How do I know what grip to get for bench press?

Asked by: Gail Jackson

“Your hands should grip the bar about shoulder-width apart to maintain the best position to press the weight up,” says McKenzie. “If your grip is too wide you risk placing too much pressure on your shoulder joints, and going too narrow places a strain on your elbows.

How do I know what grip to get for my bench?

Extend your arms down to your sides with your thumbs facing the sides of your thighs. Extend your thumbs to make contact with the sides of your thighs. Note the distance between the index fingers of your two hands. This distance is your theoretical perfect grip width for the Barbell Bench Press setup.

Which bench grip is best for chest?

The wide grip bench press is useful for maximally engaging the pectoralis major, decreasing the range of motion as much as possible in the bench press, and reducing the overall load needed to complete the repetition.

How wide should my grip be for bench press?

Most powerlifters bench press in a wide grip that’s somewhere between 1.5-2X shoulder-width distance, but your exact grip should be based on your individual body mechanics and personal preferences.

Is wider grip better for bench?

With a wider grip, it’s much easier to keep your shoulders in the correct position as the bar comes down to your chest. This will make your power output better, and improve your bench press development.

Why is my bench press so weak?

If you’re weak off the chest in the bench press it’s either because (1) you have weak contributing muscle groups, namely the pecs, or (2) you have inefficient technique, ranging from an inconsistent touch point, bringing the bar down to slow, lacking a bench press arch, or picking the wrong grip.

How much should a beginner bench press?

Start at the Bottom

Benching more than you’re supposed to can cause injury or even your untimely death, so start light and increase your load slowly. If you’ve never benched before, try lifting about 22 pounds and work on your technique. You can add more weight once you have gained more experience.

Should you be able to bench your weight?

Men tend to be strongest in their twenties and thirties and can increase their bench press weight during this time.
Bench press average by age.

Is close grip bench better for shoulders?

Lifters who experience shoulder discomfort with the traditional press can benefit from using a closer grip. A narrow grip is shown to reduce shoulder strain and help lifters to successfully bench a heavier load. Although the triceps are the primary movers, you are still using the chest and shoulders to some degree.

Should I bench with a wide or narrow grip?

Conclusion. In summary, the wide grip position will emphasise the chest and shoulder muscles whilst placing a significantly greater stress through the shoulder joint, whilst the narrow grip position will place emphasis on the triceps muscles but also place greater stresses through the wrist joint.

Is close grip bench better for chest?

Muscles Worked

The bench press is great for upper body hypertrophy. The wider the grip, the more emphasis on your pecs. The closer grip bench press puts emphasis on your triceps, making it one of the best arm exercises for muscle growth and bigger arms.

Is narrow grip bench harder?

Is a Close Grip Bench Press Harder? The close grip bench press is harder than a standard bench press with a medium to wide grip because it challenges the triceps by de-emphasizing the pec involvement in the press. The narrow grip also increases the range of motion and therefore time under tension as well.

Why are dumbbells harder than bench?

You have to use more stabilizing muscles when you use dumbbells, which decreases your ability to lift the larger weight. The bar for the bench press does not require as many stabilizing muscles, so you can concentrate all of your force on the press.

Is benching harder than chest press?

The machine chest press and the bench press are two popular exercises that both work your chest, front delts, and triceps. The chest press is generally safer and easier to learn, but the bench press has helped more lifters build muscle and reach high levels of strength.

Which bench press is the hardest?

Most people are 20 to 30% stronger in the flat bench press compared to the incline bench press. A study on elite bench press athletes found that they were 21.5% stronger in the flat bench press compared to bench pressing at a 25° incline.

Which is better incline or flat bench?

The flat bench press does a better job of developing your pecs. Many trainers agree that the incline press is safer on your pecs, shoulders, and rotator cuffs. With so many exercises to strengthen your chest, the chest press with either bench will be effective.

How much weight should I chest press?

For example, the average man, in ordinary circumstances, should be able to bench press 90% of his body weight. If you’re relatively fit and already going to the gym, then 1 x your bodyweight should be a good standard.

How much should a 150 lb man bench?

How to Properly Determine The Average Bench Press Weight For Your Body Type

What can the average man bench?

The average American adult man weighs about 199 pounds, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. And the average, untrained 198-pound man bench presses about 135 pounds, according to ExRx.net.

Are Push Ups better than bench press?

While this is not surprising, the research also found that there were no significant differences in strength improvements between the bench press vs the push up groups, suggesting that if loading is relatively similar, strength improvements and EMG muscle activity in the bench press and push-up are comparable.

Is it necessary to touch your chest when benching?

The bottom portion of the bench press is where your pecs are most heavily activated. If you don’t touch the bar to your chest, you’re cheating your pecs out of a lot of good work. Sure, it’s the most difficult portion of the lift. That’s the point.

What happens if I do bench press everyday?

Bench pressing every day could lead to more issues than solutions if we have nagging upper-body injuries, or are just more prone to injury. The added stress from bench pressing every day, could be too much volume and/or frequency for the muscles, joints, and tissues of the upper body.