Barbell Bench Press
Set up on a flat bench, arrange a spotter and learn a controlled press. Includes grip, muscles worked and common form fixes.
Read the bench press guide →Start with the equipment in front of you. Learn a flat barbell bench press in the gym, or a push-up using floor space and bodyweight. Both involve your chest, front shoulders and triceps.
Open a guide for the full setup and movement steps. The two guides below are available now; additional exercises and collections are listed separately as they are prepared.

2 guides
Set up on a flat bench, arrange a spotter and learn a controlled press. Includes grip, muscles worked and common form fixes.
Read the bench press guide →Keep your body aligned as you lower and press. Learn the floor version, plus incline and knee-supported options.
Read the push-up guide →No matching guides. Try a shorter name or reset the filters.
The bench press and push-up both involve the pectoralis major, front shoulder muscles and triceps. In the push-up, your trunk also has to maintain the plank position. A useful guide tells you how to hold that position as well as how to move your arms. [1] [2]
Use “chest” or “pecs” to find the collection, then read the exact exercise. A name alone does not tell you which bench angle, grip, support or equipment the instructions assume.
| Your setup | Guide to open | Check first |
|---|---|---|
| Flat bench, barbell and rack | Barbell Bench Press | Your stable base, grip and spotter. |
| Clear floor space | Push Up | Your body alignment and whether the floor version is manageable. |
| You need an easier push-up | Push-up variations | A secure raised surface, or the knee-supported setup. |
If your plan calls for dumbbells, cables or a machine, keep that equipment word in the exercise name. The flat barbell guide is not the instruction sheet for every chest press.
Write down the full exercise name, the load or variation, completed repetitions, sets and rest. Keep the setup alongside the numbers: “push-up, hands on counter” tells you more than “chest, 12 reps.” Change the setup deliberately and record it when you do.
Browse exercises by muscle group or return to the Exercise Library. The detailed topics below are still in preparation.
Written with AI assistance by Fitness Instructor AI Editorial Team. Updated . How we prepare our guides.