How many sets of wide-grip bench press should an intermediate lifter add per week?

Two to three sets of 6 to 10 reps, once or twice a week as a chest-focused variation alongside your main bench work, is a reasonable dose to start. Add weight only as long as the shoulders stay comfortable through the bottom position; back the grip in slightly rather than pushing through shoulder pinching.

What can you use instead of a barbell for a wide-grip bench press effect?

A pair of dumbbells pressed with a slightly wider-than-normal elbow flare gives a similar chest emphasis while letting each shoulder find its own comfortable angle. A wide-grip push-up with the hands well outside shoulder width is a bodyweight option that trains the same wider pressing arc.

When does the wide-grip bench press make sense, and when should you avoid it?

It suits lifters who feel their triceps take over on a standard bench and want more chest emphasis through a shorter range of motion. Avoid it, or narrow the grip, if you have any history of shoulder impingement or pain at the bottom of a normal bench, since the wider grip asks more of the front of the shoulder exactly where that pain tends to show up.

Intermediate

Wide-Grip Bench Press

Taking a wider grip increases the horizontal distance the arms travel and puts more of the load on the chest while reducing triceps involvement. The shorter range can let you handle solid weight, but it also places more stress on the shoulders, so keep the grip sensible. It is a useful chest-emphasis variation for lifters who feel their triceps take over on a standard bench.

Equipment: Barbell, Bench
Body part: Chest
Type: Strength
Browse by muscle: Pectoralis Major Sternocostal
Browse by movement: Horizontal Press

How to do it

1
Grip the bar noticeably wider than shoulder width, staying inside the ring markings.
2
Set your shoulder blades back and down and plant your feet.
3
Unrack and hold the bar over the upper chest.
4
Lower the bar to the lower chest with elbows flaring moderately.
5
Press up and slightly back, driving through the pecs to lockout.
6
Keep the wrists stacked over the elbows throughout.

Tips

Do not go so wide that the shoulders feel pinched at the bottom.
Think about squeezing the bar inward to fire the chest.
Keep a slight tuck of the elbows to protect the shoulder joint.

Variations

Common mistakes

The hands land at slightly different distances from the center knurl on each side, so the wide grip ends up uneven and the bar tips slightly with every rep.
Carrying over the same working weight from a shoulder-width bench to the wide grip can hide extra load being absorbed by the shoulders instead of the chest.
Once the bar is a few inches from lockout, the shorter arm path already feels heavy, so the last part of the rep quietly gets called finished early.
The shorter distance to the chest tempts a small bounce off the bottom that would be less noticeable on a standard-width bench, turning the lift into a bouncy version of itself.
The wrists roll back behind the bar with the wider hand spacing, adding strain to the wrist instead of keeping the load stacked over a solid joint.

Frequently asked

How many sets of wide-grip bench press should an intermediate lifter add per week?: Two to three sets of 6 to 10 reps, once or twice a week as a chest-focused variation alongside your main bench work, is a reasonable dose to start. Add weight only as long as the shoulders stay comfortable through the bottom position; back the grip in slightly rather than pushing through shoulder pinching.
What can you use instead of a barbell for a wide-grip bench press effect?: A pair of dumbbells pressed with a slightly wider-than-normal elbow flare gives a similar chest emphasis while letting each shoulder find its own comfortable angle. A wide-grip push-up with the hands well outside shoulder width is a bodyweight option that trains the same wider pressing arc.
When does the wide-grip bench press make sense, and when should you avoid it?: It suits lifters who feel their triceps take over on a standard bench and want more chest emphasis through a shorter range of motion. Avoid it, or narrow the grip, if you have any history of shoulder impingement or pain at the bottom of a normal bench, since the wider grip asks more of the front of the shoulder exactly where that pain tends to show up.

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