Barbell flat bench press is a compound exercise. It primarily targets pectoralis major (chest muscles) and involves other muscles of the chest, triceps (back of the upper arms), and front shoulders. It builds strength of these major muscle groups. You will also see substantial gain in the size of these muscles.
If you are a beginner, you should first practice with a bar without weight. Once you have learnt it’s proper form and the right technique then you can do it regularly, as part of your upper body workout regime.
Read here to learn how to do Barbell Flat Bench Press perfectly with tips & VIDEO demonstrating it’s correct form, technique & proper movements.
How To Do Flat Bench Barbell Press?
Start Position:
(i) Lie back on a flat bench under the rack that holds the bar. Keep the back of your head, shoulders, upper back, and butt flat on the bench with a slight (neutral) bend in the spine. Your feet should be flat on the floor & relatively wide apart.
(ii) Grip the bar using an overhand grip, thumbs placed under the bar and across top of the fingers. Your arms (hands) should be just slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Retract your shoulders and lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position.
Movements:
(i) Inhale and allow the bar to descend slowly in a straight line down to the chest until it just touches your nipples.
(ii) As you breathe out, push the bar back up in a straight line to the start position. This completes one rep. Do the desired number of reps and sets.
(iii) When you are done, replace the bar back in the rack.
Tips:
(i) Squeeze the bar as hard as you can before taking it out of the rack.
(ii) Maintain the bar in line with your wrist & elbows. Make sure the bar travels in a straight line. In order to maintain the wrist straight, position the bar as low in the palm as you can while still being able to wrap the thumb over the fingers.
(iii) Keep your shoulder blades retracted and in contact with the bench. Don’t let them change position as you press.
(iv) Keep your buttocks flat on the bench.
(v) Lower the bar under control. Ideally, lowering the weight should take at least twice the time raising it.
(vi) Gripping the bar hard, push it back in a straight line up as you breathe out – without using any momentum or bounce.
(vii) Keep watching consistently a spot on the ceiling rather than the bar, so as to make sure the bar travels the same path every time.
(viii) In order to keep more tension through the triceps and chest, stop each rep just short of locking out your elbows at the top.
Watch this video to learn the correct form & right technique to do Barbell Flat Bench Press:
About Author: Renu Bakshi, AKA Fitness Buffhq, is ISSA Certified Elite Trainer. He passed 
Personal Fitness Trainer Course, Nutrition Health Coach course & Specialist Exercise Therapy course from ISSA, the USA obtaining + 97% marks. He shares his experience and knowledge about nutrition and effective workouts to get you in the best shape of your life, no matter how old you may be. The author says: “For me, age is just a number!”
