Bench Press and Overhead Press Technique

Published October 23, 2026 · Last reviewed October 23, 2026

The one adjustment: set the shoulder blades, then measure the grip

The 2024 study put ten experienced strength athletes (nine men and one woman) through 21 bench press variations and used a computer simulation of the shoulder to estimate the forces inside the joint (Noteboom et al. 2024). It compared grips of 1, 1.5 and 2 times the bi-acromial width (the distance between the bony tips at the top of the two shoulders), three arm angles and three shoulder-blade positions. Grips narrower than 1.5 times that width reduced compression at the acromioclavicular joint (the joint at the top of the shoulder), and retracting the shoulder blades reduced compression and backward shear at the main shoulder joint and rotator cuff activity. A “released” blade position looked like neutral. The arm angle mattered less.

The authors state the limits: a small, almost entirely male group, a light 16 kg bar, an estimate of the load rather than a measurement, and a design that cannot show actual injury risk.

The NSCA technique deck agrees on the practical setup: keep the five points of body contact (commonly the head, upper back and hips on the bench and both feet on the floor), grip the bar slightly wider than the shoulders, touch the chest lightly, and avoid bouncing, lifting the hips or head, or arching the lumbar spine (NSCA technique deck). For the seated shoulder press it asks for the hands, elbows and shoulders to sit in the same vertical plane.

Action

Set your shoulder blades back and together before unracking the bar, and keep them there for the whole set.

Why it helps

In the simulation, retraction lowered compression and backward shear at the shoulder joint, and rotator cuff activity (Noteboom et al. 2024).

Verification

Your chest stays lifted and your shoulders do not roll forward at the top of the press.

Action

Measure your width and set the grip. Take the distance between the shoulder tips, multiply by 1.5 to find your upper limit, and grip between slightly wider than your shoulders and that limit.

Why it helps

Grips narrower than 1.5 times the width lowered acromioclavicular compression, while 2 times raised joint loads in the study, and the NSCA deck asks for slightly wider than shoulder width (Noteboom et al. 2024; NSCA technique deck).

Verification

At the bottom of the press your forearms look close to vertical from the front, and your wrists stay stacked over your elbows.

Action

Overhead, press along a straight line with the forearms vertical. Move your head back out of the way of the bar instead of looping the bar around your face.

Why it helps

The NSCA teaching article lists looping the bar around the head as a common error and uses a band press, then a seated press, then a standing press as the progression (NSCA 10.2). Overhead arm use is a recognized risk factor for shoulder impingement, a painful condition where the rotator cuff tendons are irritated (AAOS OrthoInfo).

Verification

Side-on video shows the bar travelling vertically over the middle of the foot, with the head moving back and forward again.

Common faults and what to try

• Bouncing the bar off the chest. Pause for a moment at the chest, and drop the load.
• Hips or head lifting off the bench. Re-set the five points of contact; the technique deck lists both as errors.
• Elbows flaring and a very wide grip. Move the grip toward the 1.5 times limit from the example below.
• Shoulders creeping up toward the ears when pressing overhead. Lower the load and use the band press from the NSCA progression.
• Behind-the-neck pressing. One study of eight bodybuilders found different muscle activation behind the head than in front (Coratella et al. 2022). It measured muscle activity and not injury, and no injury data were found, so treat the front press as the standard teaching position.

By reader profile

For A Progress from a push-up on an elevated surface to a bench press, and from a band press to a seated, then standing, overhead press (NSCA 10.2).

For B Add a row for every press you do each week; see row and pull-up technique.

For C Film your heavier sets. The grip-width finding came from a 16 kg bar, so how it changes at your top loads is Not reported.

For D Cue one thing at a time, and watch the shoulder blades from behind the lifter rather than only from the front.

For E Shoulder rehabilitation programs from AAOS state that no exercise should hurt, and they include rows with a controlled shoulder-blade squeeze (AAOS OrthoInfo). Follow your clinician’s plan before pressing heavy again.

Stop and get it checked

Stop for sharp shoulder pain, pain that wakes you at night, loss of strength or motion, or pain when lifting the arm overhead that does not settle. AAOS notes that patients often delay treatment in the early stages, so have it looked at sooner rather than later (AAOS OrthoInfo). If you have high blood pressure, avoid holding your breath through reps and talk to your doctor first (Cleveland Clinic).

Most of the laboratory studies cited here tested few or no women, and none of them measured injury rates. Where a finding comes from men only, a small group or a single measurement session, the text says so. Any claim that technique differs by sex is Not reported unless a source below states it.

How it works

The shoulder is a shallow joint held in place by the rotator cuff and by the position of the shoulder blade. When the shoulder blade is pulled back and set, the arm bone has a more stable platform to press from. A wide grip widens the lever and raises compression at the top of the shoulder, which is why width, not just weight, is a technique variable. An overhead press adds a second issue: the arm travels through the range where overhead use is a recognized irritant for the rotator cuff tendons.

Simulation studies estimate loads inside the joint, and they depend on the assumptions built into the simulation. That is why the checks here are about positions you can see and feel on video.

Worked example

All numbers are hypothetical. Measure the distance between the bony tips at the top of your two shoulders; say it is 14 in (about 36 cm), so 1.0 × = 14 in, 1.5 × = 14 × 1.5 = 21 in and 2.0 × = 14 × 2 = 28 in.

The study found grips narrower than 1.5 times the width reduced acromioclavicular compression, while the NSCA deck asks for slightly wider than shoulder width. Both are met by a grip of about 16 to 20 in between the index fingers, which is wider than 14 in and under 21 in. Mark the position on the bar with tape so you can repeat it.

Check: at the bottom of the press, a forearm that is vertical means your elbows sit below your wrists. If the elbows are far outside the wrists, your grip is likely too wide for your build, so move your hands in by one inch and re-test.