Guillotine Press
Pressing the bar toward the neck for a maximal upper-chest stretch. It works mainly the chest, with help from the front deltoid and triceps.
In Flawless, a man aged 23–39 reaches Gold, the third of eight ranks, at 1.1× bodyweight (87.5 kg at 80 kg). For a woman it is 0.75× (45 kg at 60 kg).
How to do Guillotine Press
- Lie on the bench with a grip wider than shoulder width and, unlike a normal bench press, let the elbows flare out to the sides.
- Lower the bar with control towards the base of the neck, not the chest, until the upper arms are level with the bench.
- Feel the stretch across the upper chest at the bottom and press the bar back up along the same high path.
- Use a light weight and a spotter; the flared elbows and neck-line bar path are hard on the shoulders, which is why this stays light.
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 |
| Secondary | 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 Guillotine Press
| Rank | Men | Women | Man, 80 kg | Woman, 60 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | start | start | – | – |
| Silver | 0.7× | 0.5× | 55 kg | 30 kg |
| Gold | 1.1× | 0.75× | 87.5 kg | 45 kg |
| Platinum | 1.45× | 1× | 115 kg | 60 kg |
| Diamond | 1.8× | 1.25× | 145 kg | 75 kg |
| Obsidian | 2.25× | 1.6× | 180 kg | 95 kg |
| Painite | 2.7× | 1.9× | 215 kg | 115 kg |
| Antimatter | 3.6× | 2.5× | 287.5 kg | 150 kg |
Ratios are one-rep max ÷ bodyweight for ages 23–39; kilograms are rounded to 2.5 kg.
Flawless takes your best set of Guillotine 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.
Similar exercises
Questions
What muscles does Guillotine Press work?
It works mainly the chest, with help from the front deltoid and triceps.
How do you do Guillotine Press?
Lie on the bench with a grip wider than shoulder width and, unlike a normal bench press, let the elbows flare out to the sides. Lower the bar with control towards the base of the neck, not the chest, until the upper arms are level with the bench. Feel the stretch across the upper chest at the bottom and press the bar back up along the same high path. Use a light weight and a spotter; the flared elbows and neck-line bar path are hard on the shoulders, which is why this stays light.
What is a good Guillotine Press for my bodyweight?
In Flawless, Gold starts at 1.1× bodyweight for men aged 23–39 and 0.75× for women, Diamond at 1.8× and 1.25×. For an 80 kg man that is a 87.5 kg and a 145 kg one-rep max.
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