Choosing Your Bench Grip
Moving your hands two inches to the left or right can completely change your bench press and what muscles are being targeted. Here's a quick refresher along with the disadvantages to each grip.
Close Grip
- Main Muscle Used: Triceps
- Disadvantage: Overuse can lead to extreme elbow pain.
Middle Grip
- Main Muscle Used: Triceps and Pecs
- Disadvantage: If you only use this grip (as many people do) it can cause deficiencies and a lack of max strength in the pecs and triceps.
Wide Grip
- Main Muscle Used: Pecs
- Disadvantage: Overuse can lead to a pec strain and/or shoulder pain.
In order to build a record-breaking bench you have to incorporate all of these grips. This ensures that there are no deficiencies created.