Want to boost your bench press strength and reduce your risk of injury?

Follow this checklist before you bench:

  1. Activate your pecs.
  2. Set the bar about 2 inches lower than your wrists when your arms are extended and position your body so your eyes are under the bar.
  3. Grip the barbell about shoulder-width apart.
  4. Position your feet about shoulder-width apart and pull your shoulder blades together and down (“into your back pockets”).
  5. Unrack the barbell so that it’s directly over your chest, flex your glutes, imagine “bending the bar in half,” and then begin your set.

Keep reading below for more details, videos, and graphics explaining each step.

1. Activate Your Pecs

Technically, this step isn’t about setting up for the bench press, but it’s an easy, fast, and effective way to boost your bench press strength and better train your pecs with every rep.

Many people struggle to feel their pecs (chest muscles) working during the bench press or rely more on their triceps than their pecs, which invariably fatigue before their chest is fully trained.

The best way to fix this problem is to practice flexing your pecs while performing the same movement pattern that you do during bench press, but without any weight. Here’s how this looks:

And here’s how to perform each step:

  1. Stand upright, place your left palm on your right chest muscle, and extend your right arm straight out to the side so it’s in line with your torso and parallel to the floor.
  2. Keeping your arm straight, flex your right pec muscle and think about pulling your upper arm across your chest. You should feel your pec tensing and pushing into your palm as you do this.
  3. Repeat 3–5 times, then repeat with the opposite arm.
  4. Perform the same movement, but bend your elbow and mimic a bench press motion. Remember to think about pulling your upper arm across your chest—your pec should contract and press into your palm the same way it did with your arm extended.
  5. Perform the same sequence with both arms simultaneously. Do 3–5 reps with both arms straight, and then 3–5 reps with your arms bent and mimicking the same movement you do during the bench press.

Then, finish setting up for the bench press and begin your first set. I like to do this before my first warm-up set of bench press, but you can repeat as needed between sets.

(Hat tip to Lyle McDonald for first bringing this technique to my attention back in 2008).

2. Set Your Bar Height and Body Position

Rack the bar so it rests around two inches below wrist height when you’re lying on the bench with your arms extended toward the ceiling. If you have to reach for the bar, it’s too high; if you have to perform a half-rep to lift it off the hooks, it’s too low.

Lie on the bench with your eyes directly under the bar. If you lie too close to the top of the bench, you risk hitting the hooks mid-set, which can throw you out of position or even knock the bar out of your hands.

Lie too far down the bench, and you’ll have to pull the bar further out of the rack to get it into position, which saps your strength and can hurt your performance.

RELATED: Why Do People Arch Their Back When Bench Pressing?

3. Set Your Grip Width

Grip width varies depending on your build, but most people do best with their hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart (about 18-to-28 inches).

A good starting point for guys is to rest your pinky or ring finger on the rings in the barbell’s knurling, then widen or narrow your grip based on how it feels. Women often feel more comfortable gripping 2-to-4 inches inside the rings.

Nestle the bar toward the base of your palms, not near your fingers—this ensures your forearm bones help support the weight.

Bench Press GripBench Press Grip

Wrap your fingers and thumbs around the bar, and grip it as hard as you can. Allow your wrists to bend back slightly, but avoid letting them fold too far, as this can “leak” force and limit your pressing power.

Bench press grip widthBench press grip width

4. Brace Your Legs and Upper Back

Plant your feet on the floor, shoulder-width apart and directly under your knees, and flex your glutes. Arch your back by pushing your chest toward the bar while keeping your shoulders and butt on the bench. Then, pull your shoulder blades together and down, like you’re “putting them in your back pockets”:

Bench press back and shoulder setupBench press back and shoulder setup

RELATED: How to Use Leg Drive in the Bench Press to Build More Muscle

5. Unrack the Bar

Unrack the bar by straightening your elbows, then move your hands a few inches toward your waist so the bar is balanced over your chest.

A useful cue is to imagine bending the bar in half right as you begin your set. This helps keep your upper body stable and ensure you perform each rep consistently.

Then begin your first rep!

Bend the Bar CueBend the Bar Cue

RELATED: Shoulder Pain from Bench Press: Causes, Fixes & Prevention

Supplements to Maximize Your Bench Press Results

Setting up correctly for the bench press is a good start, but if you want even better results consider these three supplements:

  • Protein powder: Protein powder, such as Whey+ (Legion’s whey isolate) or Casein+ (Legion’s micellar casein), provides your body with the nutrients needed to build muscle tissue and recover from workouts.
  • Creatine: Creatine boosts muscle and strength gain, improves anaerobic endurance, and reduces muscle damage and soreness from your workouts. For a natural source of creatine, try Legion’s creatine monohydrate, creatine gummies, or post-workout Recharge.
  • Pre-workout: A high-quality pre-workout enhances energy, mood, and focus, increases strength and endurance, and reduces fatigue. For a top-tier pre-workout containing clinically effective doses of 6 science-backed ingredients, try Legion’s Pulse with caffeine or without.

(If you’d like even more specific advice about which supplements you should take to reach your health and fitness goals, take the Legion Supplement Finder Quiz, and in less than a minute, you’ll know exactly what supplements are right for you.)