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Should you go close-grip or stick with wide?

Here’s how to choose the best bench press grip for you.

Person doing a wide-grip bench press at the gym

What Is a Wide-Grip Bench Press?

With a wide-grip bench press, you’re usually holding the barbell at two times your shoulder width apart.

Wide-Grip Bench Presses Recruit Your Biceps

If you want biceps power, go wide.

Because of the angle you have your arms, the range of motion for the exercise will be smaller.

What Is a Close-Grip Bench Press?

Even though it’s a simple switch, your hand position completely transforms the exercise.

Having strong triceps is beneficial for many reasons, and training them can help push you to newupper-body gains.

Targeting those muscles will make those difficult moments easier, she added.

For Targeting Chest Muscles: Wide-Grip Bench Press

Push-ups getting a bit boring?

Flip over and opt for wide-grip bench presses.

As mentioned, you’ll get a superior chest muscle activation with this move compared to the bodyweight exercise.

Plus, this hand position recruits the chest muscles more than other variations of the chest press.

For Heavier Lifts: Wide-Grip Bench Press

Want to feel like a badass on the bench?

Grab a spotter and bang out some wide-grip bench presses.

So, Which Is Better Wide-Grip vs. Close-Grip Bench Press?

), reminds Verstegen.