Barbell Pin Presses

Setup

1. 01Set the safety pins in a power rack a few inches above chest height over a flat bench.
2. 02Lie under the bar with eyes roughly below it and feet planted.
3. 03Grip slightly narrower than your normal bench grip to bias the triceps.
4. 04Set the shoulder blades and brace before touching the bar.

Execution

1. 01Press the bar from a dead stop off the pins to full lockout.
2. 02Lower the bar back to the pins under control.
3. 03Let the bar settle completely so each rep starts from zero momentum.
4. 04Reset your brace and repeat.

Checkpoints

• -Each rep starts from a true dead stop, not a bounce.
• -Wrists stay stacked over the elbows off the pins.
• -Shoulder blades stay pinned through the press.
• -The bar path travels up and slightly back toward the face.

Common mistakes

• -Bouncing the bar off the pins between reps.
• -Setting the pins so high the range trains almost nothing.
• -Losing upper-back tightness when the bar settles.
• -Treating pin height casually; small changes shift the training effect a lot.