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Reverse-Grip Barbell Bench Press 5s · no sound

Reverse-Grip Barbell Bench Press

Flat barbell press taken with an underhand grip, which shifts pressing emphasis toward the upper chest.

Primary muscle
Chest
Equipment
Barbell
Difficulty
Intermediate
Movement
Push
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How to do it

  1. Set the rack height on a flat bench and load the bar conservatively for your first sets.
  2. Lie back with your feet planted and take the bar with an underhand grip a little wider than shoulder width.
  3. Set your shoulder blades into the bench, then unrack the bar with a spotter's help.
  4. Lower the bar slowly to your mid-chest, keeping your wrists stacked over your forearms.
  5. Pause without letting the bar rest on your chest, then press it back up.
  6. Stop short of locking the elbows and keep your glutes and shoulder blades on the bench throughout.

Common mistakes

  • Unracking a supinated bar without a spotter risks losing it backward before the first rep is under control.
  • Letting the wrists bend back under load puts the bar behind the forearm and strains the wrist joint.
  • Loading it like a standard bench press overwhelms an unfamiliar grip and forces the form to break down.
  • Lifting the feet or hips off the bench to grind a rep removes the stable base the press depends on.

Muscles worked

Primary
Chest
Secondary
BicepsFront DeltsTriceps

Same movement, other equipment

Bodyweight Elevated Push Up Intermediate Bodyweight Elevated Push Up Chest Bodyweight Parallel Bar Dips Intermediate Parallel Bar Dips Chest Bodyweight Archer Push-Up Advanced Archer Push-Up Chest Bodyweight Bodyweight Knee Push Ups Beginner Bodyweight Knee Push Ups Chest Bodyweight

Similar exercises

Barbell Bench Press Intermediate Barbell Bench Press Chest Barbell Barbell Floor Press Intermediate Barbell Floor Press Chest Barbell Barbell High Incline Bench Press Intermediate Barbell High Incline Bench Press Chest Barbell Barbell Incline Bench Press Intermediate Barbell Incline Bench Press Chest Barbell Decline Barbell Bench Press Intermediate Decline Barbell Bench Press Chest Barbell

Good to know

What muscles does the Reverse-Grip Barbell Bench Press work?
Mainly the chest. It also works the biceps, front delts and triceps.
What equipment do you need for the Reverse-Grip Barbell Bench Press?
It uses a barbell. Without it, the Bodyweight Elevated Push Up and the Parallel Bar Dips train the same muscles the same way.
Is the Reverse-Grip Barbell Bench Press good for beginners?
GymVim rates it intermediate. For a beginner-rated exercise on the same muscle and movement, see the Bodyweight Knee Push Ups.

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