Wide-Grip Bench Press

Body region

• Chest
• Shoulders
• Arms

Muscles

Main

• Deltoid
• Pectoralis Major

Helps

• Triceps

Holds

• Serratus Anterior
• Biceps

Equipment

• Barbell
• Flat Bench
• Squat Rack

Technique

1. Lie on the bench with eyes under the bar, feet flat and shoulder blades pulled together.
2. Grip the bar clearly wider than a normal bench grip, roughly one and a half times shoulder width.
3. Unrack the bar and hold it over your shoulders.
4. Lower the bar to your mid-chest, stopping when your shoulders reach a comfortable depth.
5. Press back up until your arms are straight.

Cues

• Keep the shoulder blades squeezed together and down.
• Keep the forearms close to vertical at the bottom.
• Set the safety arms or use a spotter, because a wide grip makes a failed rep harder to control.

Common mistakes

• Gripping so wide that the shoulders hurt at the bottom.
• Letting the elbows flare straight out at 90 degrees.
• Bouncing the bar off the chest.

Alternatives

• Barbell Bench Press
• Dumbbell Fly
• Smith Machine Wide-Grip Bench Press