to other guys in the gym…
But the truth is that your bench numbers don’t mean shit if your form is not on point! It doesn’t equate to true strength. And it’s probably a big reason your chest isn’t growing.
By “fixing” your bench press form, you’ll recruit more muscle fibers in your chest (and your triceps and shoulders) and you’ll induce more muscle growth as a result. Not to mention that you’ll avoid a lot of common shoulder injuries in the process.
Take a few minutes to browse the 10 common bench press mistakes below, identify anything you’re doing wrong, fix it, and watch as you start smashing through plateaus.
#1: Incomplete Range of Motion
The barbell should touch your chest on every single rep.
Failing to lower the barbell all the way down to your chest is cheating. It doesn’t count as one full rep. Not only will this fail to efficiently recruit all of your pectoral muscles (and cause less muscle growth)…
…but it can also put your shoulders at risk for a rotator cuff injury.
Note: Reduce the weight by 20% while you experiment with any form changes. Lifting with correct form may be harder at first, but you’ll make fast progress once your form is on point.
#2: Bar Bouncing
The barbell should never “bounce” off of your chest at the bottom of a rep.
This is also cheating. When you bounce the bar off your chest, you’re using momentum to lift the weight. This means that your muscles are actually doing LESS work, and this will also result in less muscle growth and strength development.
Not only this, but if you’re using heavy enough weight it’s actually possible to fracture your sternum or your ribcage if you come down with too much force in the wrong spot.
To fix this, slow down when you’re lowering the weights and imagine touching the bar to your t-shirt rather than your chest (a very slight mindset shift, but it tends to clean this up).
#3: Flaring Elbows
Your elbows should be slightly tucked in towards your ribcage, not flaring directly out to the sides.
Imagine that you were a football lineman, pushing an opponent with all of your force. Would you push them with your elbows flaring up to the level of your shoulders (like the red line picture above)?
Hell no! Your elbows would be closer down to your sides. Not only are you stronger in this position, but bench pressing with flaring elbows can also lead to shoulder impingement (inflammation of rotator cuff tendons).
If you’re struggling to make this adjustment, you may need to narrow your grip a little bit.
#4: Loose Shoulder Blades
Your shoulder blades should be pinched together, so that they’re the only part of your upper back in contact with the bench.
This creates stability and allows you to move more weight. It also raises your chest slightly off of the bench, reducing the distance that you have to move the barbell (and making the lift slightly easier).
To do this correctly, retract your shoulder blades and plant them firmly into the bench before you even get started. It may help to grab the bar with a narrow, underhand grip while you’re setting up. This will allow you to “pull” your shoulder blades back as you’re lying down.
This adjustment will also put your shoulder girdle in more structurally-sound position. And this further helps to prevent injury.
#5: Happy Feet
Your feet should be planted firmly into the ground… and they shouldn’t move during the entire set.
Just like retracting your shoulder blades, planting your feet will create more stability and allow you to bench more weight.
You should bring your feet back slightly behind your knees, and then press your feet into the floor. This will contract your quads and strengthen your base of support. However, be sure to push your feet downwards and FORWARDS, as opposed to directly downwards (see the arrows above)…
…because when your press directly downwards, your butt tends to shoot up. And this completely destroys the stable base that you’re trying to create here.
#6: Sloppy Grip
You should be gripping the bar EXTREMELY firmly, without letting your wrists bend back.
A lot of guys use a loosey-goosey grip when they bench press. This causes their wrists to bend backwards, sacrificing tension in the forearms, and ultimately losing strength. You should be squeezing the shit out of the bar throughout the entire set!
Note: This tip goes for every exercise – when you fully contract your grip strength it helps you get full contractions from the other muscle groups involved in the lift as well. I don’t have a study to back this up, but I’ve seen this simple tweak make a HUGE difference for countless guys.
#7: Incorrect Bar Path
The bar should start directly above your shoulders, drop down to your lower chest, and then return to exactly where you started.
