Barbell Bench Press Refresher Course

The barbell bench press is likely the most popular and practiced of all progressive resistance exercises. Everyone has an opinion on how best to bench, and I am no exception. I learned my bench press basics from a world champion and later helped create world champions, men with 600-pound raw bench presses. The approach below is Old School, technical, strength-based, and built on the little things that matter.

Barbell Bench Press Refresher Course

It’s the little things that matter.

Old School barbell bench press Grand Maestro Mel Hennessey, shown above circa 1966, stood 5-4 and weighed 220 pounds. He is shown readying himself for a 585-pound raw world record bench press. Mel was built to lift weights. No one-trick pony, he also barbell squatted 800 raw. He was so short he needed weight plates under his feet to reach the floor, and he wore street shoes squatting, benching, and deadlifting.

Mel’s strength was casual, low-key, and laid back. He gave the impression of always having strength in reserve. Even on world record attempts, he seemed just shy of yawning. That is the kind of control and confidence great bench pressing demands.

Multi-time world champion and world record holder Kirk Karwoski and I teach and coach young strength athletes every Sunday. We introduce trainees to our style and system of benching. The ten points below are how we talk a barbell bench press newbie through their first Old School bench press session.

1. Set the Feet Before You Touch the Bar

In the barbell bench press there are four points of contact: the two feet on the floor, the glutes on the bench, and the lifter’s upper back on the bench. Splay the feet wide and push down hard. Tense the legs and glutes. Leg and glute tension stabilize the torso during both the eccentric and concentric phases of the lift.

Some world-class benchers set their feet under the knees. Others set the feet behind the knees. Those who use leg drive to start the bench press set their feet in front of the knees and send a jolt from the feet through the legs and into the torso. Regardless of the fore-aft foot placement, maintain leg tension for the entire set.

2. Establish an Arch and Keep It

An overhead press is harder than a 45-degree incline press. A 45-degree incline press is harder than a flat bench press. A flat bench press is harder than a decline press. Elite bench pressers arch their spines because the arch turns a flat bench into a mild decline bench. Arching improves leverage, especially when combined with a maximally inflated chest.

To arch, establish your base and create leg and glute tension. Grasp the barbell with the grip width you intend to use. Pull your shoulders off the bench while arching the spine. Lower the arched spine until the shoulders touch the bench. You are now arched. Stay this way for the entire set. Do not let the arch flatten as you rep.

3. Pull the Bar Downward

Beginner and intermediate bench pressers often take the barbell out of the supports and allow gravity to do the work. The elite bench presser pulls the bar downward, resisting the poundage with tensed muscles. This controlled lowering maximizes the muscle-building and strength-building attributes of the negative.

Do not allow the bar to freefall and rebound off the chest. That creates momentum and throws away valuable tension. A topflight bencher creates coiled energy with a tight, taut, tension-filled lowering. Regardless of whether you use touch-and-go reps or paused reps, and regardless of whether you bench with a barbell or dumbbells, pull the weight downward with tension.

4. Turn the Elbows Inward

The flared-elbow barbell bench press has long been popular in bodybuilding circles. Big benchers avoid exaggerated elbow flare because it can place unreasonable strain on the shoulders and rotator cuffs. Elite bench pressers, men with 600-pound raw bench presses, keep the elbows tucked inward as the barbell is lowered.

Kirk Karwoski suggests that the way to attain the proper elbow position is to grasp the bar and try to “break the bar in half.” Keep trying to break it throughout the set. This trick establishes the correct elbow position. In the bottom position, the triceps wedge against the flexed lats to provide leverage for the launch.

5. Touch the Highest Point of the Inflated Chest

This is a no-brainer. By maximally inhaling, the lifter shortens the rep stroke. Inhale as if trying to suck all the air out of the room. Inhaling becomes better with time and practice. Every additional inch of chest expansion is one less inch the lifter has to push the barbell.

The combination of arching, inhaling, and using a wide grip can shorten the bench press stroke by three to six inches. The bar should touch the highest point of the inflated chest. In a properly arched barbell bench press, the pecs are not the high point; the sternum and solar plexus protrude higher than the pecs. When a man lies flat as a pancake to bench, his pecs are the high point.

6. Arc Down and Arc Back Up

Our school of bench pressing uses a slight arc on both the descent and ascent. The lifter positions himself on the bench so that, after setting the feet, arching, and setting the shoulders, the eyes are directly under the barbell as it sits in the rack.

The barbell is broken from the racks and lowered, with elbows turned inward, to the high point on the chest. The lifter uses a precise, tension-filled lowering, arcing downward from over the eyes to the chest high point. Whether the rep is paused or touch-and-go, the lifter uses an identical pathway on the upward push.

The barbell bench press is different from the squat and deadlift because the weakest muscles, the triceps, finish the lift. By using an up-and-back motor pathway, the triceps burden at lockout is lessened.

