Natural bodybuilder and trainer Jeremy Ethier took to his Instagram account this week to put his finger on the correct bench press grip distance for making optimal gains on the bench press. Here’s what you need to know.
On the surface, the humble bench press seems like a pretty straight forward exercise but as with all things, learning the correct technique will pay dividends. So, faced with a choice of wide grip, (where your hands make the most of the bar’s width), a narrow grip (where your hands are just about more than shoulder ,width apart), or a medium grip (where your hands lie somewhere between the other two positions) Ethier pointed his 1.1 million plus Instagram followers towards the data.
“Here’s what the science says,” shared the super-fit fitness influencer. “With the wide grip, research has shown you can bench about 5 to 10 percent more weight. But, it comes at the cost of less range of motion and chest stretch. Both of which are key to growth. Plus, some research shows it can be riskier for your shoulders.” Okay then, so how about taking the opposite approach and going narrow? “On the other hand, a narrow grip will cause your forearms to bend inwards, recruiting more of your triceps rather than your chest,” explains Ethier. “So, what’s the best grip? Well, it’s somewhere in between.”
How to Find Out Your Bench Press Grip Distance
Jeremy Ethier explains how to find your bench press grip sweet spot:
- Lay on the bench with your arms straight up
- Pull your elbows back until they make a 90-degree angle
- Then, bring elbows towards your sides until the thumbs line up with your lower chest
- The resulting space between your hands will be best grip to grow your chest
With research finding that narrower grips tax the triceps more, and wider grips increasing the risk of shoulder injury, a medium grip as demonstrated by Ethier makes sound sense, and has also been show to be induce hypertrophy and build the chest in much the same way as a wider grip.
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