Technique · Chest
Barbell Bench Press
A good bench press starts with setup. Shoulder blades, ribcage, legs and grip create the platform; then the bar moves without that platform falling apart.
Build the setup before the first rep
Start with the shoulder blades pulled back and down and the chest high. Squeeze the bench between the legs and use the bar as a reference while you settle the upper back.
You can briefly raise the hips while setting up, drive through the legs, then lower the glutes to the bench without losing the upper-back position. During the set the glutes stay in contact.
Grip and upper-arm path
The 81 cm rings are reference points, not a universal prescription. Index fingers, middle fingers or little fingers may line up differently depending on your levers.
Do not force the upper arm to 90 degrees from the torso and do not tuck the elbows excessively either. Find a natural, repeatable rail.
Leg drive and brace
Set the feet far enough back that the legs can stay active. Push into the floor, squeeze the bench between the thighs and transfer tension toward the upper back.
Take air before the descent and hold pressure through the hardest part. Exhale after the sticking point or at lockout, then reset.
Descent, pause and press
As the bar descends, imagine a cable attached to the chest pulling it upward. Touch the chest under control and pause briefly without relaxing.
The bar path should be compact and mostly vertical, but not forced into a perfectly straight line. A small natural diagonal depends on grip, touch point and individual proportions.
Raout
Compare the same bench, not just the same weight.
Raout keeps load, reps and setup notes beside today’s session so progression stays readable.
Mistakes that change the lift
An exaggerated lumbar arch, passive legs, lifted glutes, wandering elbows and bouncing off the chest make session-to-session comparison much less useful.
If a hard rep moves your setup, take a moment at lockout to rebuild it before the next rep.
Progression and tracking
A paused 100 kg bench with a stable setup is not the same as a bounced rep with a different arch. Keep your technical standard similar.
Track load, reps, sets, pauses and useful setup notes. Raout keeps them available in the next session.
Raout
All exercise guides
Raout
Compare the same bench, not just the same weight.
Raout keeps load, reps and setup notes beside today’s session so progression stays readable.