You can’t get around the chest in the making of a well-rounded physique. As far as physiological features are concerned, a powerful, wide chest is one of the most conspicuous signs of power and masculinity. The Forgotten Barbell Exercise could be really of great value added to chest development. It often goes as a forgotten exercise that really hits the pectoralis muscles hard to achieve that powerful and masculine body so many are trying to attain.

As a professional bodybuilding trainer with over 16 years of continuous practical experience in the field, I have found that many devotees of weight training are having problems in the way of developing the upper chest. While it is highly true that flat-barbell bench presses and flyes are good for middle and lower chest, they really don’t do much to your upper pecs.

After 50 hours of research later, I finally came up with an almost lost exercise that really looks most effective in hitting the upper chest: The Guilt-Free Press.

In this article, I’ll go in-depth about the guillotine press: benefits, proper form and technique, and how you can work it into your routine to build a chest even Arnold Schwarzenegger would envy.

Table of Contents:

• Understanding the Guillotine Press
• Mastering the Guillotine Press Technique
• Safety Tips For the Guillotine Press
• Programming Guillotine Press in Your Training Program
• A 4-Week Guillotine Press Challenge
• Guillotine vs. Conventional Bench Press
• FAQs
• Overview
• References

Understanding the Guillotine Press — Forgotten Barbell Exercise

Notice the way a guillotine press works and how to perform it for a well-defined chest.

Ultimately, the effectiveness of an exercise in really hitting a muscle group all boils down to its biomechanics. You see, the guillotine press performs basically the same action as the conventional bench press, except it lowers the barbell down to your neck or the area of your collarbone, as opposed to bringing it down to your chest. Having this motion gives an extreme stretch in the upper chest, maximizing the muscle fiber activation and growth.

While it may sound dangerous, and often it truly is if done wrong, using proper form makes the exercise safe and effective.

Also, the guillotine press requires a greater grip than the traditional bench press. This wider grip does help flare out your elbows while lowering. This greater ROM ensures you’ll stretch more and build a better mind-muscle connection.

The upper chest does not just bring out a more balanced look but also plays a role in boosting overall upper body strength, bettering performance in all other compound exercises, and boosting everyday tasks.

“The guillotine press is a flat bench press variation where you shrug your shoulders and flare your elbows as you lower the barbell to your neck. While some argue this exercise can cause shoulder problems, there is no scientific evidence to support this claim,” says Jeff Nippard, a natural bodybuilder and fitness content creator.

Mastering the Guillotine Press Technique

Here is a step-by-step guide to performing the guillotine press to get the best bang for your buck:

Step One: Set-Up

1. Barbell Set-Up: Place a barbell within a bench press rack, utilizing a flat bench, with an appropriately selected weight.

2. Bar Grip: Hold the bar wider than shoulder-width. If comfortable, go as wide as a double-shoulder grip.

3. Set Your Shoulders and Back: Retract your shoulder blades and arch your lower back such that your hand may slide between your back and the bench.

4. Foot Placement: Place your feet flat on the ground and push your heels down for stability.

Pro Tip: Use a 45-pound barbell to start. Just concentrate on learning the correct movement mechanics before adding more weight.

Step Two: Unrack and Descend

1. Unracking the Bar: Take a deep breath, and with a full grip on the bar, unrack it by lifting it off the bench supports. The elbows are to be locked and the grip held firm.

2. Positioning the Bar: Hold the bar securely directly over the middle of the chest; the arms should be extended with the body upright.

3. Lower the Bar: Lower the bar slowly towards your neck, flaring out elbows to the sides, while keeping your core tight. Go down as low as possible with the aim of the bar lightly touching at the bottom of the move at the base of your neck.

Pro Tip: If you are just starting, begin with a three-second eccentric phase. The more familiar you can get with the lift, the more you can make it challenging and effective by further slowing down your tempos.

Step Three: Pause and Press

First, at the bottom, pause for two seconds. The more you do, the greater the stretch—and although it doesn’t feel like it—the better it is for growth.

Following that, press up explosively into the starting position. Focus on squeezing your torso through the bench into the floor. This will help you to create more power.

Finally, repeat for as many reps as recommended.

Pro Tip: At the top, avoid locking out your elbows. This maintains constant tension on the target muscles.

Safety Tips For the Guillotine Press

The following are guidelines to enable you to minimize the risk of injury when performing this exercise.

Warm-Up

The bench press gets to work on your chest, shoulders, triceps, back, core, and legs. The importance of a proper warm-up lies in getting these muscles up to speed on the compound movement that lies ahead. Begin with a general warm-up of five minutes that increases your body temperature. This can include dynamic stretches like arm swings and rotator cuff exercises. Follow this up with lighter sets of bench presses to get your muscles primed and ready for the workout.

Controlled Descent — Forgotten Barbell Exercise

Keep control while lowering the bar to your chest. By doing so, the target muscles are worked out and one reduces the risk of injury when the bar comes into contact with your neck or collar bone at the bottom of the lift. Focus on slow, controlled descents for maximum effect and safety.