You can find the proper starting position by holding the bar above your shoulders with straight arms. Next, move it forwards and backwards until you find the point where it feels “weight-less”.
From here, drop it down to your chest, so that it lands at about nipple level (or a little bit lower). This should naturally happen if you’re making sure to keep your elbows slightly tucked as your lower the weight (see #3).
Now here’s the most important part: be sure to push the bar back to where you started… NOT just up directly upwards in a straight line. If you push it straight up from your chest, you’ll be following an inefficient bar path, sacrificing strength, and ultimately sabotaging your muscle gains.
#8: Weak Breathing/Core Tension
You should inhale deeply into your abdomen before starting your set, and maintain a braced midsection throughout the entire set.
This is known as diaphragmatic breathing (or belly breathing). When combined with bracing your abs, it creates a lot of tension in your midsection (and this creates more stability for your bench press). You can practice this by lying on your back and breathing so that your belly rises and fall with each breath.
Now, be sure to take a huge breath into your belly before you start your set, making sure to contract your abs and brace your core at the same time. As you complete each rep, let out a small burst of air through your mouth, maintaining tension in your midsection. Be sure to inhale through your nose to fully fill your belly back up with air before the next rep.
#9: Poor Chest Activation
You should “feel” you chest contracting at the top of each rep.
If you struggle to “feel” your chest working, then perform a few VERY LIGHT sets of chest flies right before you bench. Focus on feeling your chest muscles contract with each rep. After doing this, it should be easier to replicate the process, and contract your chest muscles at the top of each bench press rep.
#10: Not Overhead Pressing
You should be doing plenty of overhead pressing to further strengthen your shoulders, triceps, and upper chest.
And by strengthening these 3 key muscle groups, your bench press will also get stronger in the process.
The overhead press is also important for maintaining healthy shoulders. If all you do is bench press, it will create an imbalance in your shoulders that can lead to bad posture and rotator cuff injuries.
Why Your Chest Isn’t Growing
The reason your chest isn’t growing is probably because your bench press form is not on point (or you’re not eating enough).
If you’re not doing the exercise correctly, you won’t be activating your chest properly. And then your chest won’t grow. It’s really that simple.
So take a step back and evaluate your bench press. As you can see above, a large part of building a stronger bench press is setting up correctly and creating a stable base before you even un-rack the bar.
You may have to drop some weight initially to accommodate the changes. It sucks, I know. But the benefits you’ll get from doing it right (a bigger chest, more true strength, and less risk of injury) are more than worth it.
This article really helped me improve my bench, especially the loose shoulder blades part. After I got my shoulder blades in check my benching improved and my movements became more fluid and balanced. Thanks and keep up the great articles man.
You’re welcome, Marcel. Keep crushing it.
Hey man how can I reach you ?
In regards to bar path, does that mean using a guided bar is not ideal? Seeing as that it is restricted to moving in a straight line?
I have a weightlifting class so I know all these bench techniques but I don’t understand the chest muscle part because I never feel it contract i usually feel it all in my arms also is there any other way to build my chest ive had plenty of people say I’m buff or have a chest but I just dont feel it
This is still not enough advice, I’ve tried to increase my bench press many times and so far failed to do so, 205×9, 215×6, and then i’m back to 215×5, it’s always been this way for a long time, I was increasing before but I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, is there any tips as to why despite my form being correct and all my lifts are going up except the bench, why is this?
This helped me really think about setting up a lot better although I have made a lot of progress.
I know I can make more by dropping the weight and doing proper form.
Thanks for the article.
I would like to add another. It’s not only for chest, but for your entire body.
WATER.
Mandatory for building muscle, staying injury free and speeding up the repair process.
Minimum 1 gallon straight water per day.
My shoulders are 52 inc wide but I can’t get my chest big it’s flat what do you suggest. Thank toib
Tall guys….this does not fully apply to us. This was written by a guy under 6′ tall
Am trying this from my next session. I’ve seen my mistakes and I wanna correct them. Thank you.
