Barbell Bench Press
The fundamental flat barbell press. The king of chest exercises for overall mass. It works mainly the chest and front deltoid, with help from the triceps.
In Flawless, a man aged 23–39 reaches Gold, the third of eight ranks, at 1.2× bodyweight (95 kg at 80 kg). For a woman it is 0.85× (50 kg at 60 kg).
How to do Barbell Bench Press
- Lie on the bench with your eyes under the bar, feet flat, shoulder blades pulled together and down, a slight arch in the lower back.
- Grip the bar a little wider than shoulder width, take a breath, and unrack it to straight arms over your chest.
- Lower the bar with control to the lower half of your chest, elbows about 45 degrees from your body.
- Press it back up and slightly towards your face while exhaling; keep your glutes on the bench the whole time.
These are the same steps you see in the exercise guide in the Flawless app.
Muscles worked
| Role | Muscle | Anatomical name |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Chest | Pectoralis major |
| Primary | Front deltoid | Deltoideus anterior |
| Secondary | Triceps | Triceps brachii |
Muscle data from StrengthLog.
Why do it
- Mass and strength across the whole chest
- Stronger lockout on every press
- Carries over to overhead work and dips
Strength standards for Barbell Bench Press
| Rank | Men | Women | Man, 80 kg | Woman, 60 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | start | start | – | – |
| Silver | 0.8× | 0.55× | 65 kg | 32.5 kg |
| Gold | 1.2× | 0.85× | 95 kg | 50 kg |
| Platinum | 1.6× | 1.1× | 127.5 kg | 65 kg |
| Diamond | 2× | 1.4× | 160 kg | 85 kg |
| Obsidian | 2.5× | 1.75× | 200 kg | 105 kg |
| Painite | 3× | 2.1× | 240 kg | 125 kg |
| Antimatter | 4× | 2.8× | 320 kg | 167.5 kg |
Ratios are one-rep max ÷ bodyweight for ages 23–39; kilograms are rounded to 2.5 kg.
Flawless takes your best set of Barbell Bench Press, estimates your one-rep max with the Brzycki formula (reps are capped at 12) and divides it by the bodyweight in your profile, so you never have to test a true max. Women’s limits are 30 % lower than men’s. For other ages the app lowers every limit: by 8 % under 23 and from 40 to 49, by 18 % in your 50s, 28 % in your 60s and 38 % from 70.
See also: strength rank calculator and bench press standards.
Similar exercises
Questions
What muscles does Barbell Bench Press work?
It works mainly the chest and front deltoid, with help from the triceps.
How do you do Barbell Bench Press?
Lie on the bench with your eyes under the bar, feet flat, shoulder blades pulled together and down, a slight arch in the lower back. Grip the bar a little wider than shoulder width, take a breath, and unrack it to straight arms over your chest. Lower the bar with control to the lower half of your chest, elbows about 45 degrees from your body. Press it back up and slightly towards your face while exhaling; keep your glutes on the bench the whole time.
What is a good Barbell Bench Press for my bodyweight?
In Flawless, Gold starts at 1.2× bodyweight for men aged 23–39 and 0.85× for women, Diamond at 2× and 1.4×. For an 80 kg man that is a 95 kg and a 160 kg one-rep max.
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