Wide-Grip Barbell Bench Press

Works the chest.

Primary muscles
Chest
Secondary muscles
Shoulders, Triceps
Equipment
Barbell
Level
Intermediate
Mechanic
Compound
Force
Push

How to do it

  1. Lie back on a flat bench with feet firm on the floor. Using a wide, pronated (palms forward) grip that is around 3 inches away from shoulder width (for each hand), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. The bar will be perpendicular to the torso and the floor. This will be your starting position.
  2. As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your middle chest.
  3. After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your chest muscles. Lock your arms and squeeze your chest in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up.
  4. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.

Track it

Log every set in Pensum. It keeps your best sets and estimates your one-rep max as you go. Estimate your 1RM now.

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