What are some effective exercises or strategies that can help to specifically target and strengthen the arms in order to improve one’s bench press performance and increase overall muscle size in the arms?
Number one is false. You wan’t constant tension on the muscle for growth. Shouldn’t go the whole way down unless you are going for powerlifting.
You certainly can still build muscle without a full range of motion but not optimally and it’s far from safe (incomplete range of motion encourages poor form in other aspects of the lift).
The only time I’d encourage partial ROM is if you have a particular sticking point (ie. doing a board press from halfway because you always fail at that point).
Not going all the way to your chest doesn’t mean you aren’t getting a full range of motion. A person with long arms and a shallow chest is getting much more motion than a person with short arms and a thick chest; even if they’re stopping an inch or two above the chest. I stopped going all the way down a few years ago because of shoulder injuries when I lift heavy. That extra inch pinches my shoulders and is painful.
Most people’s shoulders can easily tolerate touching the chest… but yes, there are exceptions.
Great article David.
#3 is super important and where many mistakes happen. Well explained.
I’m not sure with #1 though… I learned from Jeff Cavaliere that going all the way done can hurt your shoulders and doesn’t help much for your chest. He explains it in this vid at approx. 1:30. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clBGsv573K4
What do you think?
Good question Jonas. I think if you’re shoulder blades are pinched and the bar path is correct, then you avoid the internal rotation issue he’s mentioning. All of this is assuming you have healthy shoulders, of course.
Yoi are right because if go more lower than shoulder level it will only stress your front delts.
To be fair, there is a train of though that by using a full range of motion allows for a greater stretch, impacting the elasticity of the fascia and allowing for more growth.
I’d also go to add a number 11, and that is locking out at the top of a movement. Keeping tension on the muscle is important and locking out places all the stress on the elbow joints. Unless, of course, the gains aimed at are strength and not hypertrophy based.
Not everyone’s shoulders can tolerate touching your chest with the bar, and it is unnecessary to get full activation of the chest muscles. After a certain range of motion (depending on the person) most of the pressure is going to be on the shoulders.
more like your not going all the way up activating triceps end of movement,going all the way down benefits stretching and more fibers activating!
That’s only true if the bar is lowered under complete control and brought to a stop with half an inch from your chest. I believe he is referring to the gym idiots that preform half reps or less with heavy weights and scream and groan so people look at all the weight they are …using??? This is guy the the rest of the gym is laughing at and he wonders why his chest looks like crap. These folks usually do all of there movements in less than full ROM. I did read another comment on here about AthleanX. If you watch Jeff work chest he always works to chest or in the case of dumbbells deeper than chest.
What are the three things
“Shouldn’t go the whole way down”. Haha. Where are you from man? Where in the world did you learn that? I don’t even want to type the multiple paragraphs to explain to you why that is so wrong. And I don’t mean to reply with a bit of vigor towards you but you seemed pretty blunt in your statement so I feel the same with my reply. I understand what you think you are thinking would be beneficial but it’s honestly not at all. I am happy to show you and prove myself to this. I am the proud owner of Energy Efficiency, and that’s literally what I teach people.
I can’t go all the way down to my chest even with no weights. The bar can’t even touch my chest. I’ve been bench pressing for awhile and my chest has grown a lot bigger and I am stronger now. This thing about touching your chest my apply to some people but I won’t work for me. I’m about maybe 3 inches above my chest when I go down. I guess I’m different. If I try to go down to my chest I’m straining myself. It’s hurting me more to try to go down and touch my chest which I can’t do.
David ain’t heard of partial sets…
I thought the same thing but you are wrong ny friend. After more than ten years of lifting and being able to bench 315 for reps while only weighting just 190 lbs I finally fixed my bench press. I used to not be able to touch my chest before due to shoulder pain but the issue was my technique. Think of an offensive football lineman pushing off a defender, his elbows will tuck and as he pushes off his hands with naturally follow a j path. When I started touching my chest and added weighted deep chest dips my chest grew because for the first time my chest started getting the full stretch. Watch videos on YouTube for proper Bar Path.
