The Setup
The bench press starts before you touch the bar. A poor setup produces a poor lift every single time — no amount of effort compensates for it. Take your time here.
Take a shoulder-width grip, every session, every time. A wider grip increases the stress on the shoulder joint and is one of the most common causes of bench press-related shoulder injuries. Shoulder width is not a compromise — it is the correct grip for safe, effective pressing. Wrap the thumbs fully around the bar. A thumbless or "suicide" grip is not recommended and should be avoided entirely.
A completely flat back on the bench is anatomically difficult for most people and not what you should be aiming for. A natural arch — the same gentle curve your lower back has when standing — is correct and safe. What you must not do is exaggerate the arch to the point where your lower back lifts significantly off the bench. If your lower back is rising, the weight is too heavy or your technique has broken down. Lower the weight.
Feet flat on the floor, or tucked back slightly with heels raised — either is acceptable. What is not acceptable is using your legs to drive the weight. The legs are there for stability, not propulsion. If you find yourself pressing through your feet to get the bar moving, the weight is beyond your current pressing strength. Strip the bar and press what you can actually press with your chest, shoulders, and triceps.
The Lift
This is the most important technical point on the bench press and the one most commonly ignored. Elbows should be tucked in towards the body — not flared out to 90 degrees from the torso. Flared elbows place enormous stress on the shoulder joint, particularly the rotator cuff. Tucked elbows protect the shoulder and transfer force more efficiently through the chest and triceps.
Lower the bar to just above the chest — not resting on it, hovering just above it. Take 2 to 3 seconds on the way down. Count it. The controlled descent is where much of the work actually happens. From the bottom, press back up with control until the arms are extended — but do not lock out the elbows aggressively at the top.
Full Range of Motion
One of the most common errors in any gym: people not using a full range of motion. The bar must come to within a few centimetres of the chest on every repetition. Stopping short reduces the effectiveness of the exercise significantly. If you cannot control the bar to near chest level, the weight is too heavy. Reduce it.
Common Mistakes — In Order of How Often I See Them
The bar stops six or eight inches above the chest. Every repetition. Lower the bar to just above the chest on every repetition. If this requires reducing the weight, reduce the weight.
The back arches so significantly that a gap appears between the lower back and the bench. If your lower back lifts, lower the weight. The natural arch is fine. The exaggerated arch is not appropriate for general training.
The whole body heaves as the bar moves. The legs provide stability only. No leg drive. If the bar will not move without it, the set is over.
The root cause of most of the above. Ego is the enemy of progress in the weights room. The weight on the bar should allow you to complete every repetition with full range of motion and correct technique.
The bar is pressed up and then dropped under gravity back to the chest. 2 to 3 seconds on the way down, every repetition. The eccentric phase is not a rest period — it is half the exercise.