Exercise guide · Beginner · Compound

Vertical Style Band Bench Press: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The band bench press is a resistance exercise targeting the pectoral muscles using a resistance band. It mimics the traditional bench press but uses bands instead of weights, making it accessible and effective for building chest strength with less equipment.

Primary muscles
Chest
Secondary muscles
Shoulders , Triceps
Equipment
Band
Level · type
Beginner · Compound
Demonstration of the vertical style band bench press
Front view: muscles worked by the vertical style band bench press. Primary: chest. Secondary: shoulders and triceps.
Back view: muscles worked by the vertical style band bench press. Primary: chest. Secondary: shoulders and triceps.
Primary Secondary

How to do the vertical style band bench press

  1. Step 1: Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
  2. Step 2: vertical variation Grasp the band handles with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Step 3: Extend your arms fully, pushing the bands away from your chest.
  4. Step 4: Slowly lower the bands back down to your chest, keeping your elbows at a 90-degree angle.
  5. Step 5: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the vertical style band bench press by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Vertical Style Band Bench Press alternatives

More exercises that train the chest as their main target:

More chest exercises

See the best chest exercises, ranked →

Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.