6 Proven Bench Press Benefits to Boost Your Strength and Fitness

The bench press is a foundational upper-body strengthening exercise. It involves lying on your back and pressing weights up over your chest. It sounds simple, but beginners might feel intimidated by the barbell bench press. But you can modify the move to suit your needs. So you can reap bench press benefits, like stronger chest and arm muscles, no matter your fitness level. 

What are the benefits of bench pressing? 

Bench pressing offers several benefits that can help you reach your fitness goals. Here are some of the top bench press benefits. 

1. Bench presses strengthen upper-body muscles

A bench press is a compound exercise that works several muscle groups. It can strengthen upper-body pushing muscles important for everyday movements, such as reaching overhead or lifting. The main muscles include:

• Chest: You engage the pectoralis major on each side of the chest during a bench press. These two fan-shaped muscles make up most of the chest.

• Shoulders: Pressing activates shoulder muscles, especially the anterior deltoids that help move your arms forward.

• Arms: The triceps on the back of your upper arm help extend your elbow while bench pressing.

Bench presses also activate stabilizer muscles, including the following:

• Serratus anterior on the sides of the chest

• Biceps on the front of the upper arm

• Rectus abdominis and obliques in the front and sides of the abs

• Latissimus dorsi and erector spinae in the back 

2. Bench presses increase muscle mass and endurance

Doing bench presses may help you build muscle mass and endurance. Muscular endurance is the ability to contract your muscles against resistance repeatedly. It’s important for exercise and other daily physical activities.

A small study compared bench presses and push-ups in 18 men. Researchers found that both exercises increased tricep and pectoralis major size and strength. They did both exercises at 40% of their one-rep max (1RM). Your one-rep max is the heaviest weight you can lift for one exercise repetition. 

You can adjust how much weight you lift and how many reps and sets you do to target different goals. The American Council on Exercise provides the following recommendations based on your goals. 

3. Bench presses support strong bones

Lifting weights builds more than just muscle. It’s been shown to strengthen bones, too. That’s important because we lose muscle mass and bone density as we get older. So regular strength training is important for adults of all ages.

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Resistance exercises like the bench press increase the mechanical load on your bones. This may increase bone mineral density and keep your bones strong as you age. Strong bones and muscles may lower the risk of osteoporosis. 

4. Bench presses promote heart health

Resistance training exercises, including bench presses, help keep your heart healthy. Regular resistance training has been shown to provide heart-health benefits, such as:

• More muscle mass and faster metabolism

• Weight management

• Increased insulin sensitivity

• Lower blood pressure

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According to the CDC, adults should do at least two full-body strength-training workouts per week. Doing so may reduce the risk of heart disease and all-cause mortality. 

5. Bench presses may improve athletic performance

There’s a reason why competitive weightlifters bench press regularly. Mastering the compound movement is a great way to build upper-body muscle mass, strength, and endurance, which are essential for more advanced exercises and sports.

Adding the bench press to your workout routine may improve athletic performance in tennis, golf, rowing, boxing, and other sports. 

6. Bench presses provide versatile exercise

You can modify the bench press and target muscle groups differently. For example, the incline bench press may isolate upper-chest muscles more than a standard bench press. Modifying the bench press also adds variety to your strength-training workouts. Variety can help you avoid a plateau by keeping your workouts challenging and engaging.

How do you bench press?

Practicing the bench press will help you learn proper form. Proper exercise form helps you target the right muscles and reduce the risk of injury.

You'll need a weight bench and a barbell or dumbbells. You should also practice with a spotter who can help you stay safe while lifting.

• Step 1: Place a flat bench inside the squat rack. Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor. 

• Step 2: Have a spotter help you unrack the barbell. Grip the barbell with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Your palms should face up and slightly away from your face. Your elbows should be fully extended with the barbell above the nipple line. This is the starting position.

• Step 3: Bend your elbows to lower the bar towards your chest slowly. Keep your elbows tucked along your sides and your wrists stable.

• Step 4: Lower the bar until it’s almost touching your chest. Pause briefly.

• Step 5: Exhale as you powerfully press the bar up to the starting position.

• Step 6: Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Variations of the bench press

Variety is the name of the game when it comes to bench pressing. You can practice different versions based on your fitness level and goals. Here are some bench press variations to consider. 

Dumbbell bench press 

Beginners can start with a dumbbell bench press using light weights. You can gradually increase the weights –– or switch to a barbell –– as you get stronger. 

• Step 1: Lie on a weight bench with your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.

• Step 2: Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Your palms should face away from your body, with the dumbbells above your armpits.

• Step 3: Press the weights straight up toward the ceiling. Keep your back flat on the bench and your wrists straight.

• Step 4: Lower the weights until they almost touch your armpits. Pause briefly.

• Step 5: Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Incline bench press 

During an incline bench press, you practice the movement with the weight bench elevated. It's usually set somewhere between a fully flat and upright seated position. Changing the angle of the bench may activate your muscles in different ways.

• Step 1: Place a bench inside the squat rack. Set it at a 15- to 45-degree angle. Lie on the bench with your feet flat on the floor. 

• Step 2: Have a spotter help you unrack the barbell. Grip the barbell with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Your palms should be face up and forward with your elbows fully extended. The barbell should hover above your upper chest. This is the starting position.

• Step 3: Slowly bend your elbows to lower the bar towards your chest. Keep your elbows tucked at your sides. 

• Step 4: Inhale and lower the bar until it’s just above your chest. Pause briefly.

• Step 5: Exhale as you powerfully press the bar back up. 

• Step 6: Repeat for the desired number of reps.

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Written by:

Amber Sayer, MS, CPT

Amber Sayer, MS, CPT, has been working in fitness and wellness for over a decade in a variety of capacities, from exercise physiology for cardiac rehab to personal training and health coaching. She is also a certified running coach.

Edited by:

Lauren Savage, MA

Lauren Savage, MA, is a health editor at GoodRx, where she focuses on movement, exercise, and healthy aging. She aims to provide readers with the information they need to live healthier, more active lifestyles.

Reviewed by:

Sanjai Sinha, MD

Sanjai Sinha, MD, is a board-certified physician with over 20 years of experience. He specializes in internal medicine.

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