Hi david,I just need some help,I’ve been training for over a year now and everything is good…accept 1 part,its my chest its all flabby and soft I’ve been sticking to my normal routine but its still the same,your help will really be appreciated
The solution is twofold.
First, the flabbiness is a result of bodyfat, so you need to cut some weight to tighten everything up.
Second, you need to fill in the chest. Focus on chest pressing with dumbbells and really dropping them down low to your sides and feeling the stretch across your chest. Doing this will focus more on the chest than a barbell bench press.
what if we train chest everyday ? i mean flat and incline bench press everyday and dumbbell flyes too
My chest is not growing, i did everything. from bench press to barbell press and cross over, some time i feel the stretch and most of the time i don’t feel. even the next day i don’t feel the soreness. i feel soreness for all my other body parts when i work out them. please help.
Hey Salim,
Are you gaining weight? One vital part of muscle growth is being in a caloric surplus so that your body has the extra energy it needs to synthesize new muscle tissue.
In terms of soreness, our bodies adapt to the stress we place upon them so likely you’re not getting sore because of all the extra chest work you’re doing vs the rest of your body. This does not mean that you’re workouts are ineffective, so I would not worry about this.
Thank you
I will check the point 3. That could explain some pain in the shoulder… I knew I was doing something wrong but I didn’t know exactly how to correct it. Thanks!
That could be it. Let me know if that helps, Victor.
I have been hitting bench hard for just over a year now trying to get my bench up. My form is great and I only do pause reps to be legit but I haven’t been able to hit the 225lb bench yet even for 1 pause rep. Been stuck at 215-220lbs all year, although I will admit I have been doing a slow cut all year to not lose to much lean mass and keep my strength. The only thing I have trouble with is sloppy wrist for the heavier weight. Would that really make that much of a difference that my weight won’t go up? Or do you think that i’m just maintaining strength because i’m in a calorie deficit most of the time? I figured i’d at least be able to go up in weight somewhat because I get ample amounts of protein, take my bcaa’s,vitamins, lots of creatine etc. and proper post workout nutrition.
It could play a part but it’s likely that you’re in a caloric deficit and you’ve hit a wall in terms of you need to actually build new muscle to get stronger.
Really squeeze the shit out of the bar and that will help you keep your wrists straight and might actually let you lift a little more weight.
Hi David,
I have been exercising my whole life (mostly functional strength exercises). I am 44 now. I am about 6 ft tall and weight about 250 lbs. Need to lose mid-section fat. I have lean muscle everywhere but lack size and definition. My question is: If i do the bench press, will it also give me tricep size or will it just build my chest ? I have wide shoulders and my arms, while muscular, are dis-proportionate to my torso/chest which is wide.
Regards,
Jay
Yes it will help tricep development. It doesn’t hurt to do some skull crushers and close grip bench press to supplement this as well.
Just a quick note on skull crushers, don’t go crazy on the weight, I did and ruptured my right tricep last year, i’m fine now but it took ages to get my size and strength back, I agree close grip is great so are pencil dips. I personally avoid skull crushers, the weight distribution is too much for the tricep tissue below the elbow.
Overhead cable extensions offer the same benefits as skull crushers, too. SO that’s another option.
I recently started lifting and chest training. My right arm is my dominant arm, it has also been slightly stronger than my left arm for some time. Interestingly enough, after about 3 weeks of lifting, my left pec is now noticeably bigger and well developed than my right pec. I think this is because my right shoulder takes on the brunt of the work during exercises such as dumbbell and barbell chest press. Do you have any suggestions for changing my form so that my right pec is actually being stimulated during these chest presses? I would like to eliminate this discrepancy, and take my shoulder out of the equation.
