The barbell bench press is a foundational exercise for building upper body strength, primarily targeting the chest, shoulders, and triceps. The effectiveness and safety of this lift are highly dependent on hand placement on the barbell. Adjusting the distance between your hands, known as grip width, changes the biomechanics of the movement, redistributing the workload among the muscle groups involved.
Finding the correct grip is a technical choice that dictates muscle activation, force production, and injury risk. The optimal position is individualized, and understanding the principles behind grip selection is the first step toward maximizing performance.
Finding Your Optimal Standard Grip
The standard grip is the most effective position for maximizing overall power and safely lifting the heaviest weight. This neutral width is typically defined as the grip that allows the lifter to maintain a vertical forearm angle when the bar touches the chest at the bottom of the movement. This concept is known as “stacked joints,” where the wrist is stacked directly over the elbow, which provides the most efficient leverage for force transfer.
A common method to estimate this optimal width is to use the knurling marks on the barbell. For many people, a standard grip is approximately 1.4 times their biacromial width, which is the distance between the bony prominences of the shoulders. This usually places the hands slightly wider than shoulder-width, though the exact position depends on arm length and individual anatomy.
To find your best position, experiment with your grip until your forearms are perpendicular to the floor at the bottom of the press when viewed from the front and the side. An excessively narrow or wide standard grip will cause the forearms to angle, wasting force and increasing strain on the elbow or shoulder joints. The goal is a balanced position that recruits the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps efficiently.
The Wide Grip (Chest Focus)
A wide grip is defined as any hand position significantly wider than the standard width. This variation is used strategically to increase the activation of the Pectoralis Major muscle, particularly the sternoclavicular head. By widening the grip, the distance the bar must travel to reach the chest is reduced, which allows a lifter to handle heavier loads due to the shortened range of motion.
However, this increased chest focus comes with a trade-off in joint health. A grip that is too wide—often considered greater than 1.5 times the biacromial width—can place the shoulder joint in a vulnerable position. The wider grip increases the torque, or rotational force, on the shoulder joint, raising the risk of injury to the shoulder capsule and rotator cuff. Lifters should avoid excessive width that causes the upper arms to flare out to a 90-degree angle from the torso at the bottom of the press, as this position can lead to shoulder impingement.
The Narrow Grip (Triceps Focus)
The narrow grip places the hands closer together than the standard width, typically at or slightly inside shoulder width. This grip is primarily utilized to shift the workload away from the chest and onto the Triceps Brachii muscles at the back of the upper arm. The reduced distance between the hands increases the range of motion at the elbow joint, forcing the triceps to work harder to extend the arm and lock out the weight.
A narrower grip also increases the involvement of the anterior (front) deltoids. To execute this variation safely, the elbows must be actively kept tucked close to the sides of the body throughout the movement. Allowing the elbows to flare outward with a narrow grip can place excessive, unnatural strain on the wrists and elbows. The bar should be lowered to the lower chest or upper ribcage, rather than the middle of the chest.
Grip Style and Safety Considerations
Beyond the width of the hands, the way the hands physically grasp the bar is critical for stability and safety. The recommended technique is a closed grip, where the thumb is securely wrapped around the bar, opposing the fingers. This thumb-around position acts as a locking mechanism, firmly securing the bar and preventing it from rolling or slipping.
The alternative, known as the thumbless or “suicide” grip, involves placing the thumb on the same side of the bar as the fingers. While some lifters adopt this for comfort, it is inherently dangerous because it removes the safeguard against the bar dropping onto the chest or neck. Regardless of the grip width chosen, the wrists should be kept straight, with the bar resting low in the palm, aligned directly over the forearm bones. This “stacked” wrist position prevents hyperextension and ensures the force from the lift is transferred efficiently through the skeletal structure.