Bench press grip width

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mpg9999

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I just finished up another Bill Star 5x5 routine, so I decided to max out on the bench press and squat today (I'll deadlift Friday). The last time I did this was in may, and I benched 215 and squated 285. Today I was able to bench 225, up 10 pounds. I squated 315, which is up 30 pounds. I was really hoping to hit 230 on bench press. 10 pounds just doesn't seem like much of a gain. I think my form is pretty good. I keep my shoulder blades tucked down and flat, good arch, butt stays on the bench, and I tuck my elbows in. I'm wondering how my grip width effects my bench. I pretty much always grip the bar with my pinky finger on the groove.
 
I believe that's a fairly narrow grip.

I bench with the rings between my index and middle fingers.
 
I use a pretty narrow grip as well.

There is no right or wrong way to do it unless, of course, your hands are out further than the legal distance in the meet you're doing.
 
Bench maxes also depend on what kind of day you're having. I find that makes the biggest difference on bench press.

But anyway, the ideal grip depends on the person. If you have a low sticking point, narrower grip might be best, while if you fail at lockout then a wider grip would help. Personally I go for a narrower grip.
 
I was thought that your middle finger should be on the stripe. It works for me, but I guess it depends how long your arms are.
 
I think the best way is for you to experiment with a couple different grips, each for a couple workout sessions in a row, to get an idea of how they affect your pressing strength.
 
It all depends. Most people will wind up with anywhere from index finger on the ring to pinky on the ring. Wider = less ROM, so if you're trying to bench as much as possible trying to go a little wider for awhile might help.
 
For training, vary your grip every so often. Depending on the movement/day/set I can have any of my fingers in the groove. Training all of them is a good idea. My most common grip is middle finger in the ring.

For testing and competition, use the widest grip you've trained with. My competition grip is pointer(index?) finger in the ring.
 
It's best to vary your grip during training. But for your max day, you need to use the grip that works best for you.

You are making good progress. Don't be discouraged that you didn't make 230.
 
I disagree with varying your grip every so often. I do agree that you should experiment and find what feels best - but once you find it, stick to it.
 
Well, it doesnt make sense to constantly change it up every week, but once you've found your groove, varying the grip between cycles would seem to be great to avoid stagnation.
 
But that's the whole point: Bench press, more than the other big three, is an incredibly groove-specific lift. And changing grip width WILL change your groove, taking away muscle memory and efficiency/efficacy of your old groove.

I'm not sure where this idea of needing to vary your grip caught on, but as the saying goes, "jack of all trades, master of none."
 
I've read that the strongest grip is one where ur forearm stays vertical to the ground. Or just perpendicular to the ground the whole time. Supposedly it takes some energy to have to stabilize in another position.

But, there is no one thing that applies to everyone.
 
Cuban Moses said:
I've read that the strongest grip is one where ur forearm stays vertical to the ground. Or just perpendicular to the ground the whole time. Supposedly it takes some energy to have to stabilize in another position.

But, there is no one thing that applies to everyone.
Click to expand...

The forearms should be perpendicular to the ground at the bottom of the movement, yes.
 
Ascendant said:
But that's the whole point: Bench press, more than the other big three, is an incredibly groove-specific lift. And changing grip width WILL change your groove, taking away muscle memory and efficiency/efficacy of your old groove.

I'm not sure where this idea of needing to vary your grip caught on, but as the saying goes, "jack of all trades, master of none."
Click to expand...

I should have been more specific when I made that post. My raw flat bench is ALWAYS trained with the same grip. My shirted bench is always trained with the the same grip. My close grip bench is trained with the same grip. My 3 board and floor press are always trained with the same grip.

However, flat, shirt, board and floor presses are not the same grips. Does that make more sense?

My raw flat bench grip is middle finger in ring. My shirted flat bench is pointer(index?) finger in ring. Board and floor press use pinky finger in ring. Close grip is about 2 inches inside the rings on either side.

When I do floor and board press, I am trying to hit my triceps so I move my hands in a bit. The board and or floor fuck up the groove somewhat already so I don't think its much of big deal.

Your thoughts?
 
I only vary grip usually if the ME exercise for that day is completely different (ie: Close grip bench or Illegal Wides), otherwise I keep my grip the same (pinky finger on ring) for benching, floor pressing, and board pressing.

It's highly individual I believe as everything else. I tried doing DE work with different grips and also ME work with different grips and it completely threw my groove off. I did some Sheiko for awhile, drilled my technique a ton, and ended up getting my groove a ton more consistent.

If you can change up grips and still drill your groove often, then I don't see why it would be bad.
 
Train both wide and close grip in order to balance out your planes of movement.

Close grip - Sagittal plane

Wide grip - Transverse plane
 
too close and you could develop a tricep injury.....just like i did....even though a closer grip is way more comfortable for me.
 
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