Chest
Wide Grip Bench Press
The Wide Grip Bench Press is a strength exercise with a barbell for your chest. Share of the load in the Zulta muscle model: mid chest 38%, lower chest 14% and front delts 14%.
How to do it
- Lie on a flat bench with your eyes under the bar and feet flat on the floor.
- Grip the bar about one and a half times shoulder-width, with your index fingers on or near the outer rings.
- Set your shoulder blades back and down, unrack and hold the bar over your shoulders.
- Lower the bar to your mid chest.
- Press back up to straight arms over your shoulders.
Tips
- The wide grip shortens the range, so control every centimetre of it.
- Keep the forearms close to vertical at the bottom.
Common mistakes
- Gripping so wide that the forearms slant outward at the bottom.
- Flaring the elbows to 90 degrees from the body.
- Bouncing the bar off the chest.
Muscles worked by the Wide Grip Bench Press
Share per muscle in the Zulta muscle model. The model spreads the load of one rep over 40 muscles, based on EMG and biomechanics research.
A wide grip shortens elbow range and puts more of the work on horizontal adduction. Pressing away from the chest is shoulder horizontal adduction plus elbow extension: the sternal pec drives it, front delt and triceps assist, and the clavicular pec joins as a strong secondary on a flat bench.
Wide Grip Bench Press alternatives
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Similar exercises
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Wide Grip Bench Press work?
Mainly the mid chest and lower chest. The front delts, upper chest and triceps (lateral head) assist.
Is the Wide Grip Bench Press good for beginners?
The Wide Grip Bench Press is rated intermediate. If you are new, learn the Iso-Lateral Wide Chest Press first and build up from there.
What is a good alternative to the Wide Grip Bench Press?
For example the Iso-Lateral Wide Chest Press, Seated Chest Press Machine (Wide Grip) and Hex Press. They train mostly the same muscles, some with different equipment.
How do you make the Wide Grip Bench Press harder?
Add weight or reps, or move on to the Cambered Bar Bench Press and Spoto Press.
Sources
- Rodriguez-Ridao et al. 2020, IJERPH 17(19):7339 (five bench inclinations)
- Lehman 2005, JSCR 19(3):587-591 (grip width and forearm position)
- Saeterbakken et al. 2011, J Sports Sci 29(5):533-538 (barbell, dumbbell, Smith)
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