Every gym bro and broette knows Mondays are “International Chest Day.”

It’s super common to roll up to the gym for your Monday workout and see every bench press station occupied. For some people, this is one of the only workouts they do consistently. I’d venture to say the barbell bench press is the most beloved and popular exercise in many gyms across America.

Unfortunately, the barbell bench press is also one of the most frequently butchered exercises at the gym. I’m always impressed when I see a strong, stable, and well-executed bench press at a commercial gym. Most people use poor form, too much weight, and receive too much assistance from spotters.

Poor bench press technique combined with too much weight is a recipe for pain, injuries, and frustration. If you want to avoid these setbacks, or you simply want to fine-tune your bench press to see better results, keep reading for my solutions to the 6 most common bench press mistakes.

Mistake #1: Forcing yourself to use a barbell when it’s the wrong fit for your body

Not everyone is cut out to use a barbell on every exercise. Although barbells help you lift more weight than any other tool in the gym, they also lock your body into one position. If your limb lengths and leverages don’t line up perfectly with the barbell, using it can be awkward, uncomfortable, and put you at risk for injury.

If you have a history of shoulder or elbow pain, the standard barbell bench press may not be the best choice for you. Instead, you should use alternative variations to build horizontal pressing strength. I love the floor press and board press to train restricted range of motion chest presses for those with cranky shoulders. Dumbbell pressing is also a great option. Because you hold a weight in each hand, dumbbells allow for freer movement of your arms. You can twist your hands into different positions at different portions of the lift, which often alleviates shoulder pain. Dumbbells are also self-limiting, making it much less likely you will load up more weight than you can manage.

Mistake #2: Haphazard set-up

Anytime you’re attempting a heavy lift, it’s crucial to set up your body in the most stable position possible. I often see people lie on the bench, unrack the bar, and start pressing without any regard for what’s going on with the rest of their bodies. If this sounds like you, you’re leaving tons of strength on the table and setting yourself up for injury.

You should set up the same way no matter how much weight is on the bar. If you’re lazy with your setup during your warm up sets, you’ll struggle to maintain a tight and stable position when the load is heavy. Ultimately, your setup should become so well ingrained you don’t have to think about it.

Bench press setup starts with the feet. Although it seems counterintuitive, the legs are very important when pressing (more on this below). Create tension in the legs and hips by pulling your feet as far back as you can. Some people keep their whole foot on the ground, others lift up their heel and press into the balls of their feet. Unless you’re entering a competition with specific rules about foot placement, do what feels most secure to you.

Next, be sure to pack your shoulders. Unlike most other upper body exercises, bench pressing requires you to lock your shoulder blades in place throughout the movement. This keeps your shoulder joint safe and allows you to recruit the bigger muscles of your upper body – the pecs and lats. To pack your shoulders, pull your shoulder blades together toward your spine. You should feel like you have a tight shelf of muscle supporting your upper back on the bench. This will also create a small arch in your lower back, which is totally normal.

Finally, be strategic when taking the bar from the rack. If you push the bar out of the rack, you risk losing the tightness in your upper back and shoulders. Instead, think about pulling the bar out of the rack. Bring the bar out over your chest and pause for a moment before initiating the movement.

Mistake #3: Hands and elbows in the wrong position

Keeping your joints stacked on top of eachother helps you manage loads safely. In the bench press, this means placing your hands on the bar so that your elbows track directly beneath the bar and you can maintain a vertical forearm.

Unless you are specifically using different variations like the close-grip bench press, your strongest pressing position occurs with your hands placed directly above your elbows.

Another helpful cue to keep your joints stacked is to think about breaking the bar in half throughout the press. This prevents your elbows from flaring out to the sides and can help you keep your back engaged and your shoulders packed.

Mistake #4: Not using your legs

Barbell lifts are full body lifts. The bench press is no exception. If you aren’t taking advantage of leg drive as you press, you won’t be able to move as much weight.

Leg drive starts with properly setting your feet as discussed above. Next, think about driving your feet into the floor throughout each rep. This is especially helpful coming out of the bottom of the press. Just make sure you don’t use so much leg drive that your butt comes off the bench.

Mistake #5: Using incomplete range of motion

A true barbell bench press is lowered all the way to your chest, paused, and then pressed back up until you’ve locked out your elbows. This is not, however,  what I typically see people doing. Instead, people either fail to lower the bar all the way to their chest, they bounce the weight off their chest, or they re-rack the bar before they’ve fully locked their elbows. Unless you’re specifically training shortened range of motion (as with a board press or spoto press), always use as full of a range of motion as you can.  

The main reason people use incomplete range of motion is because they try to press more weight than they can manage. If you think you’ll miss the lift if you lower it all the way to your chest, check your ego and remove some weight.

Alternatively, if you are unable to use a full range of motion, it may indicate that the barbell isn’t a good fit for you. If lowering the bar to your chest isn’t possible or causes pain, consider switching to limited range of motion presses (such as board presses). I’ve had a few clients with injuries that prevent them from fully extending their elbows; barbell benching would be a poor fit for these clients.

Mistake #6: Uncontrolled bar path

The final mistake I frequently see with the barbell bench press is an uncontrolled bar path. This can take several forms:

• People lower the bar to their chest too quickly.
• The bar wobbles around throughout the rep.
• People press back toward their eyes too soon, lengthening the distance of the press.

As the weight gets heavier, it becomes more and more important to control the bar path. Even a slight wobble can throw you off enough to miss the lift.

To initiate the press, actively pull the bar down to your chest like in an inverted row. This helps you lower the bar in a straight line and recruits supporting muscles in your back and shoulders. After a brief pause in the bottom position, drive the bar straight up from your chest. There may be a slight J-shaped curve as you press the bar back toward your eyes, but keep this minimal. The less curve, the less distance you have to press the bar. Always aim to explode off your chest as powerfully as you can.

Smarter, Safer, Stronger

The barbell bench press is one of the most popular exercises at the gym. However, it’s crucial to use good form in order to stay safe and make better gains.

The six most common bench press mistakes are:

1. Using the barbell even when it’s a bad fit for your body. If traditional barbell benching is uncomfortable or causes pain, experiment with dumbbell presses, floor presses, and board presses.
2. Not paying attention to your setup. If you want a strong and stable press, create tension in your entire body before you unrack the bar.
3. Incorrect placement of hands and elbows. Position your hands where they will stay directly above your elbows. Think about breaking the bar in half as you press.
4. Ignoring leg drive. Always drive hard into your feet as you press to take full advantage of your legs.
5. Incomplete range of motion. A good bench press is lowered all the way to the chest, paused, and then pressed back to elbow lockout. If you can’t do this, use less weight or choose another exercise.
6. Uncontrolled bar path. A wobbly bar path adds distance to the press and makes it more likely you’ll miss the lift. Pull the bar to your chest and press it straight up.

If you like to bench, chances are good you also like to squat and deadlift. Do you want to get better at these lifts? Download your free copy of my ebook Squat and Deadlift School below.

I share my favorite form tips, troubleshoot common problems, and provide progressions to help you work toward (or supplement) barbell training.

I’m confident both novice and experienced lifters can use the book and accompanying videos to take their training to the next level.