Close Grip vs. Wide Grip Bench Press
June 13, 2008 by Jean-Luc Boissonneault
When looking at the bench press it’s important to consider the mechanics of the movement. I would say that over 90% of the time, people come into the center and have bad exercise mechanics. At Free Form Fitness we are kind of crazy about having good form because we know that a slight change in the angles and you can lift that much more weight. As we look at the bench press there are many other factors involved like the legs, rib cage positioning, breathing, grip, head, scapula positioning, pre stretching and mentality. But here I will talk about the shoulder and elbow angles for the wide vs narrow.
If we look at a view from the top of the head:
In the wide grip a1) the bar height is lower (3-5”) then the close grip b1) so there is automatically a decrease in the amount of distance the bar must travel. Which means someone using a wide grip would be at an advantage for lifting more weight than someone using a close grip.
If we take a look at when the weight is lowered to the chest, the wide grip has almost a 90 degree angle in the elbow joint which means that most of the strength is coming from the shoulder and chest.
In the close grip you will notice that the bar travels a longer distance, so lift as much weight. The upside is you will be using more muscle to get it up, so that would end up in more complete muscle stimulation.
At the bottom of the close grip bench press, notice that the elbows are almost completely flexed which tells you it’s a triceps dominant movement.
The more a joint flexes the more that joint will be involved. The more you limit the range of motion the stronger that movement becomes
Conclusion: if you your goal is to lift more weight, go wide. If you want to stimulate more muscles at once, go narrow. If your shoulders are prone to injury, go narrow and if your elbows are prone to injury, go wide.
If you want to be strong and have great overall muscle do both, it’s essential.
By Jean-Luc Boissonneault
