Barbell Reverse Grip Bench Press

A step-by-step form guide from the Ægir Iron exercise library: how to do the lift, what to watch for, and the muscles it trains.

HOW TO PERFORM

Lie back on the bench with the eyes under the bar and the feet planted firmly on the floor.
Take the bar with an underhand grip, palms facing you, about shoulder width apart and with the thumbs wrapped around it.
Pull the shoulder blades down and together, then take a hand-off to straight arms over the shoulders.
Lower the bar under control to the lower chest, keeping the elbows tucked close to the ribs.
Press back up and slightly toward the face until the arms lock out.

Use a spotter or safety pins every set. An underhand grip is easy to lose, and a bar that rolls out of the hands falls straight onto the chest or face.
Expect less weight than your regular bench. The grip shifts some of the work toward the upper chest and leaves the wrists less stable.

Log it in Ægir Iron to track your PRs and estimated 1RM, and to see the sets each muscle gets every week. Free for individual lifters.