The bench press is a staple of any weight chest workout (and for good reason).

There is a good video from Diesel Crew showing how to bench press correctly without breaking your shoulders. Here is a summary:

• Proper grip: Hold the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart and
• Full body exercise: The bench press is a full body exercise. If your whole body is not sore at the end, you are doing something wrong.
• Take care of your shoulders: Rest your shoulders on the bench
• Arch your back: Your quads and glutes should contract and push towards the floor. Your upper back should be tight. In fact, the bow should be enough for someone to put their hand under your back. The back is the foundation of this exercise, so it should be tight. By focusing on “spreading the bar,” you recruit your lats, helping you get stronger AND prevent injury.
• Elbows down: Hobbyists and untrained weightlifters tend to stretch their elbows. This makes the bench go down around the collarbone … a prescription for shoulder pain. The correct way to do this is to slightly turn your elbows inward so that the bar is coming down on your chest and not on your collarbone. This not only strengthens the muscles, but also engages the triceps more.
• Spotted above / below: Your helper should use an alternate grip (one hand in front of you and the other in front of him) so that he can guide the bar in case he loses control

There you go. Some simple tips to get the most out of your bench press.