Chest
The main muscle group listed for this exercise.
Exercise guide
Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip
Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip is a beginner-friendly chest exercise performed with a barbell. It also involves the shoulders and arms.
Barbell
The equipment listed for this variation.
Beginner
The recorded setup and movement complexity.
Chest
Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip also involves shoulders, arms.
Strength
Movement pattern: horizontal push. This is a compound exercise.
Beginner
This level reflects the setup and movement complexity recorded for this exercise.
Instructions
How to do Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip
- 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.
- From the starting position, breathe in and begin coming down slowly until the bar touches your middle chest.
- 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.
- Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
- When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.
Related workouts
Workout templates that use this exercise.
If you want to see this movement inside a more complete training session, start here.
3-Day Full Body Split
A three-day split that spreads total weekly work across three full-body sessions.
View workout4-Day Upper Lower Split
A simple four-day split that gives each half of the body two quality sessions each week.
View workout5-Day Bodybuilding Split
A traditional five-day bodybuilding split for lifters who enjoy focusing on one or two regions per session.
View workoutRelated exercises
More exercises in the same lane.
Use these when you want a similar movement pattern, a different setup, or more exercise options for the same target area.
Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip
Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip is a beginner-friendly chest exercise performed with a barbell. It also involves the shoulders and arms.
View exerciseDecline Barbell Bench Press
Decline Barbell Bench Press is a beginner-friendly chest exercise performed with a barbell. It also involves the shoulders and arms.
View exerciseBarbell Guillotine Bench Press
Barbell Guillotine Bench Press is an intermediate-level chest exercise performed with a barbell. It also involves the shoulders and arms.
View exerciseBench Press - Powerlifting
Bench Press - Powerlifting is an intermediate-level chest exercise performed with a barbell. It also involves the shoulders and arms.
View exerciseRelated tools
Related calculators for this exercise.
Use these calculators when you want to connect the exercise itself to calories, protein, strength targets, or training volume.
FAQ
Common questions about Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip.
What muscles does Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip work?
Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip primarily trains the chest and also involves the shoulders and arms.
Is Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip beginner-friendly?
Yes. It is listed as beginner-friendly.
What equipment do I need for Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip?
This variation uses a barbell.
Track this exercise for free in Logbook.
Once the movement is in your plan, use Logbook to record sets, reps, load, and progress without guessing what happened last week.