YesCoach
YesCoach2 min read

Watch a lift light up

A live recruitment map: joint torque distributed to each muscle, per set, per rep.

YesCoach live heatmap after 3 sets of bench press, chest, front delts, triceps starting to warm
Same heatmap after 7 sets, same muscle chain, deeper red and orange
3 sets → 7 sets. Accumulated dose per muscle.

The lift, the chain

YesCoach ExerciseDetailPage for bench press, front and back body map with chest, front delts, and triceps highlighted, plus Equipment and Variant chips

Bench press is a compound horizontal push. Three primary movers generate the torque: pectoralis major (shoulder horizontal adduction), anterior deltoid (shoulder flexion), and triceps brachii (elbow extension). YesCoach displays this recruitment map on the exercise info page before you unrack.

What muscles does the bench press work?

The flat barbell bench press recruits three primary movers: pectoralis major (shoulder horizontal adduction), anterior deltoid (shoulder flexion), and triceps brachii (elbow extension). Stabilizers (serratus anterior, rotator cuff, forearm flexors) contribute without matching dose. YesCoach computes each muscle's mechanical contribution from joint torque and the reps in reserve (RIR) you report per set, then renders the result as a heatmap that updates set by set.

Horizontal PushBench press

Primary movers

  • Pectoralis majorshoulder h. adduction
  • Anterior deltoidshoulder flexion
  • Triceps brachiielbow extension

Stabilizers

  • Serratus anterior
  • Rotator cuff
  • Forearm flexors
Recruitment breakdown. Primary movers accumulate dose; stabilizers contribute without matching it.

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