Barbell Guillotine Bench Press
How to do the Barbell Guillotine Bench Press
- 1
Using a medium width grip (a grip that creates a 90-degree angle in the middle of the movement between the forearms and the upper arms), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over your neck with your arms locked. This will be your starting position.
- 2
As you breathe in, bring the bar down slowly until it is about 1 inch from your neck.
- 3
After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your chest muscles. Lock your arms and squeeze your chest in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up.
- 4
Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
- 5
When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.
How to program the Barbell Guillotine Bench Press
Sets and reps
As a compound movement, the Barbell Guillotine Bench Press responds well to heavier loading. For strength, work in the 3–5 sets of 4–8 reps range with 2–3 minutes of rest between sets. For muscle growth, 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps with 90 seconds of rest is the classic hypertrophy zone. Place it early in your session, when you're freshest, and leave 1–3 reps in reserve on most sets.
Progression
The Barbell Guillotine Bench Press is rated intermediate. Earn the right to progress: only add load when every rep of every set moves with consistent technique. Video your sets or use a mirror to check positions, and use double progression (add reps to the top of your range, then add load and reset) rather than jumping weight.
Secondary muscles worked
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Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Barbell Guillotine Bench Press work?
The Barbell Guillotine Bench Press primarily targets the Chest. It also recruits the Shoulders, Triceps as supporting muscles.
What equipment do I need for the Barbell Guillotine Bench Press?
You need Barbell. Difficulty level: Intermediate.
How many sets and reps of the Barbell Guillotine Bench Press should I do?
For strength, do 3–5 sets of 4–8 reps with 2–3 minutes rest. For muscle growth, do 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps with about 90 seconds rest.
