Bench Press Bench Width
The standard bench press grip.
Bench press bench width. But as the old saying goes variety is the spice of chest day. Research has demonstrated in a one rep max bench press test that there s no difference in the pectoralis muscle recruitment with a wide bench press grip. So when it comes to your bench press grip width sure there is a standard position.
2x shoulder width distance for wide grip bench press. Additionally research showed a large difference in the amount of triceps activation with the 1 5 biacromial distance grip so not only is a wide grip an injury risk but it s a performance reducer. Many people think the bench press is just a chest exercise but i m here to tell you that your triceps shoulders back and even your glutes are involved.
Bench press in the power rack for maximum safety. As a result this is the technique you ll see in programs like starting strength. An analysis conducted by lehman 2005 on the muscles recruited in different styles of bench press showed that a wide grip bench press recruits the pec muscles twice as much as the triceps when compared with a shoulder width narrow grip.
For continuity studies mentioned in this article involved participants that were competitive national to international level powerlifters or trained individuals with a minimum bench press training experience of 2 years 1 2. This grip width puts your chest shoulders and triceps into great positions to press the weight up and it uses a larger range of motion allowing for good overall muscle growth. Here your forearms are about perpendicular to the floor when the bar is in the bottom position.
The three grip widths are defined as narrow the. Setup on the bench grab the bar unrack it lower it to your mid chest and press it back up. And it s important to nail that position if you want a safe effective exercise.
Width of bench press pad i bought an adjustable flat bench for my home gym to use in conjunction with my power rack for bench press. Not only is it crucial for upper body muscular development but it s an exceptional strength builder. Set the safety pins at the proper height so they catch the weight if you fail to lift it.
Standard bench press grip width and elbow flare. For most people this is the most comfortable width. After using it for awhile i m starting to think that it is a little bit narrow in compared to the average stand alone bench and that this is having a minor but noticable effect on my bench press.