Barbell Bench Press
Gym · Chest, Triceps, Front Delts · also called Flat bench press
How to do it
- Set your eyes under the bar and plant both feet flat on the floor
- Pull your shoulder blades back and down, chest proud
- Grip just wider than shoulder-width with your wrists stacked over your elbows
- Lower under control and touch the bar to your mid-chest, around nipple line
- Keep your elbows at roughly 45–60° from your torso, not flared wide
- Press back up over your shoulders and finish with your elbows straight
Common mistakes
- Bouncing the bar off your chest — lower under control and touch lightly
- Flaring the elbows straight out to 90° — tuck them nearer 45° to spare the shoulders
- Stopping short of the chest — drop the weight and use the full range
The bench press is the main horizontal pushing lift, loading the chest, front shoulders and triceps with more total weight than a dumbbell version allows. It needs a barbell, a bench and a rack, and beginners often learn the movement faster on dumbbells first. Three to five sets of 3–6 reps suits strength work, while 6–12 reps suits size. Pressing alone is the real hazard, so the safety pins or a spotter matter more than the last rep of a heavy set.
No gym access? Try Dumbbell Bench Press, Push-Up, Chest Dips.
Dumbbell Bench Press
Dumbbell · Chest, Triceps
How to do it
- Sit on the bench with a dumbbell resting upright on each thigh
- Lie back and kick the weights into position over your chest
- Pull your shoulder blades back and down, feet flat on the floor
- Lower until you feel a full stretch across the chest
- Keep your elbows at roughly 45° from your torso, not flared wide
- Press up and slightly in, stopping just short of clashing the dumbbells
Common mistakes
- Going too heavy and losing control at the bottom — pick a weight you can lower slowly
- Chasing extra depth until the shoulders ache — stop where the stretch is strong but comfortable
- Dropping the dumbbells at the end of a set — bring them to your thighs and sit up with them
The dumbbell bench press trains the same chest, triceps and front shoulders as the barbell version, but each arm works independently, so the stronger side cannot take over. The wider range of motion and simpler setup make it a sensible first pressing lift for beginners, and it needs only dumbbells and a bench. Three to four sets of 8–12 reps works well for size. Getting heavy dumbbells into position alone is the awkward part, so most lifters build the load up gradually.
No dumbbells? Try Barbell Bench Press, Push-Up, Incline Dumbbell Press.
Incline Dumbbell Press
Dumbbell · Upper Chest, Front Delts
How to do it
- Set the bench to about 30° — steeper turns it into a shoulder press
- Sit down with a dumbbell on each thigh, then kick them into place
- Press your shoulder blades back and down against the pad
- Lower the dumbbells to the sides of your upper chest
- Keep your elbows at roughly 45° from your torso, not flared wide
- Press up over your upper chest without banging the weights together
Common mistakes
- Setting the bench too steep — the front shoulders take over; drop it back to about 30°
- Pressing the dumbbells back over your face — keep the path above the upper chest
- Cutting the descent short — lower until the chest is stretched, then press
The incline dumbbell press emphasises the upper chest, the region a flat press tends to under-train, while still loading the front shoulders and triceps. It needs only an adjustable bench and a pair of dumbbells, which makes it a realistic home option, and the light starting weights suit newer lifters. Three to four sets of 8–12 reps suits training for size. Pressing on an incline asks more of the shoulder, which is why the angle stays modest and the range stays comfortable.
No dumbbells? Try Dumbbell Bench Press, Feet-Elevated Push-Up, Barbell Bench Press.
Push-Up
Bodyweight · Chest, Triceps, Core
How to do it
- Set your hands under your shoulders with your arms straight
- Hold one straight line from head to heels, hips level with your shoulders
- Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs so the hips do not sag
- Lower under control until your chest is just off the floor
- Keep your elbows at about 45° from your torso, not flared wide
- Push the floor away and finish with your elbows straight
Common mistakes
- Hips sagging or piking up — brace the abs and squeeze the glutes
- Elbows flaring straight out to the sides — tuck them nearer 45°
- Cutting the range of motion short — lower until the chest is close to the floor
The push-up trains the chest, triceps, front shoulders and core with no equipment at all, which is why it belongs in almost any programme. Beginners can raise their hands onto a table or a wall to reduce the load; stronger lifters can slow the descent or elevate the feet. Three to four sets taken close to failure, anywhere from 8 to 25 reps, is a sensible dose. The straight line from head to heels matters more than the count.