Get a Spotter

Even after working out consistently with this exercise for a few months now, I always train with a spotter in heavier sets. A spotter also helps not only in avoiding accidents but also in ensuring safety. At least, invest in personal training for a beginner. A trainer will aid in shortening your learning curve, keeping you accountable, and reducing injuries.

Pay Attention to Your Body

One has to be sensitive to one’s body. Immediately stop the set in case of sharp pain during exercise. Consult a doctor if you still feel some pain. This will ensure you have done everything possible towards the exercise while the risk of getting hurt is brought at minimal.

Programming Guillotine Press in Your Training Program

Incorporate the Guillotine Press for Maximum Effectiveness

Programming & Frequency

Including the guillotine press into your workout regime depends on the level of your training experience and the effect expected. Most advanced and seasoned lifters must do this exercise once or even twice a week. Start with some lighter weights so you can zero in on your form and technique. Gradually increase the weights over time to really challenge your muscles.

Placement — Forgotten Barbell Exercise

There’s no right and wrong for where to place this exercise in your workout. Some people just like to start with the guillotine press when they do a chest workout first, fresh and energized. This allows them to lift heavier weights and focus on maximum muscle engagement.

Other lifters, however, do chest isolation exercises to pre-exhaust the chest before doing the guillotine press. That way, they won’t have to lift as heavy to get an effective stimulus to the muscles. Both methods have their merits; thus, choose the one which most closely aligns with your training goals and preferences.

Rep Range

The guillotine press is especially good for hypertrophy—muscle growth. Do 12 to 15 reps per set. Be patient, perform slow, controlled eccentrics ; this very slow movement will give you the maximum tension on the muscles and consequently provide better growth.

Variations — Forgotten Barbell Exercise

You can do the guillotine press on a flat, incline, or decline bench to hit your upper chest from all angles. Just so you know, training only on all three of these bench variations will guarantee you the balance in the development of the muscles. Opt for the bench variation that best fits your biomechanics and allows optimal stimulation of the chest fibers.

Apart from such standard variations, you might want to try:

Close-Grip Guillotine Press: This variation places more emphasis on the inner chest due to the extended ROM. It will help create muscle definition to an extent and hit the exact spots in the chest.

Smith Machine Guillotine Press: In the Smith Machine version of the exercise, the path of the barbell is fixed; hence, it’s good for people who have problems with their shoulders or elbows. The additional stability makes this version a bit safer and more controlled.

Dumbbell Guillotine Press: One of the great things about training with dumbbells is the ability to do unilateral work, which is excellent in terms of developing strength and muscle imbalances on both sides. This variation also helps to enhance overall chest development and symmetry.

By incorporating these variations and adjustments thoughtfully, you can utilize the guillotine press as one of the more effective methods for changing up your chest routines to ensure overall muscle growth that is both balanced and impressive.

A 4-Week Guillotine Press Challenge — Forgotten Barbell Exercise

This is a sample, four-week chest training program for beginners, tailored to get a feel for the guillotine press and light up some new growth.

Week One

The goal will be familiarization of the exercise with the guillotine press and establishing your baseline. Start every workout with a five-minute warm-up to get those muscles ready.

Guillotine Press: 3 sets with 10-12 reps, rest 1-2 minutes between sets

Incline Dumbbell Press: 3 sets of 10-12 reps, 1-2 minutes rest

Cable Fly: 3 sets of 12-15 reps, 1-2 minutes rest

Week Two — Forgotten Barbell Exercise

Now that you are confident in the movement, it’s time to start increasing the weight, but only by a small amount, to keep up with progressive overload. This week will be focused on increasing your strength.

Guillotine Press: 3 sets of 8-10 reps, resting 1-2 minutes between sets

Incline Dumbbell Press: 3 sets of 8-10 reps, 1-2 minutes rest

Dips: 3 sets to failure, 1-2 minutes rest

Week Three

In this week, you will add a further set to the guillotine press to increase the volume. Your goal should be to really push yourself hard this week but ensure you still use proper form.

Guillotine Press: 4 sets of 8-10 reps, 1-2 minutes rest

Incline Dumbbell Flye: 3 sets of 10-12 reps, rest 1-2 minutes

Dumbbell Pullovers: 3 sets of 12-15 reps, rest 1-2 minutes

Week Four

Finally, in this last week, you’ll get tough. Keep going with the same exercises but increase the weights by 5 to 10 percent and reduce rest between sets for maximum chest pumps.

Guillotine Press: 4 sets of 6-8 reps, resting 1-2 minutes between sets

Decline Dumbbell Press: 3 sets of 8-10 reps, resting 1-2 minutes

Pec Deck Flye: 3 sets of 12-15 reps, resting 1-2 minutes

Here is a sample program; hence, you can tinker with exercises and volume depending on experience and goals. The key thing is really to challenge yourself while keeping safety and prevention of injuries in mind.

Keeping an exercise journal is very highly recommended. Tracking your progress will keep you honest and let you know you’re on the right path.