Do some pec activation before benching. Try really light cable chest flys, really focusing on “feeling” the pecs contract.
Hi dave . . .i been bench pressing strictly for couple of months now just to increase ma chest’s Volume but to no avail, i even stopped barbell curls just to focus on my chest but the whole thang isnt working out as aspected! . . . Pls dude help me owt . . What am i doing wrong?
Have you been getting stronger on your bench press? I’d do some VERY light chest cable flys right before you bench to activate the chest.
This may sound stupid.. but how DO you actually bench with the pecs? Like I can’t seem to activate them even with proper set up because I can’t seem to squeeze them together in a bench press like I can with a dumbbell bench press..
It can definitely be a challenge – try doing some VERY light chest flys right before you bench and really focusing on feeling the pecs contract. This will activate them and get them firing before you hit the bench.
pls i have a one side flat chest
my right hand side is going in
pls i need a solution
I am not sure what you mean by this.
Hey David. I’ve been working out for about 6 months straight. I have gained significant size in every area but not so much my chest, I do chest every 4 days but no matter which exercise or how much of it, my chest never hurts and never has apart from the 1st day. im sure my form is fine as a trainer has checked. I’ve tried big weights low reps, high reps low weight. lots of sets and still my chest wont hurt. my arms give out and are sore but not my chest. I am doing everything you have stated above and the trainer has said but still wont hurt. every other part of my body hurts when I work it. I do find it hard to concentrate on pushing with my chest though. any advice?
Cheers
Hey James,
Like I told a few other guys: try doing some VERY light chest flys right before you bench and really focusing on feeling the pecs contract. This will activate the chest and get it firing before you hit the bench (so you don’t rely on your arms and shoulders).
Also, doing dumbbell bench with a really deep range of motion will be better than using a barbell to hit the chest harder.
Hi Daivd, i’ve been training for 7 months but my chest didnt grow much. I’ve tried different exercises but my chest still the same ( the other parts are keeping growing ) . At this time, my chest is 90cm and i think it’s probably because of my bad genetic. Is it right?? Could you give me some advices?
It could be. But chances are you need to get on a proper routine and eat more food. Read this: https://www.howtobeast.com/muscle-building-mistakes/
This is quite helpful. 4th part is something that I couldn’t get but still i found my mistakes doing bench. One more thing that I would like to know that how do i loose bally fat. I am 27 and its been 4 months. Though I can feel a little improvement but still I am unable to
1:- loosing my belly fat (unless i hold my breath or make a posture to hide my belly.
2:- Not an improved chest. Any tips and tweaks would be hugely welcome. Please help me I don’t wanna give up again as I have already started it after 2009. 🙁 I am highly motivated but no idea about what to do.
To lose belly fat, you need to restrict your calories and lift weights – check out this article: https://www.howtobeast.com/effective-weight-loss-men/
Hello David,
I wanna ask that after one month in gym I feel that my ribs came out of my body a little bit.I wanna know if it is bad or not. And how to get rid of it. I would be really pleased if you can help me.
I’m not sure what you mean by that, can you explain a little bit more?
Thanks for replying.
I wanted to say that It’s like my ribs are more visible then before. And I am afraid that I lifted improperly. I hope you understand what I wanna say.
David – mate I’m 64 and my goal is to reach 5×5 @ 100kgs
At the moment I’m stuck on 85kgs 4×4 – and it pisses me off.
Doing all the right things (I think). Probably not fully touching chest but close enough. So, what can I do to break the plateau?
I don’t accept my age as being the issue (even though my wife reckons I’m an idiot trying to mix it with the younger set – she’s probably right but I’ve always gone hard)
The other thing I have been think is to change to reverse grip benching.
Thoughts?
Cheers
Pete
thanks for this – i searched yahoo and this page was first on the list. thanks for the Tips!
It’s just weird because i have no issues with my arms etc but my chest is a pain in the a$$
Keep at it! We all have our weak points.
