Bench hand placement [Forum Archive]

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Bench hand placement

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Posted by: Rocco32

For optimal gains in Chest, where do you place your hands? I go out wider to reduce tri's and shoulders some. But I wonder if it's to wide.

Posted by: plouffe

For optimum gains, change your hand position.

Change your grip, either wide to close, or close to wide - as your sets increase, know what im saying? Hit the chest from differnet angles man, and it'll jump.

Posted by: Triple Threat

As you go wider, you bring the delts into play. As you go narrower, the triceps are hit more.

Posted by: gopro

Quote:

Originally posted by plouffe
For optimum gains, change your hand position.

Change your grip, either wide to close, or close to wide - as your sets increase, know what im saying? Hit the chest from differnet angles man, and it'll jump.

Good advice.

And remember the biggest secret to hitting the chest during bench (or any other pec movement) is to set up the rib cage high, with shoulders down, blades together and shrugged downward.

Posted by: Rocco32

Thanks guy's! Gopro- when you set your rib cage high, do you curve your back some to do it?

Posted by: Rocco32

I'll try the different grips!

Posted by: gopro

Quote:

Originally posted by rock4832
Thanks guy's! Gopro- when you set your rib cage high, do you curve your back some to do it?

Yes, slight arch in the lower back.

Posted by: Rocco32

Great, thanks Gopro!

Posted by: BabsieGirl

One other secret....

If you find yourself getting stuck....(on the way up)....................push your feet to the floor and lift your hips........

Okay...who's going to jump me for saying this?

Posted by: gopro

Quote:

Originally posted by BabsieGirl
One other secret....

If you find yourself getting stuck....(on the way up)....................push your feet to the floor and lift your hips........

Okay...who's going to jump me for saying this?

ME! Well, I'd jump you anyway, but you should not do this...always have a spotter for the bench press, stay in form, and let him/her help.

Posted by: Rocco32

Ok, I'll jump you too. Just to jump you though!

Posted by: Alaric

gopro, you say don't use your legs when doing bench press, or don't raise your hips?

Cause I was reading the article on this site "How to do the Perfect Bench Press Rep" and it said that your legs should be at an 80 degree angle so that you can use them, to drive the weight up:
http://www.ironmagazine.com/article63.html

Posted by: BabsieGirl

Quote:

Originally posted by gopro
ME! Well, I'd jump you anyway, but you should not do this...always have a spotter for the bench press, stay in form, and let him/her help.

Jump me?.....Think you're man enough????

I ONLY do that on my last rep IF I ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO.............while doing the bench press I have my legs pretty wide, glutes TIGHT, slight arch in SMALL of my back, shoulders tucked, heels grinding the floor........

What do you make of this?

Posted by: BabsieGirl

Quote:

Originally posted by rock4832
Ok, I'll jump you too. Just to jump you though!

........you'd like that huh?

Posted by: Rocco32

Quote:

Originally posted by BabsieGirl
........you'd like that huh?

What gives you that idea Babs?

Posted by: BabsieGirl

Quote:

Originally posted by Alaric
gopro, you say don't use your legs when doing bench press, or don't raise your hips?

Cause I was reading the article on this site "How to do the Perfect Bench Press Rep" and it said that your legs should be at an 80 degree angle so that you can use them, to drive the weight up:
http://www.ironmagazine.com/article63.html

A lot of people cross their legs and tuck them under the bench......IMO...I find it irritating

Posted by: BabsieGirl

Quote:

Originally posted by rock4832
What gives you that idea Babs?

um....just something a little birdie told me

Posted by: Rocco32

Quote:

Originally posted by BabsieGirl
A lot of people cross their legs and tuck them under the bench......IMO...I find it irritating

I tried that once and really did not like it!

Posted by: Rocco32

Quote:

Originally posted by BabsieGirl
um....just something a little birdie told me

You can usually trust birds!

Posted by: BabsieGirl

Quote:

Originally posted by rock4832
I tried that once and really did not like it!

I know.....me neither

Posted by: Dale Mabry

Quote:

your supposed to drive your feet into the floor, but you can't let your ass come off the bench. Actually, if you do it right, you will drive your ass INTO the bench.

Posted by: Mudge

I use a grip that doesn't hurt, that is my main focus.

I put my middle finger on the 'ring' line of the bar (olympic), this seems to be the best every time. I will go narrower by a finger now and again, but if I go wider my shoulders start to bitch.

I will place my shins somewhat under my knees, meaning back. I actually think my bench form is pretty effective at this point, at least for me, no pain and I can bench heavy as much as I want.

Posted by: Rocco32

I go a bit wider than that mudge. more narrow seems to hurt my elbows, but I plan to bring it in a bit more. Will a narrower grip cause me to lower poundage?

Posted by: JerseyDevil

My basic grip is my middle finger just inside the ring. But as some others said, I'll vary the spacing. If I go too wide, I can't press as much, and also when the spacing is too narrow. On triceps day, I love doing CG bench presses, as these do stress the triceps hard.

Posted by: Arthur2004

y not lift hips?? well... i only do this for power week on gopros routibne..for reprange i dont even use my feet..

Posted by: gopro

Quote:

Originally posted by BabsieGirl

Jump me?.....Think you're man enough????

MORE than man enough darling!

Ok, your form sounds good...and as long as you only lift on the last rep if totally necessary!

Posted by: Mudge

Quote:

Originally posted by rock4832
I go a bit wider than that mudge. more narrow seems to hurt my elbows, but I plan to bring it in a bit more. Will a narrower grip cause me to lower poundage?

Wider I can lift a tad more, but again the shoulder problems. If you go low on the chest I dont have elbow problems, but everyone is different. I am 6'2" and I honestly forget my reach but its around 6 foot even, I will have to check later. Once in awhile I go in a finger closer, very rarely will I bother going wider any longer.

If I go narrower it becomes more triceps oriented.

Posted by: Rocco32

Cool guys, can't wait till next bench day to try some new grips.

Posted by: Marble

dont know if this was said because i dont feel like reading every one but obviously the narrower you go, the more it hits the triceps and inner chest, the wider you go the more it hits your outer chest and shoulders, if you go too wide though its really hard to keep under control, which could result in injury

Posted by: Mudge

With fingers outstretched my reach is 80" so my arms aren't exactly short.

Posted by: BigKid1212

depends how tall you are too, taller people should go wider, you dont want to be tall and have long arms and a small back and chest HOLD IT WIDEEEEEEEE!!!

Posted by: Deeznuts

By going wider you also have a smaller range of motion to complete. In competition I stretch my thumbs from the ring of the olympic bar and then grip where my thumbs end. This seems to work best for me, but i'm sure handling differs from lifter to lifter.

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