hand position on bench

[Young Gotti]

when your benching do you pay attention to hand placement on the bar, like how far apart your hands on....i use the little flat places on each side of the bar and put my pinkies on them...i'm a shorter guy with a shorter wing span but it feels comfortable, i've seen guys with their hands closer together and farther apart...i just wanted some other opinions on the matter

 

[D3vildog]

I use the grips that should be on the bar. my had goes to the very end on each side, and my thumbs stick out onto the bar.. dunno why just feels comfortable to me.

Closer together is more of a Tri work out tho...

 

[Red Dog]

I almost never BB Bench, but whenever I do, I shoot for shoulder-width apart.

Like DD mentioned, the closer your grip gets, the more activated your triceps become in the movement. Also, hand placements that are too wide can place unwanted stress on the shoulders -- resulting in joint pain and/or injury.

 

[AE14]

I place my thumbs, stretched out from the inner ring for flat bb, most comfortable for me. However on incline, I use the outer markers for my pinkies as well

 

[brownstown89]

my grip is inside, put ur pinky on the smooth ring and where ur fist ends on the inside thats where i use to bench alot of shoulders are tri's lucky my pecs respond really well to lil amount of traning so they grow quicky ;p

 

[Mick81]

Is there any difference in hand grip on the bar? Like having a closed grip (thumb around the bar) or no thumb grip (overhand)? I seem to push out more with a thumbless grip

 

[msucurt]

honestly...grip isnt of utmost importance. The face that you need to try and "tuck" your elbows in and then push up.....that places more emphasis on the chest and takes some/most emphasis off the front delts. Takes a while getting used (i still am) , but i think it is worth it.

 

[UKStrength]

I don't barbell bench anymore (prefer DB), but when I used to it was in the position you mentioned (little finger on the flat metal).

 

[lemke28]

I used to place my hands a thumb length from the first ring and now I have changed my grip to middle finger on the far ring. I never used to like a wide grip but now it seems more comfortable.

 

[ShakesAllDay]

I do full-body workouts and not a standard BB split, so I choose a middle of the road grip. I extend my thumbs out so that the tips touch the inner rings. This puts my hands about a hands-width outside the shoulders.

When I did/do splits, I switch it up wide/narrow.