7. Pause or Touch-and-Go with Control

The turnaround occurs when descent becomes ascent, where eccentric becomes concentric. In the barbell bench press, at the bottom of the rep, the lifter can either pause the bar on the chest or use touch-and-go style. With touch-and-go, the instant the bar touches the chest, the bar path is reversed.

Too often, touch-and-go becomes an excuse for rebounding off the chest. This creates momentum, makes the lift easier, and creates a zone of no tension. That is to be avoided. The paused bench press is exactly what it sounds like: the payload is purposefully held on the chest before being pushed upward. The ideal pause length is short; holding long pauses on the chest reduces poundage-handling ability too much.

8. Use Grip Widths as Assistance Work

World powerlifting champion Hugh Cassidy once noted with Zen clarity that “the best assistance exercise” is one that most closely resembles the actual lift. The best assistance exercise for flat benching is more flat benching using different grip widths. Work three grip widths: wide, narrow, and regular, also called power grip.

The power grip is slightly wider than shoulder width and is typically the strongest grip width. A wide-grip bench press stresses the pecs to near exclusion. A narrow-grip bench press stresses the triceps lockout. The wide grip is usually 2-4 inches wider than the power grip. The narrow grip is usually 2-4 inches narrower than the power grip. Wide-grip benches are usually paused; narrow-grip benches are usually done touch-and-go.

9. Bench Press Frequency Matters

Beginner and intermediate trainees, along with many bodybuilders, often bench press too much. The beach muscles seen in the mirror — pecs, delts, arms, and abs — receive too much attention. There is no need to bench press three times a week, and a strong case can be made for bench pressing once a week.

Many lifters strike a balance by doing flat benching on one day of the week and using a second day for incline or overhead presses. Heavy overhead pressing, both front and behind-the-neck for qualified lifters, can improve flat benching and should be woven into the training template with care. Heavy overhead pressing suffers if it is done after heavy benching. Give shoulders their own day.

10. Construct a Power Bench Routine

The classic power bench routine is designed to work the pecs, front and side delts, and triceps. On day one, three grip widths are practiced using a combination of pauses and touch-and-go style. This is backed by arm work. On a second day, 2-3 days later, heavy shoulder presses or incline presses are performed along with additional triceps and biceps work.

Day 1: Flat Bench Press and Arm Work

Day 2: Shoulders, Inclines, and Triceps

Practical Equipment Notes for Barbell Bench Press Training

Technique is the first priority, but good equipment matters. A lifter practicing Old School bench press technique needs a stable bench, a dependable bar, secure plates, and a setup that allows precise positioning before the bar is unracked.

For a dedicated bench station, the Defiant Strength Olympic bench press with plate storage is a relevant pairing for serious flat bench work. A basic Olympic bar such as the CAP Barbell 7 ft. chromed Olympic weight bar supports pressing practice, while IRON COMPANY premium rubber bumper plates can help round out a durable plate setup.

Facilities building out a broader pressing area can also review weight benches for flat, incline, decline, and adjustable pressing options. The point is not to make the equipment do the work. The point is to remove distractions so the lifter can focus on the arch, foot pressure, bar path, elbow position, and controlled aggression that make the barbell bench press work.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most important barbell bench press setup cue?

The most important setup cue is total-body tightness before the bar moves. The feet, glutes, upper back, chest, grip, elbows, and arch all need to be set before the lifter breaks the bar from the rack. A loose setup wastes strength before the press even starts.

Should the elbows flare during the bench press?

Exaggerated elbow flare is not favored in this Old School power bench approach. Marty Gallagher’s system emphasizes turning the elbows inward, keeping the lats tight, and using the triceps and upper back as part of the launch. This should be practiced carefully and within a lifter’s current ability.

Is touch-and-go bench pressing wrong?

Touch-and-go bench pressing is not wrong when done with control. The problem occurs when a lifter rebounds the bar off the chest and loses tension. A proper touch-and-go rep uses a controlled descent and reverses the bar path the instant the bar touches the chest.

How often should a lifter bench press?

Many beginner and intermediate lifters bench too often. This article makes a strong case for one dedicated flat bench day per week, with a second pressing day used for incline or overhead work. The right frequency depends on recovery, training age, and total weekly workload.

What grip widths should be used for bench press assistance work?

The article recommends three grip widths: power grip, wide grip, and narrow grip. The power grip is slightly wider than shoulder width and is usually strongest. The wide grip stresses the pecs more, while the narrow grip places more emphasis on triceps lockout.

What equipment supports serious barbell bench press training?

Serious bench press training is best supported by a stable bench station, a dependable Olympic bar, accurate plates, and enough space to set the body correctly before each set. Dumbbells, incline benches, and overhead pressing tools can also support assistance work when used intelligently.