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Barbell Wide Bench Press
A flat bench press with a grip near the rings that shortens the range of motion and increases pec demand, common among powerlifters chasing leverage and lifters targeting the chest over the triceps.
ChestBarbellHorizontal press
GoLightWeight mediabarbell-wide-bench-press
Demonstration coming soon
Primary
Pectoralis major
Secondary
Anterior deltoidsTricepsUpper back
Equipment
Barbell
Pattern
Horizontal press
Setup
- 01Lie on a flat bench with eyes just behind the bar.
- 02Grip the bar wide, with index or middle fingers on the rings.
- 03Squeeze the shoulder blades hard; upper-back tightness matters more as the grip widens.
- 04Set a moderate arch and plant the feet.
Execution
- 01Unrack and settle the bar over the shoulders.
- 02Lower under control to the mid or lower chest.
- 03Keep the elbows from flaring past roughly 75 degrees from the torso.
- 04Press up and slightly back to lockout.
Checkpoints
- -Wrists stay stacked over the elbows at the touch.
- -Shoulder blades stay pinned despite the wider stretch.
- -The touch is controlled; the short range invites bouncing.
- -Forearms are near vertical at the bottom when viewed from the front.
Common mistakes
- -Flaring the elbows fully out and straining the shoulders.
- -Bouncing the bar because the range feels short.
- -Jumping straight to a maximal grip width instead of widening gradually.
- -Losing upper-back tightness at the touch.
Programming notes
- -Use 3 to 5 sets of 4 to 8 reps as a strength variation or 8 to 12 for chest hypertrophy.
- -Widen the grip one finger-width at a time across sessions.
- -Pause reps counter the short range and build control off the chest.
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