Wide Grip Barbell Bench Press

How to Perform the Wide Grip Barbell Bench Press

1. Lie flat on a bench with your eyes directly under the barbell and plant your feet firmly on the floor.
2. Grip the barbell with a wide overhand grip, placing your hands significantly wider than shoulder-width apart (index fingers on or outside the ring markings).
3. Unrack the bar and position it directly over your lower chest with your arms extended.
4. Retract and depress your shoulder blades, creating a stable arch in your upper back.
5. Lower the bar in a controlled manner to your lower chest, allowing your elbows to flare out to approximately 75-80 degrees from your torso.
6. Touch the bar lightly to your chest without bouncing, feeling a deep stretch across the pectorals.
7. Press the bar back up to the starting position by driving through your chest and maintaining your back arch.
8. Lock out your elbows at the top and repeat for the prescribed number of reps.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Muscles Worked

Benefits

• ✓Increases chest muscle activation compared to a standard or narrow grip bench press
• ✓Develops the pectorals through a greater stretch at the bottom of the movement
• ✓Builds horizontal pressing strength that transfers to standard bench press and athletic movements

Pro Tips

• ●The wide grip reduces the range of motion slightly, so you may be able to handle similar or slightly heavier weights than a standard grip.
• ●Focus on squeezing the chest at the top of each rep rather than just locking out the elbows.
• ●Use a spotter or safety pins when training heavy due to the increased stretch on the shoulder joint.

Variations

Recommended Sets & Reps