Best Grip for a Powerful Bench

[Midwest Viking]

Ok, this is actually a question.
When I first started lifting, I was going for size, and was interested in bodybuilding. I benched with my pinky finger right inside the lines of the bar.

Well, Last year, I had gotten into powerlifting. I was training with a World Champion Powerlifter, and he tought me to bench with a wde grip. So, for the past year, all the benching I have done, even when training raw, was always with my middle fingers on the line.

Well, I have had good results with this, and I do feel powerful.
But last week, I was training with a couple of buddies of mine. Not going to say names, but buddy one, who got me into lifting, was benching 425 raw, with a narrow grip. He measured his grip by extending his thumbs, touching them to the inner lines of the bar, and gripping where his hands are placed based on the measurements from his thumbs.
Then, buddy number 2 was benching 550 lbs raw, with the same grip.

So they suggested that I try the grip, so I did. One thing I felt was that my grip was way too narrow. They said I would get used to it, and be more powerful that way, but, I also have longer arms than they do, so by putting my hands that narrow, gives me a longer distance to push the bar than it gives them, and my elbows end up flaring out more than their's do.

They say that the wide grip is good for bench shirts, but raw, it puts too much stress on the shoulders, and the tendons.

So, I naturally thought that maybe if I used a narrower grip, not as narrow as theirs, but narrower than where I am now, than maybe I could get more tricep power into the movement, while still using plenty of my chest.

I guess what I am curious about is how many of you bench when it comes to power? As I said, I do not do too well really narrow, and actually do well wide gripped, but I am wondering if it might help me in the long run to be a bit more narrow than I currently am.

Oh, and it is a basic rule of thumb that most people will have the same arm span as their height. example, if someone is 6 foot tall, they should have an arms span of 6 feet. Well, I am 5'10" and have an arm span of 6 feet, 2 inches. (long arms)

All suggested, experience, etc. would be appriciated.

[rockinred]

I can't say for sure what is the best method... I do know that i use the finger between middle and pinky on the line and I could throw up descent weight, but not like your buddies.. I noticed I could put up more weight that way then the narrow grip and where i place my hands felt more natural. So I am similar to you in that I don't care for the close grip.

Now with that being said; I just put a thread up in the injury forum about my tendons/muscle/ligaments (?) that are killing me on flat barbell bench only. Now I read your thread and what your buddies told you about the stress and pressure on the shoulders in the long run and it seems to make sense to me. I can do dumbells with no problem and that is probably because i don't have a spread on the lowering motion of them. Maybe the injury is connected to what your bros said and maybe it isn't, but I think once i get over this it will be worth the try of bringing my grip in just a tad to see how that goes.

thanks for the information and you can take mine for what it is... I can't say for sure it is linked and my injury was caused from that, but I have been moving up on bench pretty good lately and those tendons that connect pecs to the shoulder just started killing me as of late. hmmmm

[Ajc330]

this has been some interesting stuff viking, but i feel where your grip is will stretch your chest a certain spot, wide grip will stretch and work the outer chest, this is my theory atleast because this is where i feel it the most..

for example when i go wide grip which is pointer fingers on the line i really feel it near my shoulders/arm pits and it feels good, then the next set i put my middle fingers on the line as i increase weight and i feel it in a different spot, more towards the center, and on my final working set i use my pinkys on the line with my most weight...i feel i am working my whole chest this may sound dumb..

i do the same thing with my barbell curls for biceps, first set light weight 12 reps wide grip then 10 rips normal grip moderate weight then 8 reps heavy weight narrow grip, i feel i am hitting my whole bicep...just a thought to throw out there

[dwaynewade]

I use the WIDEST grip the bench press will allow.

I am 6'1" with 6'4.5" arms.

I was benching 225x15 at 165lbs.

hmmmm... this comment is worthless without a vid clip...

are these partials you're talking about?

[Tbone1975]

hmmmm... this comment is worthless without a vid clip...

are these partials you're talking about?

