Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip

How to do the Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip

1. Lie back on a flat bench. Using a medium width grip (a grip that creates a 90-degree angle in the middle of the movement between the forearms and the upper arms), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position.
2. From the starting position, breathe in and begin coming down slowly until the bar touches your middle chest.
3. After a brief pause, push the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out. Focus on pushing the bar using your chest muscles. Lock your arms and squeeze your chest in the contracted position at the top of the motion, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: Ideally, lowering the weight should take about twice as long as raising it.
4. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
5. When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.

Muscles worked

Role	Muscles
Primary	chest
Secondary	shoulders, triceps
Equipment	barbell
Difficulty	beginner
Type	compound

No barbell? Train the same muscles with these

Ordered by how likely you are to own the 6 options.

Clock Push-Up Bodyweight Decline Push-Up Bodyweight Incline Push-Up Bodyweight Incline Push-Up Medium Bodyweight Incline Push-Up Reverse Grip Bodyweight Incline Push-Up Wide Bodyweight

Harder than the Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip

Plyo Kettlebell Pushups expert · Kettlebell Flat Bench Cable Flyes intermediate · Cable Machine Incline Cable Flye intermediate · Cable Machine

Superset the Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip with

Opposing middle back work — alternate sets without extra rest.

Bent Over Barbell Row middle back Bent Over One-Arm Long Bar Row middle back One-Arm Long Bar Row middle back Straight Bar Bench Mid Rows middle back

Common questions

What muscles does the Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip work?

The Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip primarily works the chest, with the shoulders and triceps as secondary movers. Alternating Floor Press, Barbell Guillotine Bench Press, and Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip train the same muscle, across 11 equipment types.

What equipment do you need for the Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip?

A Barbell. Without a barbell, Clock Push-Up, Decline Push-Up, and Incline Push-Up train the same muscle, and 17 of the catalogue's options for this muscle need no equipment.

Is the Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip suitable for beginners?

Yes, the Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip is rated beginner. Plyo Kettlebell Pushups, Flat Bench Cable Flyes, and Incline Cable Flye are the progressions from here.

Where should the Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip go in a workout?

Early — the Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip is compound, working 3 muscle groups, so run it first or second while you are fresh, then superset Bent Over Barbell Row and Bent Over One-Arm Long Bar Row later.

Similar exercises

Alternating Floor Press Kettlebell Barbell Guillotine Bench Press Barbell Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip Barbell Bench Press - With Bands Resistance Bands Bent-Arm Dumbbell Pullover Dumbbell Cable Chest Press Cable Machine