Reverse-Grip Bench Press
A reverse grip hits the upper-chest fibres and eases shoulder stress. It works mainly the chest and triceps, with help from the front deltoid.
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 Reverse-Grip Bench Press
- Lie on the bench with the shoulder blades pulled together and down and take the bar with an underhand grip a little wider than the shoulders; have a spotter hand it to you.
- Hold the bar over your lower chest with straight arms and wrists kept straight.
- Lower the bar with control to the lower chest, keeping the elbows tucked close to the body.
- Press back up while exhaling; the underhand grip shifts the work towards the upper chest and triceps, but the wrists are the weak link, so keep it 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 |
| Primary | Triceps | Triceps brachii |
| Secondary | Front deltoid | Deltoideus anterior |
Muscle data from StrengthLog.
Why do it
- Upper chest — the part that fills a shirt
- Stronger front delts as a side effect
- Better chest shape from the collarbone down
Strength standards for Reverse-Grip 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 Reverse-Grip 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.
Similar exercises
Questions
What muscles does Reverse-Grip Bench Press work?
It works mainly the chest and triceps, with help from the front deltoid.
How do you do Reverse-Grip Bench Press?
Lie on the bench with the shoulder blades pulled together and down and take the bar with an underhand grip a little wider than the shoulders; have a spotter hand it to you. Hold the bar over your lower chest with straight arms and wrists kept straight. Lower the bar with control to the lower chest, keeping the elbows tucked close to the body. Press back up while exhaling; the underhand grip shifts the work towards the upper chest and triceps, but the wrists are the weak link, so keep it light.
What is a good Reverse-Grip 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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