By Still able to stick together and feel strong on the way up? Good. You`ve just found your optimal bench press handle. It has been simplified that this 1.5x shoulder-width handle places the shoulder under a 45-degree abduction, reducing the shoulder`s torque on the rotator cuff and biceps tendon. It was also quoted as saying that this is simply a general recommendation and that there are several lifts that fall into this category that could very well go further while remaining safe. At first glance, these are all positive results when using a bench press with a wide grip. However, there are many individual factors to consider to understand if a bench press with a wide grip is right for you. Let`s discuss further! This means that most people are able to generate higher force during the long-grip bench press. However, the adherent bench press is usually performed faster and with a higher peak power (energy per second). Since in most dressings no one responded, the widest legal grip is if you don`t touch the outer cuff. Some say 3/4 inch from there. In terms of powerlifting, the wider it is, the better it is to get the most out of the shirt. I think rough elevators tend to be narrower in their handles.
A wide handle, about 1.5-2 times the width of the shoulders (biacromial distance). The wide-grip bench press is a great chest exercise and could be a staple for any chest workout. As mentioned earlier, there`s a good chance you`ll be strongest with wide grip. The widest handle allowed in powerlifting competitions is 81 cm, and you should give it a fair chance. If you`re someone who has long arms, based on the graph above, but sits with a shoulder-width handle, you`d be a strong candidate to extend your grip for bench press. A bench press with a wide handle can put the shoulder in a vulnerable position if you don`t have shoulder mobility or if you`ve ever had a rotator cuff injury or shoulder conflict. Since the bench press with a wide grip puts more pressure on your shoulder joints and the tight bench press puts more pressure on your elbows, these two exercises would also carry a higher relative risk of injury to the respective joint. If you are convinced that you should start the bench press in a wide grip, there are a few things you need to know before implementing it in your training. I notice that most of the comments here mention people they have better control. I`m pretty sure anyone starts stronger with a medium or narrow grip, myself included (and I`ve always failed at the chest first when I gained weight).
I think most people have better triceps strength than they had since the beginning. If your goal is to lift as much weight as possible, you should try different widths and gripping techniques to see in which you can lift the biggest weight. Chances are you`ll be a little stronger with a wider grip than with a tighter grip. Note that the largest grip allowed in powerlifting competitions is 81 cm (about 32 inches) between the hands. I said above that a bench press with a wide handle counts for 2X of the distance measured between the shoulders. This is a common formula that many weightlifters use to determine their grip width, including 10-time powerlifting world champion Jennifer Thompson, as described in the video below. This means that while the strength of your chest and shoulders is important in both styles, your triceps will gain traction in the tighter grip version. The more you grasp the bar, the more your pectoral muscles will be involved in generating strength. Most Powerlifter bench presses in a wide handle between 1.5 and 2 times the width of the shoulders, but your precise grip should be based on your body mechanics and personal preferences.
An analysis of the muscles recruited in different types of bench press conducted by Lehman (2005) showed that a bench press with a wide grip recruited the pectoral muscles twice as much as the triceps compared to a wide (narrow) grip. Because the more you grip the dumbbell, the more your elbow falls directly into the alignment of the bar in the entire range of motion (not in front). If the elbows in front of the bar are stuck inward, as in a bench press with a narrow handle, you recruit fewer pectoral muscles (more triceps). Now that we understand the mechanics and muscles used in a wide-grip bench press, let`s discuss why people do bench press in a wide grip. On a standard powerlifting bar, the ring marks are spaced 81 cm (about 32 inches) apart. This is the widest handle allowed in powerlifting competitions, and you need to cover the rings with your hands. Therefore, holding your index fingers on the rings is the widest grip you can use in competition. In the sports science community, the general recommendation for a bench press with a wide handle is a distance of 2X shoulder width.
Ideally, though, (mechanically) you want the maximum handle width that your height/wingspan allows. For most people of medium or tall height, the maximum width of the competition should be the strongest. Gilbert G, Lees A (2003). The regulation of maximum grip width in powerlifting discriminates against tall athletes. Journal of Sport Science; 21(4): 299-300. Here`s a tip to quickly determine the best bench press handle for yourself. For the last point about choosing the handle, the more you grasp the wide bar, the fewer triceps you will use and the more the chest will be used. A wide handle bench is considered a handle where you grasp the bar 2X of the distance between your shoulders. As always, once you get used to a different form of exercise, a different style of exercise, or in this case, the position of the limbs, things tend to stabilize. In a few weeks of bench press with your new grip, you should be back where you left off in terms of strength. And this time without shoulder pain.
The wide-grip flat bench press trains your chest muscles well. This includes both your upper pectoral muscles (collarbone head) and your lower pectoral muscles (sternal head). In the adherent bench press, the muscles of the chest are used to a lesser extent. If you perform the bench press with a tight grip with your elbows close to your sides, you are primarily targeting your upper pectoral muscle fibers, resulting in even less training of your lower chest. A bench press with a wide handle is considered a handle of 1.5-2 times the width between the shoulders. The bench press with wide handle allows you to recruit the maximum pectoral muscles responsible for maximum chest strength. In addition, a bench press with a wide handle reduces the range of motion of motion, which reduces the amount of work required to press the bar. In powerlifting, the index fingers should not be more than 81 centimeters (about 32″) apart. The wheel markings (also called “rings”) on the pole indicate the maximum grip width allowed in competition. Many (but not all) elite bench developed use an ultra-wide handle to reduce range of motion and lift heavier weights. Many gym enthusiasts opt for a potentially dangerous handle without realizing it. In a study in which trained male subjects themselves chose a bench handle that they normally used in training, it was measured at 189% biacromial width (76.5 cm).
Each of the 24 trainees chose a handle wider than 150% biacromal width, with the widest handle measured at 207%. As already mentioned, the bench press with a wide handle will reduce the range of motion; However, weightlifters try to reduce the range of motion even more by pushing their chest high on the bench and using a special technique called the bench press bow. For lifters without shoulder mobility or shoulder problems in the past, Fees (2008) recommends bench press with a handle no more than 1.5 times shoulder width. It is purely individual. Some are better with a wide handle, others are better with a tighter grip. There is no optimal grip. If you are a competitive weightlifter, the powerlifting rules for bench press state that you cannot hold the bar more than 81 cm apart. The hashmark on the bar gives you this distance, and therefore your index finger on both hands should cover the hashmark as much as possible.
While you can squeeze the bar harder, you can`t cross that point. If you advise a male trainee to move his grip to spare his shoulders, his typical response is something like this: “That makes sense. But I`m going to be weaker, so no thanks. Therefore, it could rightly be argued that bench press with wide grip is also superior to strengthening and injury safety to your shoulder joints. In practice, you need to know which handle width and bench press technique are suitable for your body. We all have different bone structures and we can`t all lift the same thing. Experiment with grip width, elbow position, and bar trajectory to find your best groove. There`s no official definition of what constitutes a tight, medium or wide bench press, so it`s really a volatile scale. In the absence of other definitions, I think the coefficients in the list above seem quite reasonable, and this is consistent with what I have seen elsewhere. In powerlifting, the use of a bench press with a wide handle is the standard position.
In fact, it would be a bit strange for a world-class bench press to use a narrow handle. Indeed, weightlifters want to optimize the lowest possible range of motion when lifting a maximum weight.