Wide Grip Bench Press

Hi guys,

I'm just curious and want to know what the difference is between the usual bench press and the wide grip bench press?

I've seen a few guys at the gym who always use this technique.

Is there any real advantage of doing the bench press in this way?

Thanks in advance

The old way of thinking is that wide grip targeted the outer chest but not sure there's too much truth to it.Never liked them personally.I've suffered from shoulder trouble over the years and anything wider than just over shoulder width seems to aggravate it.

The old inner/outer chest myth still rages on with some trainers but it's simply a misconception. You can't target specific parts of the same muscle. You can however make the muscle work harder by changing the grip position so you reduce the work normally carried out by the supporting muscles.

In the Wide Grip Bench Press, having a much wider grip means you reduce the ROM of the triceps thereby making the chest muscles work harder because they're not being assisted by the triceps. For even more chest prioritisation, try bringing the bar down to the upper chest or even as far as the neck (as per a Guillotine Press). The weight will invariably be reduced but the chest muscles will be performing a lot more of the work.

hits the chest a lot harder with the wider than shoulder width grip.

Do other people find that wider grips nuke the delts too?

I take a fairly wide grip because my arms are quite long so it's done to try and reduce the amount of work the tri's are doing. Whether it's this or something else (perhaps the arch i employ), it's always my anterior delts that are horrendously sore the morning after (yeah i know, DOMS dont = good training but still!).

Zeddy


Hi guys,

I'm just curious and want to know what the difference is between the usual bench press and the wide grip bench press?

I've seen a few guys at the gym who always use this technique.

Is there any real advantage of doing the bench press in this way?

Thanks in advance

What do you mean by "usual bench press"? What is usual for a PLer e.g. competition bench width may be wide for a bodybuilder or casual trainee. Having said that, look at the logs of a Westside bencher during DE days and the grips they use. Mentioning Westside look at the different bars they use, you can read up on the different bars and the different grips on the articles section at Westside.

I would suspect the guys in your gym are using standard width but you are used to close-grip or just wider width. You could always ask them if in doubt.

Ak_88


Do other people find that wider grips nuke the delts too?

Lots of people do find it hard on the delts

stephen77

Ak_88


Do other people find that wider grips nuke the delts too?

Lots of people do find it hard on the delts

Lots of people are benching like bodybuilders with elbows flared and their shoulders taking the brunt. Would be time to watch Dave Tate's vid and learn how to bench correctly. How do you think people bench 500-800 pounds and have no shoulder problems but you are benching 100-300 pounds and you are experiencing issues.

LMC


In the Wide Grip Bench Press, having a much wider grip means you reduce the ROM of the triceps thereby making the chest muscles work harder because they're not being assisted by the triceps. For even more chest prioritisation, try bringing the bar down to the upper chest or even as far as the neck (as per a Guillotine Press). The weight will invariably be reduced but the chest muscles will be performing a lot more of the work.

I take it as the wider grip works your chest more, so it's better to do them? I'm aiming for a deeper chest so will this be ideal?

I really wouldn't sweat it to be honest.  Just bench however feels comfortable, keep working hard & you'll add size & strength to your chest. 
 
 

Big Daddy

stephen77

Ak_88


Do other people find that wider grips nuke the delts too?

Lots of people do find it hard on the delts

Lots of people are benching like bodybuilders with elbows flared and their shoulders taking the brunt. Would be time to watch Dave Tate's vid and learn how to bench correctly. How do you think people bench 500-800 pounds and have no shoulder problems but you are benching 100-300 pounds and you are experiencing issues.

A) i have no issues with my shoulders.
 
B) When he said nuke and I said hard. i was assuming that the delts take more emphasis of the lift. Not meaning they get injured.
 
C) the OP has not said wether trianing for PL or BB.
 
D) The OP has not stated how wide, the wide grip bench is.
 

Big Daddy

Lots of people are benching like bodybuilders with elbows flared and their shoulders taking the brunt. Would be time to watch Dave Tate's vid and learn how to bench correctly. How do you think people bench 500-800 pounds and have no shoulder problems but you are benching 100-300 pounds and you are experiencing issues.

Umm... possibly because they are bodybuilding?

I agree that powerlifting style benching is safer on the shoulders, but it definitely works the chest less. It allows you to shift bigger poundages but what does this matter to a guy training purely for size for whom the sole purpose of the bench press is to contract the relevant muscles and make them grow?

I started benching 'properly' recently and this conicided with a shift to more strength based training. I want a big bench, hypertrophy is still important but I let my assistance stuff like Dips and Incline handle that. As for the main lift, it's all about getting as many muscles into the equation and pressing the most weight.

But if you're benching just to get big pecs, tris and delts then I can't see much of a problem benching with a flat back and elbows flared, etc, as long as the trainer has his shoulder mobility and general shoulder health sorted out and keeps his form slow and controlled. Bodybuilders have been doing it for years without much problems!

But as stephen77 has said, the OP has not told us whether he is training primarily for hypertrophy or strength!

