Bench Press - Wide Grip (Barbell)

How to do it

1. Lie on the bench with your shoulder blades pulled together and your feet planted.
2. Take a wide grip, with your index fingers no wider than the rings on the bar.
3. Unrack the bar and hold it over your shoulders.
4. Lower the bar to your chest near the sternum, with your forearms under the bar.
5. Press the bar back up over your shoulders to straight arms.

Key cues

• Shoulder blades down and back
• Forearms stacked under the bar
• Bar low in the palm
• Touch near the sternum
• Finish over the shoulders

Common mistakes

• Gripping wider than the rings
• Wrists bent back under the bar
• Bouncing the bar off your chest
• Lifting your feet or hips during the press

Muscles worked

Primary

Chest and front delts

Secondary

Triceps

Equipment

Barbell, bench and squat rack.

Variations

• Bench Press (Barbell)

  Barbell · Chest, front delts · Push

• Bench Press - Close Grip (Barbell)

  Barbell · Triceps · Push

• Bench Press (Dumbbell)

  Dumbbell · Chest, front delts · Push

• Bench Press (Smith Machine)

  Smith machine · Chest, front delts · Push

References

1. StrengthLog: Bench Press
2. Larsen et al. 2021: Grip width and bench press kinematics