Just curious why do you need a video? No argument just wondering. Do you think he's strong? I know a guy who at 160 put up 405 and I know there's stronger than that easily. With a grip that wide, I would agree, strength would probably be a piece of cake. A long time ago I used to do it. I stopped because I would get injured a lot. It made weights real easy. I was way smaller than guys putting up the same weight. You'd be surprised, that wide of a grip does have a big impact. I spotted a guy once who was pretty damn small and throwin up a decent amount of weight. His grip was all the way out LOL. Sometimes.........I think a grip can be too wide, just silly. Arm length is definately a factor also though. This chap did not have long arms, probably medium.

[Bradly1234]

yes you guys are right about putting more stress on your sholders and tendons with wider grip... i work out with some older powerlifters that are past their time but know their sh*t. they wont touch their chest with the bar while preforming wide grip bench and this makes alot of sence as wide grip works your sholders more and more as you decend.

i will always seperate them by week to week.
example, day A will be 4 sets narrow grip 2 set wide grip
day B will be 4 sets wide grip 2 sets narrow grip

[Godson]

But why do wide grip which according to you guys focuses alot on the shoulder
if you when you bench your benching to isolate the CHEST .. i dont understand ?
i use a more narrow grip just my perference , i rather not be in shoulder pain the next day when i was even lifting to work that muscle

[39+1]

YOu need to be in it for thelong run. the wider you get the less stable your going to be and to some extend also the narrower you get you loose stability too.
Stability is what you want, How wide are you?
Stability thats why you plant your feet, chaulk your hands and grip the bar.
dont over think this stuff.
Try takiing a grip some where in the middle or a **** hair wider than you would do a push up. Technique, technique, technique

[Bradly1234]

no bench press isolates the chest. flys are the only true isloation for chest.

wide grip works mostly outer chest hence some sholder
narrow grip works a little outer, more inner and tris.

and 39, why would you be less stable the wider you go?

p.s if it hurts...DONT DO IT

[qualityclrk1]

i do as you said you first did, and put my pinky finger on the lines of the bar. The different width you have your hands definately determines which muscle groups your going to be working. I always work my tri's and my chest on the same day (strong believer in the push/pull theory), and the closer the grip the more help you're getting from your tri's. I do more than just flat bench for a chest workout, i also do cable fly's and dumbbell declines/inclines (after so long, you need to switch things up and i'll alter my workout routine a little). Back to Point- as long as your doing more than just flat bench, and you're incorporating more lifts that work more than just one area of your pecs you'll be fine (don't overlift your muscle).

[Godson]

i do as you said you first did, and put my pinky finger on the lines of the bar. The different width you have your hands definately determines which muscle groups your going to be working. I always work my tri's and my chest on the same day (strong believer in the push/pull theory), and the closer the grip the more help you're getting from your tri's. I do more than just flat bench for a chest workout, i also do cable fly's and dumbbell declines/inclines (after so long, you need to switch things up and i'll alter my workout routine a little). Back to Point- as long as your doing more than just flat bench, and you're incorporating more lifts that work more than just one area of your pecs you'll be fine (don't overlift your muscle).

everything you just said is exactly what i do.. finally i find somebody who does Chest/tricept in the same day ...along with flat decline incline ... i know everybody is different but i was starting to wonder about my routine

[yungfaceb3]

I usually use the classical medium grip with my pinkies on the line of the bar. I usually start off with the flat barbell bench presses as well, and I focus on every rep every set to use my chest more than my arms and isolate the pecs as much as possible. Using this works the chest best overall as it hits both inner and outer chest. By taking this grip I hit the chest similar to how dumbell presses do, and this feels good. I have tried wider grips and felt it alot on the extremes outside of my chest just above my arm pits and It felt good, but medium grip just seems to hit the chest the best for me. I think I hit outer chest enough with dumbell flyes on the deep deep stretch. I beleive in hitting everypart of the chest and the routine that works best for me is flat barbell bench press, then incline dumbell press, then dumbell flyes, and finally parallel dips for lower chest. This combination of barbell/ dumbell/ dips seems to work good for me. On heavy days, however, i might use barbells for flat, incline, and decline.

[Titan 3]

have always used a narrow grip. It just feels natural to me.

[shark333]

wide grip puts to much stress on my shoulder during barbell press, i like a closer grip as well.