Barbell Bench Press

Muscles worked

Effectiveness

★★★★☆ 4/5

An 8-week trial found similar pectoralis and triceps thickness gains between the bench press and load-matched push-ups, with comparable strength improvement in both groups. Direct longitudinal hypertrophy data specific to the barbell bench press remains limited.

How to perform

The lifter lies on a flat bench and presses a loaded barbell from the chest to full arm extension. The movement primarily loads the pectoralis major, with the anterior deltoids and triceps brachii contributing as the elbows extend. It is a bilateral compound pressing movement performed in a horizontal pressing path.

References

1. Kikuchi and Nakazato, J Exerc Sci Fit (2017) - bench press vs push-up hypertrophy trial
2. Calatayud et al., J Strength Cond Res (2015) - bench press vs push-up strength gains