This exercise involves lying on a bench and lifting a barbell from above the head, lowering it to the neck or upper chest area, and then pressing it back up. It primarily targets the upper chest muscles and can also engage the triceps and shoulders.
Type
Strength
Equipment
Barbell
Difficulty
Intermediate
Key Benefits
- Targets the upper portion of the chest muscles
- Increases strength and size of the chest muscles
- Improves shoulder stability and mobility
- Engages the triceps and anterior deltoids as secondary muscles
- Allows for a greater range of motion compared to traditional bench press
- Can help break through plateaus in chest development
How to perform
- Set up a barbell on a bench press station, with the weight appropriate for your fitness level.
- Lie down on the bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back flat against the bench.
- Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest, with your arms fully extended.
- Slowly lower the barbell towards your neck, keeping your elbows pointed outwards and your wrists straight.
- Stop when the barbell is just above your neck, and hold for a moment.
- Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
- When finished, carefully rack the barbell back on the station.
FRONT VIEW
BACK VIEW
Chest
Primary
Triceps
Primary
Anterior Deltoid
Primary
Biceps
Primary