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Bench Press Testing

The bench press is a common exercise for developing upper body strength, and as such some fitness tests utilize this exercise as a means of testing upper body strength and strength endurance.

This is the general page about bench press testing, see the pages of each specific test for the finer details required for conducting the tests.



Bench Press Fitness Tests

General ProcedureBench Press Test

equipment: Bench with safety bar, barbell and various free weights.

pre-test: Explain the test procedures to the subject. Perform screening of health risks and obtain informed consent. Prepare forms and record basic information such as age, height, body weight, gender, test conditions. See more details of pre-test procedures.

warm-up: with any bench press testing the subject should perform an adequate warm up. For example, should do at least 5-10 reps of a light-to-moderate weight. After the warm-up, the subject should then rest two to four minutes before attempting any bench press test.

technique: here is description of a standard bench press technique. For each of the tests, refer to the specific test description for details. Generally, the subject starts by lying flat on a bench, with feet flat on the floor and buttocks and shoulders touching the bench. The bar is grasped at slightly wider than shoulder width apart (so that the elbows are at right angles at the lowest point). Tests usually begin with the arms fully extended, holding the weight directly above the chest. The weight is lowered at a controlled speed and with a smooth motion, to just touch the chest then returned to the starting position. Read the fitness page about Bench Press Technique. You can also see the Bench Press Example Videos.



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