Other ways to train this: Feet-Elevated Push-Up, Dumbbell Bench Press, Chest Dips.
Feet-Elevated Push-Up
Bodyweight · Upper Chest, Shoulders · also called Decline push-up
How to do it
- Place your feet on a bed, chair or box, hands under your shoulders
- Start with the feet only knee-high and raise the step as you progress
- Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs so the lower back does not sag
- Lower under control until your chest is just off the floor
- Keep your elbows at about 45° from your torso, not flared wide
- Press up until your elbows are straight, neck in line with your spine
Common mistakes
- Letting the lower back sag — brace the abs and squeeze the glutes hard
- Raising the feet too high too soon — lower the box until your form holds
- Dipping the head to the floor before the chest — lead with the chest
Elevating the feet shifts more body weight onto the arms and tilts the torso, so the upper chest and shoulders take a larger share than in a flat push-up. It suits people who already manage clean standard push-ups and want more load without buying weights — a chair or a step is enough. Three to four sets of 6–15 reps works well. The shoulders sit in a more overhead position here, so most people are better off raising the height gradually.
Other ways to train this: Push-Up, Incline Dumbbell Press, Chest Dips.
Tempo Push-Up
Bodyweight · Chest · also called Slow push-up
How to do it
- Set your hands slightly wider than your shoulders, level with your chest
- Squeeze your glutes and brace your abs so the body stays one straight line
- Keep your neck long — look at the floor just ahead of your hands
- Take a full 3 seconds to lower, elbows at about 45° from your torso
- Pause for a moment with your chest just above the floor
- Push back up in 1 second, then reset before the next rep
Common mistakes
- Rushing the reps — take a full three seconds on every lowering phase
- Hips sagging or riding up — brace the abs and squeeze the glutes
- Stopping halfway down — lower until your chest is just off the floor
A slow push-up keeps the chest under tension far longer than a normal set, which is why it earns a place when no weights are available. It is not strict isolation — the triceps and front shoulders help — but the long lowering phase makes light bodyweight feel heavy. Beginners can raise the hands onto a bench; experienced lifters use it as a finisher. Three or four sets of 6 to 12 controlled reps suit most programmes.
Other ways to train this: Band Chest Fly, Dumbbell Fly, Cable Crossover.
Chest Dips
Bodyweight · Chest, Triceps · also called Parallel bar dips
How to do it
- Grip the parallel bars and press up to a straight-arm start
- Lean your torso forward slightly to shift the load onto the chest
- Pull your shoulders down, away from your ears, and hold them there
- Lower under control until your upper arms reach about parallel to the floor
- Stop the descent before your shoulders feel any pinch or strain
- Press back up and finish with your elbows straight
Common mistakes
- Descending too deep and straining the shoulder — stop with the upper arms parallel
- Shoulders shrugging up towards the ears — set them down before every rep
- Swinging the legs for momentum — cross your ankles and keep the body still
Dips load the chest, triceps and front shoulders through a long range, and they take added load easily — a dip belt or a dumbbell held between the feet — so they keep progressing long after other bodyweight lifts stall. They need parallel bars and real upper-body strength, so newer lifters are better served by push-ups or a band-assisted version. Two to four sets of 5–12 reps is plenty. The bottom position stresses the shoulder, so depth is worth limiting, and pinching is a signal to stop.
Other ways to train this: Feet-Elevated Push-Up, Dumbbell Bench Press, Push-Up.
