Bench Press

In this event, the athlete lies on a bench. A loaded barbell rests on stands built into the bench above the eye level of the lifter. The athlete removes the bar from the supports with the aid of a "liftoff man", lowers it to the chest or upper abdomen and then presses it up to the full extension of the arms and carefully returns the weight to the rack.

Disqualification results if the bar is placed too low on the body (varies by federation), if the bar does not rest on the chest before being lifted upward (in some federations, an explicit "press" command is given, and the athlete cannot lift upwards until it is given), if the bar fails to touch the chest, if the bar hits the uprights of the rack on the ascent, or if the bar makes any downward motion during the ascent.

In addition, if the feet move during the lift, the lift is nullified, as it is if the buttocks lift off the bench or if the body makes any extraneous movement during the lift.