Sir, I don’t know what’s wrong with my body….
I tried each and every tips elbow placement, pinching shoulder blades but still i having trouble feeling any stress in my chest….
I mean i can bench press all day but getting no effect on chest….
One more thing when i pinch my shoulders i start to feel some pain around my spine……
Any suggestions plz!!!
I’ll remain greatfulll throughout my life if you can help me improving my bench pressing………
Trying to build a great physique like you…..
Thanks
Hey Raju, read my replies to some of the other guys down here in the comments when I talk about activating the chest before bench pressing.
Hello,
I have herniated discs problem on my back, because of which i cant do deadlifts or anything like overhead press. but i still do lots of bench pressing with heavy weights (ranging from 70kg to 100kg). Do you think bench pressing puts a lot of pressure on the spine and i should decrease weights or eliminate the exercise completely? thank you in advance!
You should talk to your doctor to see what’s contra-indicated. I don’t want to advise you over the internet about a herniated disc.
what do you think about when people say that when the bar goes beyond the 90 degrees, the shoulder goes into further internal rotation and the weight may also tilt the scapula forward. this can cause AC Joint problems. Is it then worth it to go beyond the 90 degrees and touch your chest whilst bench pressing?
I am asking this based off a youtube video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clBGsv573K4
And also because I have sustained a right AC joint sprain myself from bench pressing over a few weeks ago – haven’t been able to bench since. Think the displacement is mild, but will likely be permanent now. Need to find a way to not get this injury again.
What is your advise?
I think that AC joint problems are usually the result of using too wide of a grip and/or ‘shrugging’ the shoulders up too much while pressing the weight. However, if you feel shoulder pain/discomfort when going beyond 90 degrees then it may be best for you to avoid going further, but a doctor or physical therapist could better assess your individual situation.
My left part chest is little sloppy whereas the right part is made completely what to do to make it equal i guess this is because my left is weak .. Reply soon
Hlw friends, I am 18 years I do the gym from 7 months and after I feel healthy and growing my body but only chest is not growing from 7 months .wht is this? Plz plz help me tell about this solution plz request
Hlo
I need a help
I want to gain weight mean to say increasing my size of muscle so which exercises is beneficial for me to gaining
Hey Preet, check out this article: https://www.howtobeast.com/beginner-exercises/
Hi david, I came across this article because im seriously annoyed with my chest development. Ive been training for almost 2 years, I have a 415 deadlift, a 325 squat……and a 175 bench. Clearly there is something off. As for me, I can feel my chest contract and burn. I pinch my shoulder blades back, I tuck my elbows, I get a full range of motion, I use leg drive, im even sore the next day. But my strength has absolutely not gone up. Im in a caloric surplus as I am gaining weight at a rate of about 1 pound per week, and actually eat slightly more after a bench day just to be safe. I also overhead press and treat it as a compound movement, and do plenty of tricep work. Im not sure if you can help me out but if you can that would be wonderful as this has been a massive hindrance. And when I say chest development I mean strength. Oddly enough, my chest has grown slightly in size even while having the same bench max. Im currently on my 2nd cycle of wendler 5/3/1 just to give you an idea of my training
Hey Noah, I’m actually in a similar boat (good chest development but relatively weak bench). But your bench is definitely extremely low given your squat and DL numbers.
Do you have unusually long arms? Mine are a bit disproportionately long, and this definitely adds to the range of motion and makes the bench a more challenging lift. It sounds like your form is on point, so that’s my first thought.
I wouldnt say that they are extremely long, but they might be slightly which helps my deadlift a bit. When I stand up straight my fingertips reach about halfway down my thigh
Great piece of information.
Wasn’t seeing my chest muscles grow, and the reason was incomplete range of motion because of the heavy weight. Will reduce the weight and try to bring down the bar slowly to the chest to see if this works. Thank you.
