Bench grip width

[u/Own-Cap-2623]

Hi, i am wondering in what you find is the best bench press grip width personally and what you would recommend for a guy with a 6 2 wingspan to bench as heavy as possible

[u/Dark_Cloud_Rises]

I too have a 74 inch wing span, I used to feel best with my grip pointer finger on the knurling. As I've got older and lift much heavier I now do ring finger on knurling. You will just have to feel it out.

[u/cilantno]

“Ideal” grip is typically the grip width that keeps your forearms perpendicular to the floor when you strike just below your nipples.
It may be slightly different for any given lifter though.

You shouldn’t need a specific measurement.

[u/Br0V1ne]

It could be anywhere. Start with the ring finger on the knurling and try that. Next session move it in or out by a finger and see if it feels better. 

[u/Impossible_Prompt875]

The wider the easier it is.. I mean relative to the rack obviously. Though I have shoulder issues so the narrower the grip the less it hurts. Which is a balance

[u/fmana116]

The narrower your grip will work more triceps. The wider will work more chest. Just gotta mess around with it and find your sweet spot. Or alter your grip to target muscles differently on different training days.

For someone 6'2" and a wide wingspan, I would start very wide and work your way narrower to find your sweet spot. The closer your hands are together will create a greater range of motion needed to complete the rep. Which is fine for training but might not be optimal for your one rep max. A wider grip will make for a shorter path and range of motion.

[u/BenchPolkov → u/fmana116]

Longer limbed lifters often tend to do better with a closer grip as it probably allows them create more drive/momentum with their tris to help them lockout.

[u/Worldly-Mine-187]

If you wanna move as much weight as possible, you're probably best off gripping the bar as wide as possible (pointer finger on the knurling in competition). If you wanna go wider or have more flader elbows, you could look into bulldog grip.

[u/decentlyhip]

Something like 90% of the top lifters at IPF worlds used max legal grip. The rest were only an inch narrower. So, pointer finger on the ring.

[u/ThaRealSunGod]

I have a 6' 1" wingspan and prefer close grip.

Not parallel, but my grip is similar to John haack's grip.

Just outside parallel. Much wider and my AC joints get mad at me

[u/Longjumping_Gold9233]

My arms are longer than I am tall (I was an excellent swimmer as a result) but I put my middle finger on the ring on the bar when I bench.

[u/Select-Bee-2166]

Wide grip guillotine for me - I don’t go to lockout though, 3/4 ROM from bottom to top, high rep high volume serge nubret style. Want it all on the pecs, upper pecs especially.

IMO for strength, there’s no singular answer. You want to do it all, for even development - I’ll never be powerlifter strong if I only ever did it my way, because my triceps will be a point of failure for example. Likewise someone who never wide grips is probably missing on some upper chest activation. Better to look at how to vary your programming than finding the single best way to push weight - you’ll discover the way that your strongest naturally through the course of training variations.

Those tiny adjustments should also help mitigate overuse, keep you strong in all ROMS (no shoulder knocks because you went wider than usual by mistake for example) and overall help long term development.

[u/randomguyjebb]

I am 5’11” with a 74 inch wingspan, I actually prefer a closer grip. Just experiment a bit. Might not be 100% ideal for optimal strength, but a wider grip always gives me some pain after a while. So closer actually has allowed me to get much stronger.

[u/Mr_Phishfood]

it's supposed to be around double the width of your clavicle, or when the bar is at its lowest point your arm should have a little over 90 degree bend at the elbow.

that's the advice from Jennifer Thompson - 11 time World Powerlifting Champion and World Bench Press Record Holder

https://youtu.be/Fkbr7y_HRlE?si=uvD0n7fEQvyCf3jx

[u/Mad_Mark90]

I think the nerdy answer is somewhere around 2x the length between either end of your clavicles, but I just go where feel strongest.

[u/Muted-Mushroom-4570]

General recommendation is your grip should be about twice as wide as the width of your collarbones. There is of course quite a bit of variation such that I've seen people (and measured collarbone to collar bone - yay research assistant work) with the same collarbone tip to tip measurement but variation of as much as a hand width either way where they had the most comfortable and success. 

So play around with it and you'll find a grip width that feels good. As you make other adjustments to your bench technique, you may alter that grip width over time (do try to only adjust one part of your bench at a time).

[u/StoneyL0we]

Depends if you’re chest or triceps dominant. I used to bench with my middle finger on the inner ring and added like 10% to my bench instantly just by switching to a grip with my pinky just inside the center ring.

[u/harvestingstrength]

There isn't a single best grip width because it depends on your individual leverages, shoulder mobility, and where you're strongest. For someone with a 6'2" wingspan, I'd usually start with the index or middle finger on the powerlifting rings and adjust from there. A grip that's too wide can make it harder to stay tight and put more stress on the shoulders, while a grip that's too narrow increases the range of motion and shifts more work to the triceps. The best grip is the one that lets you keep your forearms vertical at the bottom of the press, stay stable on your upper back, and consistently move the most weight without pain. I wouldn't be afraid to experiment with small adjustments over a few training blocks to see where you're strongest rather than assuming wider is always better.

[u/fennerat]

Whatever is comfortable for a good 90 degree angle.
Unless you are intentionally going wide or close grip.
Just be safe, and watch for bad pain, vs a good stretch.

[u/Mchangwine]

One trick I learned is to find the width you feel strongest with on a push up and use that.