Chest · Barbell
Spoto Press
How to do the spoto press, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Horizontal Press
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Lie on a bench and hold the bar over your chest. Lower the bar until it is just above your chest, pause briefly without touching, then press it back to the start position.
- 1Perform a bench press but pause the bar an inch above your chest, feeling constant tension in your pecs and triceps
- 2Maintain tightness throughout your upper back and core while holding the pause
- 3Press the bar back up without bouncing or losing position
Common mistakes
- Don't let the bar rest on your chest or sink into your sternum
- Avoid relaxing your upper body during the pause; stay engaged
- Don't flare your elbows or arch excessively during the press
Muscles worked
The spoto press mainly works the mid chest, with the triceps, upper chest, lower chest, and front delts assisting.
- Mid ChestPrimary
- TricepsSupport
- Upper ChestSupport
- Lower ChestSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
Spoto Press strength standards
See how your spoto press ranks, from Bronze to Champion. These are the same standards the Kovo app uses to rank your lifts.
Bronzee1RM115 lb
Silvere1RM167.5 lb
Golde1RM232.5 lb
Platinume1RM300 lb
Diamonde1RM340 lb
Champione1RM372.5 lb
Find your rank
Enter your best set. We estimate your 1RM and match it to a tier.
Kovo tracks this rank automatically as you train, across every lift, and levels you up as you get stronger.
Kovo programs the spoto press for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More chest exercises
- How to do the archer push-up
- How to do the assisted dip
- How to do the resistance band chest flyes
- How to do the resistance band push-up
- How to do the barbell bench press
- How to do the paused bench press
Last reviewed April 2026.