Bench Press (or Incline Press)
The bench press is a horizontal pushing exercise performed lying on a bench, pressing a barbell or dumbbells from the chest to arm's length. The NSW guide lists it with the incline press as an alternative, and it is the main chest and triceps builder in the upper body list.
How to Perform It
Lie on the bench with your feet flat on the floor, shoulder blades pulled together and down, and a grip slightly wider than shoulder width. Unrack the bar, lower it under control to the mid-chest with the elbows tucked at roughly 45 degrees from the torso, and press back up until the arms are locked out. The incline version uses a bench set at an angle so the press shifts toward the upper chest and shoulders. Use a spotter or safety pins on a barbell. The guide prescribes a single set of 8 to 12 reps with a weight that cannot be lifted more than 8 to 12 times with maximal effort and proper technique.
Why It Matters for BUD/S
The push-up is a scored PST event, and the bench press is the same movement with an adjustable load. A candidate who can bench well above body weight for reps has more strength in reserve on every push-up, so the same two-minute test uses a smaller fraction of their maximum. The guide states that muscular strength enhances PST performance, and it pairs each pushing exercise with a pulling one to keep the shoulders balanced. The bench press supplies the horizontal push that matches the seated row's horizontal pull. The incline option is a useful swap if the flat press bothers the shoulders.
Where It Sits in the 26-Week Plan
The bench or incline press is done on the Upper/Core days on Monday and Friday throughout the 26 weeks. It is typically the first or second exercise in the session because it is the heaviest upper body push. One working set is the standard, with the guide allowing an occasional second set or a heavier set of 4 to 6 reps. Rest only long enough to load the next station. Remember that Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday all include push-up training, so the bench press adds to a week that already contains a lot of pushing volume. Add weight gradually and keep the reps clean.
Drive the feet into the floor and keep the shoulder blades pinned to the bench. A stable base moves more weight and protects the shoulders.
Related Terms
Upper body strength training in the NSW preparation program targets the major pulling and pushing muscle groups through compound barbell and dumbbell exercises. These sessions complement the calisthenics work (push-ups, pull-ups) by building the raw strength that supports higher-rep endurance performance.
Push-ups are a foundational upper-body calisthenics exercise and one of the five scored events in the Physical Screening Test (PST). In BUD/S preparation, push-up training follows a progressive volume approach where daily targets scale based on the candidate's most recent PST max.
The seated row pull is a horizontal pulling exercise, usually done on a cable machine, in which you pull a handle toward the torso while seated with the legs braced. It trains the mid-back, lats, rear shoulders, and biceps and is the horizontal pull in the NSW guide's upper body list.
The triceps extension straightens the elbow against resistance, using a cable, dumbbell, or barbell, to build the triceps. The NSW guide lists it with dips as an alternative, and both finish the upper body list as the elbow extension work that supports every pressing movement and every push-up.
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