Wide Grip Barbell Bench Press
Also known as: wide grip bench press
In SetGrip: Barbell Bench Press (Wide Grip)
Moving your hands out past your normal grip shortens the bar's travel and asks more of the pecs and front delts while giving the triceps less to do. Powerlifters use the shorter stroke to move bigger weights; for muscle-building, control the bottom position carefully, since the wide grip puts the shoulders in a deeper stretch.
How to do the Wide Grip Barbell Bench Press
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Grasp the barbell with a wide grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
- Lower the barbell slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows slightly flared out.
- Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest, then push it back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tip: Squeeze the bar hard and bend it toward your feet to keep the elbows in and the lats tight.
Muscles worked
Primary
Pectorals · Chest
The pecs press the arms together and forward and are worked hardest at the bottom of the rep when the elbows are below the body.
Common mistakes
- Elbows flared to 90 degrees — this puts the shoulder in a poor position at the bottom; tuck the elbows to about 45 to 60 degrees and touch the bar on the lower chest.
- Losing shoulder blade position — the shoulder blades should be pulled back and down before the unrack and stay there; if they roll forward, the chest loses leverage.
- Bouncing off the chest — control the bar to a light touch and pause for a beat before pressing; a bounce hides how much you can actually press.
- Feet dancing around — plant the feet flat and drive them into the floor for the whole set to keep the body tight.
Where it fits in a workout
Bench press goes first in a chest or push session when you are strongest. Superset it with a row for a push and pull pair, or follow it with flies for volume.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
Similar exercises
Without barbell
Easier and harder
When to talk to someone
- Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
- Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
- Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.
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Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)
Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.
Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.