Incline Bench Grip Width

[Tom Treutlein]

Where do you guys grip the bar when incline benching on an olympic bar? I have it so my pink it on those smooth outer rings.

 

[Buddy_Christ]

i think it's all gonna depend on the width of the shoulders of the person you're asking. your hands should be shoulder width apart, and if your shoulders are wider than mine, my hands are gonna be in a different place than yours.

 

[HodgeMN]

I have my hands just inside the power rings.

 

[Tom Treutlein]

That grip for me is definitely wider than shoulder. I do this in hopes that I will target the chest more.

 

[needsize]

8-10"

 

[Tom Treutlein]

Kind of a close grip Needsize. What do you do for closegrip bench then?

Don't you feel a wider grip would target the chest more?

 

[b fold the truth]

I incline bench with pinkies on the power ring.

I think that people took it all wrong when they heard years ago "bench with a shoulder width grip". I do believe that they mean that you should bring your elbows down till they are parallel to the floor and make a direct 90 degree angle from your wrist to your shoulder...and that is where you should grip the bar at.

Does that make sense?

B True

 

[Tom Treutlein]

Kind of, haha. B, do you feel that a wider grip will help to hit the pecs more?

 

[b fold the truth]

Kind of, haha. B, do you feel that a wider grip will help to hit the pecs more?

I think that it is safer and more efficient. Inclines are about my only chest type of exercise that I do during the week. I do flats with closer grips and accomodating resistance to overload my triceps...so inclines hit my pecs some.

I have a pretty wide shoulder width too...

It takes time and lots of work to find what works for YOU.

B True

 

[WalkingBeast]

I think that it is safer and more efficient. Inclines are about my only chest type of exercise that I do during the week. I do flats with closer grips and accomodating resistance to overload my triceps...so inclines hit my pecs some.

I have a pretty wide shoulder width too...

It takes time and lots of work to find what works for YOU.

B True

I agree. Definately varies from person to person. I always grip the bar wider then shoulder width, for both and incline and flat bench (same grip). My index fingers go on the second ring out from the middle. Not sure if its the outermost set of rings or not. May be. Its a pretty wide grip, and definately was a big switch from the closer grip I used years ago. Gets my chest real sore though, and my strength has gotten good with this grip now. Id say experiment until you find what feels right.

 

[needsize]

my bad, I thought we were talking about close grip

 

[Buddy_Christ]

I incline bench with pinkies on the power ring.

I think that people took it all wrong when they heard years ago "bench with a shoulder width grip". I do believe that they mean that you should bring your elbows down till they are parallel to the floor and make a direct 90 degree angle from your wrist to your shoulder...and that is where you should grip the bar at.

Does that make sense?

B True

that's how i do it. my elbows are tucked in also. to do that my hands start off at shoulder width.

 

[collegiateLifter]

I think that people took it all wrong when they heard years ago "bench with a shoulder width grip". I do believe that they mean that you should bring your elbows down till they are parallel to the floor and make a direct 90 degree angle from your wrist to your shoulder...and that is where you should grip the bar at.

that sounds about right. For me that is a real wide grip, but anything less and i get this uncomfortable popping and clicking in my shoulder joint.