Strength Training · Bodybuilding · Powerlifting
Wide-Grip Bench Press
The wide-grip bench press is a flat barbell press with your hands farther apart than usual. It trains your chest, shoulders, and triceps through a shorter bar path.
Higher injury risk. Read the safety notes before adding weight.
- Intermediate
- Compound
- Higher injury risk
- Rest 2 min
How to do it
- Lie on the bench with your eyes beneath the bar and your feet planted firmly on the floor.
- Draw your shoulder blades back and down against the bench.
- Grasp the bar evenly with a wider-than-usual overhand grip, thumbs wrapped around it.
- Unrack the bar to straight arms above your shoulders.
- Lower the bar under control to your mid-chest.
- Press the bar upward and slightly back to straight arms above your shoulders.
- Return the bar securely to both rack hooks after your final repetition.
Form cues
- Keep your wrists nearly straight.
- Keep your butt on the bench.
- Keep elbows slightly below shoulder level.
- Brace before each descent.
Common mistakes
- Taking an excessively wide gripKeep a wider-than-usual grip within a pain-free shoulder range, using the bar's ring marks as an outer width limit.
- Bouncing off your chestMake a gentle chest contact without using the rebound to start the press.
- Touching too close to your neckAdjust your touch point lower on your chest so your upper arms do not flare straight out sideways.
Safety
A wide grip can increase stress on the shoulders and chest tissues, especially with heavy loads or fatigue. A failed repetition can trap the bar on your chest or neck.
- Use a spotter or safety arms set to catch the bar above your chest when you flatten your arch.
- Warm up with an empty bar before adding weight gradually.
- Secure the plates with collars.
- End the set when you can no longer maintain a controlled bar path.
If you have shoulder pain or a history of chest or shoulder injury, choose a narrower-grip version and get advice from a physiotherapist before loading this variation.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Barbell Collar
- Lifting Belt (optional)
- Olympic Flat Bench
- Powerlifting Barbell
- Weight Plate
- Wrist Wraps (optional)
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 3–4
- Target
- 6–10 reps
- Rest
- 2 min
Start lighter than your usual bench press while learning the wider grip.