Exercise guide · Intermediate · Compound

Barbell Wide Bench Press: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The barbell wide bench press is a compound strength exercise targeting the pectoral muscles, with secondary emphasis on the shoulders and triceps. It requires a barbell and a bench, and involves lowering the barbell to the chest with a wide grip before pressing it back up.

Primary muscles
Chest
Secondary muscles
Triceps , Shoulders
Equipment
Barbell
Level · type
Intermediate · Compound
Demonstration of the barbell wide bench press
Front view: muscles worked by the barbell wide bench press. Primary: chest. Secondary: triceps and shoulders.
Back view: muscles worked by the barbell wide bench press. Primary: chest. Secondary: triceps and shoulders.
Primary Secondary

How to do the barbell wide bench press

  1. Step 1: Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
  2. Step 2: Grasp the barbell with a wide grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Step 3: Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
  4. Step 4: Lower the barbell slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows slightly flared out.
  5. Step 5: Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest, then push it back up to the starting position.
  6. Step 6: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the barbell wide bench press by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Barbell Wide Bench Press alternatives

More exercises that train the chest as their main target:

More chest exercises

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Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.