You’re welcome man! Let me know if you see more growth over the next couple months lifting with full ROM.
hey David
plz help me my problem is my right side lower chest part is convex it up morn then left and my left side lower chest is concave (my both side lower chest is curvy left side chest in side cury and right part of chest out side curvy)
plz help me how can i fix it plz tell me something…
Hey Aman, I’m not sure exactly what you’re describing, but if it has to do with your bone structure then you should consult a doctor. That’s not something I can give advice for over the internet.
Bro does chest really does get small because i been training for 5 months .23 years old my chest has grown in 4 months but my gum instructor say’s to reduse the machines i been using in the gym because he say’s that if you use too much machines on your chest it will become small is it true or not if so then what should i do ?
That’s not true. But you should follow a balanced routine that targets every muscle in your body, not just chest.
thx man can u tell me the best games to burn my side fat’s and the maximum time to spend in the gym and about the routine can u explain more can u plz give a certain routine for chest and biceps and triceps including maintaining the abdominal
thx man can u tell me the best games to burn my side fat’s and the maximum time to spend in the gym and about the routine can u explain more can u plz give a certain routine for chest and biceps and triceps including maintaining the abdominal
David it’s the same issue he still say’s i should not use more them 6 machines ( 6 machines 3 sets 1 = 15 ) i don’t know if he lying cause every body in the gym is fallowing me not him he is jealous or what ?
Hey David!
Great advice. Everyone wants muscular chest but few men know what are the best exercises to get bigger chest. The above details are very helpful for everyone to make their chest bigger and powerful.
Thanks Morgan!
Comments would like a program specially made for me because I feel my blades are to wide is there a program to make it a bulky with only barbell and my chest is only gaining mass by the sides any help pls I would love to follow your guide .
Awesome tips, David! Gonna watch out my wrists next time. One extra advice I’de like to add, if you allow me to, is to REALLY control the pace while lowering the bar or dumbell, focusing on the negative movement! I’m sure the chest will burn and begs for mercy this way!
Wish you the best, my friend! You’re very engaged with your site and the people here!
This is good advice my man! It will help keep the bar path consistent and prevent “bouncing” it off your chest.
yo…so i seem to be stuck on 63 kg last time i did 3+2 added reps just now i went for another workout and i only did like 2+1 reps just to let you no i am 14 years old and im increasing in all other areas….so why not bench…..);
Make sure you fix all these mistake. Also, sometimes you need to lower the weights and work your way back up to let your body fully recover.
Hey man I work out a lot with bench press,but only my arms are improving & not my chest,as you said I’m doing workout in proper form but I don’t get any results.
Make sure you “activate” your pecs before you bench press like I discuss in #9 above.
Nice article!
Really like your point about the wrong path of the bar. This is something that I think is often overlooked. Bringing the bar straight down from over your shoulders is not only ineffective in building chest muscle much of the time, but it also puts huge strain on your shoulders. This is one of the many reasons to stay AWAY from the smith machine.
Good point dude, this is something most guys don’t even realize
Hi , I train chest twice a week and it’s been 6 months since i started. I get sore almost every time. I am gaining mass but the shape of my chest sucks. What do I do for shape?
It’s part genetics, but make sure you’re also doing overhead press and incline to hit the top of your chest.
thanks david, it was really helpful
Glad it helped!
Most useful article!
My chest is developed only in the outer parts.
No matter what I do I just couldn’t activate muscles in middle and lower parts.
Even tried your light warm up flys for activation which also causes contraction in outer parts of chest only. Only skin and bones are there in middle parts irrespective of flexed or relaxed positions.
My chest looks more exactly like WWE superstar Kofi Kingston.
Please give your suggestions and ideas of this can be fixed.
Thanks 🙂
Keep gaining weight and lifting bro, it won’t happen over night — also add dips and incline db press
Hi I work my chest everyday two times a day. On each session I do 450 dips and 50 reps barbell press at 350 pounds. I also do dumbbell press on the floor at 85 pounds for 100 reps. Then I do cardio 3 hours on the treadmill daily. It’s working great for me thanks.
