The same demo you get in the GymAdapt app for this exercise.
How to do it
What it should feel like
Chest and triceps doing the work, front shoulders helping. Your upper back should feel tight and stable against the bench. Pain at the front of the shoulder usually means the elbows are flaring or the shoulder blades let go.
Common mistakes
- Flared elbows. Elbows at 90 degrees load the shoulder joint. Tuck them to roughly 45 to 70 degrees.
- Bouncing off the chest. Touch and press. A bounce takes tension off the chest and makes the weight look heavier than you can control.
- Loose upper back. If the shoulder blades drift apart, the press gets weaker and the shoulders take the load. Re-set them before every set.
- Feet floating. No leg drive means a less stable press. Plant the feet and push the floor away.
Variations
More range of motion and each side works on its own. Great if the barbell bothers your shoulders.
Bench at 30 to 45 degrees shifts more work to the upper chest.
The bodyweight version. Use it as a warm-up or for high-rep finishers.
Sets, reps and programming
| Goal | Sets × reps | Effort | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muscle | 3–4 × 8–12 | 1–3 reps in reserve | 90–120 s |
| Strength | 3–5 × 4–8 | 2–3 reps in reserve | 2–3 min |
| Learning it | 2–3 × 10–12, light | Smooth reps, 2–3 s down | 60–90 s |
Use a spotter or set the safety arms for heavy sets. Add 5 lb (2.5 kg) once you hit the top of your rep range on every set. The simplest rule that works: add reps inside the range first, and once every set hits the top of the range, add weight next session. GymAdapt does this for you from the sets you log, and tells you why the target changed.
Questions people ask
What muscles does the bench press work?
Mainly the chest (pecs), with the triceps and front delts helping. The upper back and lats work to keep you stable.
How wide should my grip be on the bench press?
A little wider than shoulder width for most people, so your forearms are roughly vertical when the bar touches your chest.
Should the bar touch my chest?
Yes, lightly, around the lower part of the sternum. Touching gives you a consistent range of motion to compare from week to week.
How many sets and reps for bench press?
3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps for strength, or 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 for muscle, stopping one to three reps short of failure.
GymAdapt is free to start. Want Pro free for a month?
The free version gives you an AI-built plan and unlimited workouts. Code TRYFREE01 adds a full month of Pro on top: weights that adjust from what you log and unlimited coach chats.
Redeem the free month → Opens the App Store with the code filled in. iPhone only. After the month it's $4.99/mo unless you cancel in Settings, and the free version stays yours either way.Every exercise in GymAdapt comes with a demo like this, plus a target that moves.
An AI plan for your goal and equipment, a video for every lift, and next session's weight set from what you logged.
Get GymAdapt on the App Store → Free to start. Pro is $4.99 a month or $24.99 a year (7-day free trial), or $79.99 once for lifetime. iPhone only.