Bench press

The bench press is an upper body strength training exercise that consists of pressing a weight upwards from a supine position. The exercise works the pectoralis major as well as supporting chest, arm, and shoulder muscles such as the anterior deltoids, serratus anterior, coracobrachialis, scapulae fixers, trapezii, and the triceps. A barbell is generally used to hold the weight, but a pair of dumbbells can also be used.

The barbell bench press is one of three lifts in the sport of powerlifting (alongside the deadlift and squat) and is used extensively in weight training, bodybuilding, and other types of training to develop the chest muscles.

The person performing the exercise lies on their back with a weight grasped in both hands. They push the weight upwards until their arms are extended, not allowing the elbows to lock. They then lower the weight to chest level. This is one repetition (rep).

Powerlifting: take posture with body weight resting on buttocks and upper traps whilst driving feet into the floor. Movement requires the weight to be taken at full arms' length, lowered to upper torso, paused, and then lifted to starting position.

The bench press has evolved over the years, from floor, bridge, and belly toss variations to the methods used by bodybuilders and powerlifters today.

At first the strict floor press was the most popular method. In 1899, using a barbell with 48 centimetres (19 in) discs (plates), George Hackenschmidt, inventor of the barbell hack squat, rolled a barbell over his face (which was turned to the side) and performed a strict floor press with 164 kilograms (362 lb). This stood as a record for 18 years until Joe Nordquest broke it by 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) in 1916.

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