Hello, k for the most part my form is good I believe. My problem is my left chest if more fuller than my right, I think it has to do with dominant front delt on right side.. would fatiguing my front delts before benching be a good idea?
I’m talking more about the upper chest to help clarify.. please and thanks, appreciate a professional opinion
No I would just continue to bench, incline DB press, and overhead press. This will correct itself over time
will your pecs even out if you keep benching?
I have a slight problem my right pec is smaller than my left in mass but my right side is stronger. I refuse to do unilateral because I feel i’ll only empower my right side even more. Please help me i really dislike the uneven parts of my body
Just limit yourself by your weaker side (don’t do more weight/reps) with the other side and it will even out over time
“If you push it straight up from your chest, you’ll be following an inefficient bar path.”
Straight up and down is always the most efficient bar path.. The reason not to use a straight bar path on bench press is to avoid shoulder impingement.
Perhaps i am also doing these mistake, but thanks for sharing this major workout issue, i will solve these mistake.
These are the common mistakes most people do, but if you really wants to build chest size then do workout in proper way and above all, eat sleep workout repeat
Hi! So I have been going to the gym for almost 2 years. At first I didn’t do bench alot because it would hurt my shoulders so I figured I should stop doing that exercise and I started doing chest moslty (incline) with dumbells and surprisingly my shoulders didnt hurt most of the time(probably better form) and about 5-6 months ago I started to bench again I am not the best with it tbh. I am at around the same weight I started and I am not worried about that since I know all the rules when I read the arcticle now. I will try to apply them all. But I am worried if my lower chest will ever start to develop because I am pretty sure that I have never hit that part and my upper chest is pretty developed. Just wondering if new bench press methods will help hit my lower chest a bit more. I would appreciate any kind of an advice. Thanks!
How to find a girl friend
David
How can I fix uneven shoulders and biceps? I’m right handed yet my left side tends to build more muscle
Fantastic Article… So much knowledge with space to explore and find what works best.
THANK YOU… I wish you success and Healthy.
I have been training strength for about two years. I have Increased my bench from 135lbs to 320lbs, and my standing overhead press from 100lbs to 200lbs. I now weigh 190lbs at 6ft, but I have had absolutely no chest development. I have only been training OHP and BP for my upper body with full ROM for 1-5reps. What would you recommend for someone like me to actually see aesthetic improvement and to look like I actually lift? I’m 32 yo btw.
Do you have to rise your rib cage while bench pressing
Pls give some tips to squeeze chest at the top during bench press
David – mate I’m 64 and my goal is to reach 5×5 @ 100kgs
At the moment I’m stuck on 85kgs 4×4 – and it pisses me off.
Doing all the right things (I think). Probably not fully touching chest but close enough. So, what can I do to break the plateau?
I don’t accept my age as being the issue (even though my wife reckons I’m an idiot trying to mix it with the younger set – she’s probably right but I’ve always gone hard)
The other thing I have been think is to change to reverse grip benching.
Thoughts?
Cheers
Pete
Perhaps i am also doing these mistake, but thanks for sharing this major workout issue, i will solve these mistake.
Excellent straightforward article without a ton of advertisements.
Thank you.
Thanks for this article, David.
Do you have any suggestions on keeping the bone health safe while lifting? I recently started working out, and all of the trainers suggest me to go heavy on the exercises. I don’t mind that, but I’ve heard and seen bodybuilders trying to lift way heavy and then eventually damaging their ligaments and tendons. I do stretch before my workout, but any suggestions on how to keep them healthy are appreciated.
Thanks in advance brother!
this article is so great, read it to avoid mistakes before exercise
What are some effective exercises or strategies that can help to specifically target and strengthen the arms in order to improve one’s bench press performance and increase overall muscle size in the arms?