A paused barbell bench press is a flat-bench horizontal press that briefly holds the bar on the chest to remove momentum and increase demand on the pectoral muscles.
How to do the Pause Bench Press#
- Lie on a flat bench with your feet planted and grip the bar with hands just outside shoulder width; unrack the bar and hold it over your chest.
- Lower the bar under control along a straight path until it lightly contacts your mid-chest or sternum.
- Hold the bar motionless against your chest for the prescribed pause duration while keeping tension in your upper body.
- Drive the bar upward using chest and arm extension until your elbows are locked without relaxing at the top.
- Rack the bar under control after completing the rep and reset your position before the next repetition.
Muscles worked#
- Primary: Chest (Pectoralis Major)
- Secondary: Front delts (Anterior Deltoid), Triceps (Triceps Brachii)
Common mistakes#
- Bouncing the bar off the chest instead of pausing under control.
- Letting the hips lift off the bench during the press.
- Flaring the elbows excessively, stressing the shoulders.
- Rushing the pause and using momentum on the press phase.
How much should you bench press?#
What the average bench press actually is, and what counts as beginner, intermediate, advanced, or elite at your bodyweight — for men and women, in kg and lbs.