CitizenKane

Umm... possibly because they are bodybuilding?

Umm possibly because they just don't know how to f***ing bench as Dave Tate puts it.

CitizenKane
I agree that powerlifting style benching is safer on the shoulders, but it definitely works the chest less. It allows you to shift bigger poundages but what does this matter to a guy training purely for size for whom the sole purpose of the bench press is to contract the relevant muscles and make them grow?

I started benching 'properly' recently and this conicided with a shift to more strength based training. I want a big bench, hypertrophy is still important but I let my assistance stuff like Dips and Incline handle that. As for the main lift, it's all about getting as many muscles into the equation and pressing the most weight.

But if you're benching just to get big pecs, tris and delts then I can't see much of a problem benching with a flat back and elbows flared, etc, as long as the trainer has his shoulder mobility and general shoulder health sorted out and keeps his form slow and controlled. Bodybuilders have been doing it for years without much problems!

But as stephen77 has said, the OP has not told us whether he is training primarily for hypertrophy or strength!

Really? People don't jack their shoulders benching bodybuilder style? Did you see this written in flex magazine or in men's health?

Read up on this particularly from Louie Simmons and people who know their ****. When you can get to decent numbers e.g. half of Dave Tate's Squat/Bench/Deads size will take care of itself.

You don't see powerlifters doing those 7 day a week bodybuilder splits and they don't look like girly men either yet they are not concerned with "size"?

Whether the OP is training for size or strength or to dance in a ballerina contest he has to learn to bench correctly.

^Lol, ok mate. Basically you're just saying that all bodybuilders are wrong? And that all bodybuilders should train like powerlifters and they will get the same results?

No I don't read flex or mens health, but if I was a bodybuilder I wouldn't pay much attention to what louie simmons has to say either. I would listen to top bodybuilders, not top powerlifters, and top bodybuilders have been benching 'like bodybuilders' for years.

Find me a bodybuilder who is benching world class weights and uses the elbows flared, shoulders raised novice bench style and has no shoulder issues and endorses all bench like this.

I asked you what you had read of Louie Simmons and how he got his shoulder injured benching like a bodybuilder but you obviously wouldn't know this.

I don't care if you are ignorant of Louie Simmons and Dave Tate but their experience/knowledge counts for more than the opinions of teens on bodybuilding websites. They are also in a position to be able to say the best way to bench without shoulder/rotator cuff injuries.

Here is a little assignment for you :-

1. Go and find any recognised strength coach who endorses the bodybuilding bench press as being safe for al and sundry. Find articles not just word of mouth.

Bodybuilders DON'T lift world class weights, they don't care about lifting heavy! What part of this don't you get?! Yes simmons and tate are in a position to say how you should go about benching as heavy as possible. What has this got to do with hypertrophy?

Wow, I've never seen a poster as condescending and hostile as you are. You're exactly the kind of guy that perpetuates the ridiculous rift between powerlifters and bodybuilders. I hate it because there is clearly a lot that both disciplines can learn from each other, but it's people like you that make bodybuilders think that all powerlifters are arrogant twats, and that make powerlifters think all bodybuilders are nancy pretty boys.

Those animated vids on youtube like 'normal kid meets a powerlifter' and 'strongman vs powerlifter' etc, they were made about people like YOU. You're actively perpetuating popular disdain for your own sport, well done.

Following this with interest.So power lifters bench with their elbows tucked into their sides?That's how I close grip bench but surely that makes it a movement primarily a tricep move?As it happens I dumbell press mainly now cos of shoulder issues but still interested to know.

cleg


Following this with interest.So power lifters bench with their elbows tucked into their sides?That's how I close grip bench but surely that makes it a movement primarily a tricep move?As it happens I dumbell press mainly now cos of shoulder issues but still interested to know.

Yeah they tuck their elbows at the bottom half of the movement, and flare their elbows out at the top. They also arch their back so as to decrease the ROM and to initiate leg drive into the lift, and they drive their upper back into the bench so they can utilize their lats in the bottom portion of the lift. The idea is to make yourself as stable as possible on the bench to give yourself the best position to press weight from. It does take away a lot of the work done by the chest and transfers it to other muscles, hence why bodybuilders don't do it!

By the way Big Daddy, you do realise that Louie Simmons and Dave Tate both advocate pumping yourself full of test as well? I find it quite ironic then that you seem to take everything else they say as gospel considering your outspoken anti-AAS stance (as made apparent in your ridiculous post a while ago in the bodybuilding supplements section requesting supplement companies to alter their mailing list sendouts to omit any hormonal products, just for you).

Whilst I think Big Daddy is being too aggressive and condescending in his posting style I do feel to a point he is correct.
 
A powerlifting style bench will work the pecs very well indeed whilst saving the shoulders. I would not however persure as an agressive an arch as some powerlifters or use as wide a grip as some smaller powerlifters.
 
Whilst powerliffers will use assistance liftes that train pecs etc you won't see a good bencher without decent pecs. Now what came first decent pecs or a decent bencher is worthy of discusion!