Shoulder joint action of the bench press?

During the bench press, the primary shoulder joint action is horizontal adduction, where the arms move toward the midline of the body as the barbell is lowered and then pushed back up. Additionally, there is some degree of shoulder flexion involved as the elbows bend and the arms lower. The pectoral muscles are the main agonists during this movement, with support from the deltoids and triceps. Overall, the bench press effectively targets the chest while engaging the shoulders and triceps as secondary movers.