The No. 1 complaint people have about the bench press is that it hurts their shoulders. Getting around this problem can be as simple as flipping your hands around on the bar. The reverse-grip (palms-up) bench press takes pressure off your shoulders while still working your pecs, and targets your triceps to an even greater degree than standard bench presses allow.

When to do it: Early in your upper-body workout

What it hits: Pecs, triceps

How much to do: 3–4 sets, 8–10 reps

How to: Reverse-Grip Bench Press

  • Lying on a flat bench, grasp the bar with a supinated (reverse) grip, hands shoulder-width apart, and thumbs around the bar.
  • Press the bar back up to the start position in a slight backward arc without letting your elbows flare out.
  • Don’t lock out your elbows at the top of the rep; keep a bend in your arms, maintaining control of the weight at all times.
  • With your elbows tucked in close to your sides, slowly lower the bar down to your lower pecs, and touch down softly.
  • Press the bar back up to the start position in a slight backward arc without letting your elbows flare out.
  • Don’t lock out your elbows at the top of the rep; keep a bend in your arms, maintaining control of the weight at all times.

 

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