Bench Press Position & Grip Position?

[sandman383]

Hello

My question has to do with Bench pressing.
Personally my favorite is at the decline, I really seem to feel it.

You know I just read in here somewhere, last night, someone said a good combination to working you chest was to concentrate on you Upper Chest and your Lower Chest and the rest will fill in! It was something like that? Sounds good?

Now as I understand bench settings:

INCLINE = Upper Chest
FLAT = Mid Chest
DECLINE = Lower Chest

However if you add in hand position, your combination's on this could go something like:

BARBELL INCLINE BENCH PRESS - Wide Grip
BARBELL INCLINE BENCH PRESS - Normal
BARBELL INCLINE BENCH PRESS - Narrow Grip

BARBELL BENCH PRESS - Wide Grip
BARBELL BENCH PRESS - Normal
BARBELL BENCH PRESS - Narrow Grip

BARBELL DECLINE BENCH PRESS - Wide Grip
BARBELL DECLINE BENCH PRESS - Normal
BARBELL DECLINE BENCH PRESS - Narrow Grip

Now where or how does your grip position come into play or what chest area does it work on?

Thank you everyone!

[Hengman]

Hello

My question has to do with Bench pressing.
Personally my favorite is at the decline, I really seem to feel it.

You know I just read in here somewhere, last night, someone said a good combination to working you chest was to concentrate on you Upper Chest and your Lower Chest and the rest will fill in! It was something like that? Sounds good?

Now as I understand bench settings:

INCLINE = Upper Chest
FLAT = Mid Chest
DECLINE = Lower Chest

However if you add in hand position, your combination's on this could go something like:

BARBELL INCLINE BENCH PRESS - Wide Grip
BARBELL INCLINE BENCH PRESS - Normal
BARBELL INCLINE BENCH PRESS - Narrow Grip

BARBELL BENCH PRESS - Wide Grip
BARBELL BENCH PRESS - Normal
BARBELL BENCH PRESS - Narrow Grip

BARBELL DECLINE BENCH PRESS - Wide Grip
BARBELL DECLINE BENCH PRESS - Normal
BARBELL DECLINE BENCH PRESS - Narrow Grip

Now where or how does your grip position come into play or what chest area does it work on?

Thank you everyone!

Anything narrow is more triceps emphasis. Wide grip, at least for me, is mainly chest with some shoulders.

I just stick to a medium-narrow grip. My middle finger is always on the ring. More comfortable to me, imo.

[TheGr8S1]

The most active portion of the triceps was the long head, which is even more active with a narrow grip. This is true even when overhead pressing, assuming the elbows are fully adducted. This is secondary to the greater degree of elbow flexion, in which the triceps brachii functions as the agonist.

The anterior deltoid will be more active the more the trunk is inclined, as well as being more active with a wider grip. This is due to the fact that the anterior deltoid is not merely an flexor of the humerus, but also an abductor of it. Wide hand spacing during a vertical press will cause mainly glenohumeral abduction, whereas with a narrow grip the primary movement is flexion.

The sternocostal head of the pectoralis major is little affected by hand spacing, but is directly affected by trunk inclination. The greater the inclination, the less the activation. There is also a slightly greater activation of this muscle with a wider hand spacing, due, in general, to the fact that with a wider grip, the elbows tend to move away from the midline of the body, which increases the degree of horizontal flexion of the humerus.

The clavicular head of the pectoralis major is affected by both hand spacing as well as trunk inclination. The narrower the grip, the greater the activation, as well as the greater the inclination, the greater the activation. There are several factors for this, including the fact that vertical bar displacement is greatest during an incline press. This is also due to the fact that the clavicular head is involved in horizontal flexion and adduction in addition to pure flexion. The clavicular head will maintain its function as a flexor of the glenohumeral joint until humerus moves above the horizontal position. This is why it is rather inactive when the torso is vertical, as little flexion is occurring.

The latissimus dorsi is highly active at the initiation of the concentric phase, with greater activity the closer the elbows are maintained to the torso, due to the degree of adduction required. The latissimus dorsai is an extensor at the glenohumeral joint as well as being a humeral adductor, which explains its activity during every type of pressing.

http://www.midwestbarbell.com/articles/bench.htm

[sandman383]

Thank you both for the info.

At times I have been going with a narrow grip, I'll defiantly go wide in the grip.

I mean my triceps get skull-crunchers and bench dips. I really want to work on my chest area when I'm bench pressing.

Again thank you.

[400Lb Gorilla]

Thank you both for the info.

At times I have been going with a narrow grip, I'll defiantly go wide in the grip.

I mean my triceps get skull-crunchers and bench dips. I really want to work on my chest area when I'm bench pressing.

Again thank you.

dont go too wide brah or you will f**k the shoulders. i dont know about others here but i tend to go a little outside the shoulders. index finger on the ring

[sandman383]

Thanks for the warning!
I'll go just a "little" wide!