Dumbbell Fly
Dumbbell · Chest
How to do it
- Lie on a flat bench, dumbbells above your chest, palms facing each other
- Pull your shoulder blades back and down, and keep them there
- Hold a soft, fixed bend in the elbows that never changes
- Open your arms wide and slowly, as if wrapping them around a barrel
- Stop level with the bench when you feel a strong chest stretch
- Squeeze your chest to bring the dumbbells back together without clashing them
Common mistakes
- Bending and straightening the elbows — hold one fixed elbow angle throughout
- Going too heavy and straining the elbows — chase the stretch, not the weight
- Dropping the arms far below the bench — stop where the stretch is strong, not painful
The dumbbell fly trains the chest through a wide arc that pressing cannot reach, so it complements rather than replaces a bench press. It needs only a pair of dumbbells and a bench, which makes it practical at home, and it suits anyone who can control a light weight. Two or three sets of 10 to 15 reps suit size-focused work. Because the bottom position stretches the shoulder under load, moderate weight and a controlled tempo matter here.
No dumbbells? Try Cable Crossover, Band Chest Fly, Machine Chest Fly.
Cable Crossover
Gym · Chest
How to do it
- Set both pulleys at about shoulder height and take a handle in each hand
- Step forward into a split stance so the cables stay under tension
- Lean your torso forward slightly and hold a soft, fixed elbow bend
- Sweep your hands together in a wide arc in front of your chest
- Cross your hands slightly at the finish and hold for one second
- Resist the handles back slowly until you feel a stretch across the chest
Common mistakes
- Swinging the torso to shift the handles — lighten the weight and stay still
- Bending and straightening the elbows — keep one fixed angle from start to finish
- Standing too close, so tension disappears at the finish — step further forward
The cable crossover keeps steady tension on the chest from the stretched position all the way to the squeeze, which free weights cannot match. Adjusting the pulley height changes which part of the chest works hardest. It needs a cable machine with two towers, so it belongs to gym training rather than home work. Beginners and experienced lifters alike can use it after pressing, typically for three sets of 10 to 15 reps with a deliberate pause at the finish.
No gym access? Try Machine Chest Fly, Dumbbell Fly, Band Chest Fly.
Machine Chest Fly
Gym · Chest · also called Pec deck
How to do it
- Set the seat so the handles sit level with the middle of your chest
- Sit tall with your whole back flat against the pad
- Keep your feet planted and your shoulders down, away from your ears
- Bring the handles together slowly and squeeze your chest for one second
- Return under control until you feel a stretch, then stop before it turns uncomfortable
- Hold the same slow tempo on every rep — never let the stack drop
Common mistakes
- Shoulders rolling forward off the pad — pin them back and lower the weight
- Opening too far behind the body — stop where the stretch is comfortable
- Rushing the return and letting the stack clang — take two seconds back
The pec deck isolates the chest with the back supported, so the movement path is fixed and very little balance is needed. That makes it a good first fly for beginners and a safe way to add chest volume once pressing has already tired the shoulders and triceps. It requires a dedicated machine. Two or three sets of 12 to 15 reps, with a pause at the squeeze, suit most programmes.
No gym access? Try Cable Crossover, Dumbbell Fly, Band Chest Fly.
Band Chest Fly
Bodyweight · Chest
How to do it
- Run the band across your upper back and hold one end in each hand
- Stand tall in a split stance, arms open wide at chest height
- Keep a soft, fixed bend in the elbows for the whole set
- Bring your hands together in front of your chest in a wide arc
- Hold the squeeze for one second at the finish
- Let your arms open slowly — resist the band rather than releasing it
Common mistakes
- Bending the elbows to pull harder — hold one fixed elbow angle throughout
- Letting the band snap the arms back — control the return over two seconds
- Using a band so light there is no tension at the finish — shorten your grip
A band fly is hardest at the finish, where a push-up is easiest, so the two complement each other well at home. All it needs is a long resistance band, so it travels easily. Beginners can start with a light band and simply shorten their grip on it as they get stronger. Three sets of 12 to 20 reps, stopped when form starts to slip, is a sensible dose.
Other ways to train this: Tempo Push-Up, Dumbbell Fly, Cable Crossover.