What is a sensible starting load for the guillotine press, and what should I be able to do first?

Start much lighter than your flat bench press, often less than half, for 8 to 10 controlled reps with a spotter present every time. You should already have a healthy, pain-free flared-elbow bench press before adding the deeper stretch and lower bar path of the guillotine version.

What can I use instead of the guillotine press for the same chest stretch?

A dumbbell press lowered deep with a slight elbow flare gives a similar upper-chest stretch without a bar passing anywhere near the neck, and it is the safer choice without a reliable spotter. An incline dumbbell or barbell press also targets the same upper pec region from a different angle.

What is the guillotine press good for, and when should I avoid it?

It is a specialty upper-chest builder for advanced lifters chasing a deep stretch, not a strength or max-effort lift, so it earns a small, light-load slot in an accessory day at most. Avoid it entirely without an experienced spotter, and stop the movement the moment either shoulder feels pinched rather than working around the discomfort.

Advanced

Guillotine Press

Popularized by Vince Gironda, this press keeps the elbows flared out at ninety degrees and lowers the bar toward the base of the neck, putting the pecs under a long stretch and shifting emphasis high on the chest. That flared position is hard on the shoulders, so it is strictly an advanced, light-to-moderate movement done with control and a spotter. Treat it as a specialty pec builder, never a max-strength lift.

Equipment: Barbell, Bench
Body part: Chest
Type: Strength
Browse by muscle: Pectoralis Major Clavicular
Browse by movement: Horizontal Press

How to do it

1
Lie flat with a spotter positioned at the head of the bench.
2
Take a grip slightly wider than shoulder width and unrack the bar over your neck.
3
Flare your elbows out to the sides and lower the bar slowly toward the base of your throat.
4
Stop a couple of inches above the neck where you feel a strong chest stretch.
5
Press the bar back up along the same path until your arms lock out.
6
Keep the reps slow and never lose control of the descent.

Tips

Use a light load and always work with a spotter; this is not a lift to grind or fail on.
Keep the elbows level with the bar and flared to load the pecs through their stretched range.
If your shoulders feel pinched, abandon the movement rather than pushing through it.

Variations

Common mistakes

The bar path drifts up toward the chin or face instead of tracking straight down to the base of the neck, closing the small safety margin this press depends on.
The descent speeds up in the last couple of inches as the shoulders fatigue, right where control matters most because the bar is closest to the neck.
Chasing extra range by touching the neck instead of stopping a couple of inches short turns a stretch-focused press into an unnecessary risk for almost no added stretch.
No spotter standing by turns a bar-over-the-throat press into the one variation of the bench press that can least afford to be done alone.
A load picked the same as a flat bench press ignores that the flared elbow position stresses the shoulder far more than a tucked-elbow press at the same weight.

Frequently asked

What is a sensible starting load for the guillotine press, and what should I be able to do first?: Start much lighter than your flat bench press, often less than half, for 8 to 10 controlled reps with a spotter present every time. You should already have a healthy, pain-free flared-elbow bench press before adding the deeper stretch and lower bar path of the guillotine version.
What can I use instead of the guillotine press for the same chest stretch?: A dumbbell press lowered deep with a slight elbow flare gives a similar upper-chest stretch without a bar passing anywhere near the neck, and it is the safer choice without a reliable spotter. An incline dumbbell or barbell press also targets the same upper pec region from a different angle.
What is the guillotine press good for, and when should I avoid it?: It is a specialty upper-chest builder for advanced lifters chasing a deep stretch, not a strength or max-effort lift, so it earns a small, light-load slot in an accessory day at most. Avoid it entirely without an experienced spotter, and stop the movement the moment either shoulder feels pinched rather than working around the discomfort.

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