Scan to open on your phonegymvim.app/exercises/wide-grip-barbell-bench-press

Wide-Grip Barbell Bench Press 6s · no sound

Wide-Grip Barbell Bench Press

Flat barbell bench press taken well outside shoulder width, shortening the range and loading the chest hard.

Primary muscle
Chest
Equipment
Barbell
Difficulty
Intermediate
Movement
Push
Share

How to do it

  1. Load a flat bench barbell and set the rack height so you can reach the bar with straight arms.
  2. Lie back and take the bar well outside shoulder width, keeping it low in your palms.
  3. Pinch your shoulder blades together and drive them into the bench, feet flat on the floor.
  4. Unrack the bar with a spotter's help and let it settle over your chest.
  5. Bring the bar down on a straight path toward the lower edge of your breastbone until it makes contact.
  6. Press back up by driving your feet into the floor and extending your elbows, stopping short of lockout.

Common mistakes

  • Going wider than your shoulders tolerate raises collarbone and shoulder joint loading for very little extra chest work.
  • Losing shoulder blade retraction increases rotator cuff demand and shoulder instability during the press.
  • Bouncing the bar off the chest hides how much range you actually control and shocks the shoulder joint.
  • Letting the wrists roll back puts the bar behind the forearm and turns a chest exercise into a wrist problem.

Muscles worked

Primary
Chest
Secondary
Front DeltsTriceps

Same movement, other equipment

Bodyweight Elevated Push Up Intermediate Bodyweight Elevated Push Up Chest Bodyweight Parallel Bar Dips Intermediate Parallel Bar Dips Chest Bodyweight Archer Push-Up Advanced Archer Push-Up Chest Bodyweight Bodyweight Knee Push Ups Beginner Bodyweight Knee Push Ups Chest Bodyweight

Similar exercises

Barbell Bench Press Intermediate Barbell Bench Press Chest Barbell Barbell Floor Press Intermediate Barbell Floor Press Chest Barbell Barbell High Incline Bench Press Intermediate Barbell High Incline Bench Press Chest Barbell Barbell Incline Bench Press Intermediate Barbell Incline Bench Press Chest Barbell Decline Barbell Bench Press Intermediate Decline Barbell Bench Press Chest Barbell

Good to know

What muscles does the Wide-Grip Barbell Bench Press work?
Mainly the chest. It also works the front delts and triceps.
What equipment do you need for the Wide-Grip Barbell Bench Press?
It uses a barbell. Without it, the Bodyweight Elevated Push Up and the Parallel Bar Dips train the same muscles the same way.
Is the Wide-Grip Barbell Bench Press good for beginners?
GymVim rates it intermediate. For a beginner-rated exercise on the same muscle and movement, see the Bodyweight Knee Push Ups.

Your plan, your sets and your progress in one app. Free, no ads.

By muscle

Chest exercises Back exercises Shoulder exercises Arm exercises Leg exercises All 17 muscles

By equipment

Bodyweight Dumbbell Barbell Kettlebell Machine

Plans

Gym Starter Home, No Equipment Upper / Lower Hypertrophy Push Pull Legs Six Day Two Day Dumbbell Habit All 74 plans Build your own plan

Switching

From Strong From Hevy From JEFIT From Fitbod