taking a wide grip during bench press to engage chest muscles?
arunictrichloride asked:
Sometimes, I dont take only a shoulder-width grip while bench pressing. I take a very wide grip- in such a way that my chest muscles stretch when I spread out my hands to take the grip. Doing this, I can still bring the bar very low without hurting my shoulders. Will this grip help me engage my chest muscles more during bench press? I have a feeling that doing this will put a lot of weight on my chest instead of my shoulders, thus help me develop my pectorals.
Thanks.
An Ultra-brief & Ultra-intense Workout
Sometimes, I dont take only a shoulder-width grip while bench pressing. I take a very wide grip- in such a way that my chest muscles stretch when I spread out my hands to take the grip. Doing this, I can still bring the bar very low without hurting my shoulders. Will this grip help me engage my chest muscles more during bench press? I have a feeling that doing this will put a lot of weight on my chest instead of my shoulders, thus help me develop my pectorals.
Thanks.
An Ultra-brief & Ultra-intense Workout
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January 2nd, 2009 at 10:50 am
Honest Truth About Abs
Yes. I use it quite often.
January 3rd, 2009 at 10:42 am
Weightloss – A different approach
keeping a narrower grip will actually focus the exercise to your pecs. a wider grip like you describe will actually focus more on your back, shoulders and triceps.
January 5th, 2009 at 7:18 am
Combat Core Strength
I know it to develop your lats, which gives you that V-shape. Not sure how much you get out of your pecs doing that. It sounds right, though.
Since your pecs are a lot weaker than your lats, you should probably be feeling it there pretty badly when you start doing it. Then you’ll know!
January 5th, 2009 at 11:18 am
An Ultra-brief & Ultra-intense Workout
Yeah, it sounds like your technique is working out well for you. I’d just say dont max out with your wide grip cuz u’ll easily pull a muscle. Be sure to use a normal and a close grip for other sets of bench press to work all your pressing muscles.
January 5th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
An Ultra-brief & Ultra-intense Workout
yes this will help alot, adopting a very close grip will work your opposite muscle groups, its good to find a balance.
January 8th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
An Ultra-brief & Ultra-intense Workout
Youre doing the right thing. Wider the better, but nothing too crazy. General rule of thumb, your elbows should be at 90 degrees at the lowest point during the bench. Also, if your looking for big chest. YOU HAVE TO GO HEAVY 4-6 reps till failure.
January 11th, 2009 at 3:05 am
Honest Truth About Abs
Benching will put a lot of work into your pecs, period. Narrower grip works the middle of your chest, while wider will work the outer parts of your pecs. Shoulders come into it no matter what you do, but I’d actually think that a wider grip does more shoulders.
If you want to target your chest with more exercises, try doing flies, or incline / decline benchpress.
If you worry about hurting your shoulders, do lighter weight with more reps, or do slow, concentrated pushups.
January 11th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
Combat Core Strength
First of all, having a shoulder width grip while on the bench press is barely a chest work out at all. If anything it’s more like a tricep workout. When you grab the bar, grab it so that the angle of your elbow, (from your forearm to your bicep) is at a 90 degree. When you grab the bar with your hands close together it works the tricep, wider works more of the chest and isolates it.
January 13th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Honest Truth About Abs
yes, your triceps, biceps, shoulders and pectorals all work at different intensities depending on the grip you take. The wider the grip, the more you will work on your chest and triceps, the narrower the grip the more you will work your shoulders.
At shoulder length you will work out at even intensities, however your pectorals will grow more in the higher area (the part closer to your joints), which is not what will make them more visible.
In order to work out the lower part of the pectoral you will have to use a grip wider than the shoulder. Narrower than the shoulder is the shoulders, and the shoulders is aprox. 50% 50%
Good Luck
January 16th, 2009 at 12:06 am
Weightloss – A different approach
A wide grip would mostly engage your shoulders not chest. Believe it or not the best exercises you can do to build your pecs are good old fashion push ups and bar dips. Isolating your pecs is not really possible, you will always be using your arms, shoulders, abs, etc… You could try dumbbells for presses or kettelebells if you have access to them. Keep it simple.
January 17th, 2009 at 8:04 pm
An Ultra-brief & Ultra-intense Workout
Stuntman is right 90 degrees is preferrable….the key is to arch your back as if you are trying to pinch your shoulder blades together…bar should be at about ****** level and do not lower it all the way down nor lock out at top…and do not do it too fast…proper form is key.