Guillotine vs. Conventional Bench Press

Below is a brief comparison of the two exercises:

Targeted Stimulation — Forgotten Barbell Exercise

Although the bench press happens to be one of the critically fundamental exercises in developing the chest muscles, it really targets the middle and lower portions of the chest. This makes it very popular for overall chest development. The guillotine press is, however, specifically designed to focus on the upper chest. This movement gives the upper chest a good, deep stretch by bringing the barbell down to the neck or collarbone. It’s this very shelf-like look that is developed from this exercise.

Pros and Cons

There are several benefits associated with the guillotine press. With each rep, the guillotine press provides an intense stretch to the fibers of the chest muscle, further necessary for its stimulation in growth. Another added advantage of this exercise is that it also goes on to define the upper chest better. However, utmost care has to be taken with the form and control in the guillotine press. If one does it wrong, there is an increased risk of injury, mostly at the shoulders and the neck area. Hence, it is normally recommended for the more advanced lifter who has laid a good platform of strength and technique.

Whereas the guillotine press is, barbell bench pressing is one of the first exercises done by many beginners; it’s rather simple and develops strength in the middle and lower chest. That said, it makes it easy for people who are new to weight training; however, it misses the upper chest much more compared to the guillotine press.

One must first realize that neither exercise is better or superior to the other. Both serve different purposes and have totally different areas of the chest that they hit. For this reason, both exercises should be done in a training regime for complete development in this area.

Note: The information shared here on Fitness Volt is intended for educational purposes only and shall not be viewed as medical advice for diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of a health problem. Consult a physician before starting any new exercise, nutrition, or supplement program if you have a preexisting medical condition, are pregnant, or under the age of 18.

FAQ — Forgotten Barbell Exercise

What is the Forgotten Barbell Exercise?

The Forgotten Barbell Exercise is a super-powerful workout move but amazingly overlooked. It works out chest muscles to ensure proper chest development in the body that defines a powerful, masculine physique.

Which are the targeted muscles by the Forgotten Barbell Exercise?

This exercise primarily works the pectoral muscles—chest—but also involves the shoulders and triceps to some degree.

What’s the best frequency for doing the Forgotten Barbell Exercise?

For best results, do the Forgotten Barbell Exercise as part of your chest workout routine 1-2 times a week, with sufficient rest and recovery in between.

Is it possible for a beginner to do this Forgotten Barbell Exercise?

Yes, this exercise can be done by a beginner. However, the weight used at the beginning should always be light, so that one does not sacrifice form and increases it with the increase in strength and confidence.

What is the required equipment to perform the forgotten barbell exercise?

You will need a barbell with weight plates and a flat bench optionally depending on the variation you are doing.

Are there variations to the Forgotten Barbell Exercise?

Yes, these include different grip widths and bench angles to hit the chest muscles at different angles and places to really hit the pectorals.

How is this exercise compared with other exercises that work on the chest?

The Forgotten Barbell Exercise is awesomely effective for chest development and will, in addition, change up bench presses, push-ups, or dumbbell flyes by hitting the muscles differently.

What are common mistakes to avoid when performing the Forgotten Barbell Exercise?

Using too much weight, poor form, not keeping the motion controlled throughout the lift, and not warming up properly prior to the exercise. Always be mindful of form and technique to avoid injury.

Will the Forgotten Barbell Exercise help me bench press?

Yes, if you can add it to your training routine, this exercise will help strengthen the chest muscles, which can significantly improve one’s overall bench press performance.

Overview — Forgotten Barbell Exercise

The guillotine press is one of the best exercises to attain a deep stretch in the pecs and provoke an excellent muscle growth rate. Begin by introducing this exercise into your workout routine once a week. Make sure to pay attention to form and build a strong mind-muscle connection.

Note, however, that this can be one of the more complex exercises and hence may not suit everyone’s biomechanics. Stop if you feel shoulder discomfort when executing the guillotine press. There are many other effective ways to build a big, powerful chest, and you don’t need to risk an injury in order to get there.

If any of you guys have questions regarding the guillotine press or how to include it in your routine, feel free to drop them in the comments below. I am here to help!

Other Barbell Exercises:

• Try Floor Barbell Extensions for Triceps Gains
• 15 Best Overhead Barbell Press Variations for Powerful Shoulders
• A Complete Guide To The Barbell Shoulder Press And Military Press
• 12 Best Barbell Shoulder Exercises for Bolder, Stronger Deltoids
• The Bent-Over Barbell Row for Building a Bigger, Stronger Back

References;

• Calatayud, J., Vinstrup, J., Jakobsen, M. D., Sundstrup, E., Brandt, M., Jay, K., Colado, J. C., & Andersen, L. L. (2016). Importance of mind-muscle connection during progressive resistance training. European journal of applied physiology, 116(3), 527–533. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3305-7
• Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Van Every DW, Plotkin DL. Loading Recommendations for Muscle Strength, Hypertrophy, and Local Endurance: A Re-Examination of the Repetition Continuum. Sports (Basel). 2021;9(2):32. Published 2021 Feb 22. doi:10.3390/sports9020032
• Hirono, T., Ikezoe, T., Taniguchi, M., Tanaka, H., Saeki, J., Yagi, M., Umehara, J., & Ichihashi, N. (2022). Relationship Between Muscle Swelling and Hypertrophy Induced by Resistance Training. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 36(2), 359–364. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003478
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