barbell flat bench press

The barbell flat bench press is a compound exercise that involves lying on a flat bench and lifting a weighted barbell off of a rack and lowering it to the chest before pushing it back up to the starting position. It primarily works the chest (pectoralis major) muscles, but also involves the shoulders (anterior deltoids) and triceps (triceps brachii). This exercise can help to increase upper body strength and muscle mass. To perform the barbell flat bench press, the lifter should grip the barbell with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and lower it to the chest while keeping the elbows at a 45-degree angle to the body. The barbell should be lowered until it touches the chest, then lifted back up to the starting position with a controlled movement. It is important to keep the back flat on the bench and the feet flat on the ground to maintain proper form and prevent injury. Variations of the exercise include incline and decline bench press, where the bench is set at an angle to work different parts of the chest and shoulders.