Whether you’re a novice to weight training or you consider yourself an old time pro who’s been throwing weights around the gym since dinosaurs roamed the earth, most individuals know that the bench press is one of the most beneficial exercises to develop your chest musculature. There are many variations to this exercise, in which you can utilise body weight in the form of press-ups or an external resistance through machines, dumbbells and barbells.

To further add variation to the bench press exercise, an individual can also alter the angle of their chest against the resistance they are about to move. In more simple terms, this can be achieved by placing yourself on a flat, inclined or declined bench. The position chosen will ultimately determine which section of the pectoral muscle fibres are specifically targeted and utilised throughout to move the resistance.

Varying Your Grip

So far, this article has introduced variation to the traditional bench press exercise by altering two potential variables; the type of resistance and the body positioning of the individual performing the exercise. There is one further variable which has a huge effect on muscle recruitment during the exercise and that variable is grip positioning.

Funnily enough, it is grip positioning out of all of the variables which appears to cause the most confusion. On speaking with individuals at the gym, when it comes to placing their hands on the bar, it is apparent that the majority of individuals either guess or opt for comfort and completely ignore any biological explanations. Consequently, this article will contemplate the differences created through simply altering your grip positioning whilst performing the bench press, therefore allowing you to make an informed decision next time you choose to undertake this particular exercise.