Wide-Grip Bench

G

gbpackerfan

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OK, I'm pretty sure this isn't true, but I've now heard a couple of times that a wide-grip bench press will work your biceps. I heard it from a football teammate and on a post on this forum, but I'm pretty sure bench should hit your triceps and chest primarily. Please back me up or set me straight.
 
Wide grip bench focuses more on your pecs, but still uses triceps, anterior delts, along with other muscles. No biceps are meant to be used in this movement.
 
Ummmm...that makes a lot of sense...if I space my hands out further then I will suddenly be using my biceps. It's the same movement utilizing the same muscle groups.
 
I dont know about that, it seems like it does use your biceps somewhat because its more of an extension of the arm outward instead of straight up. I'm not sure though using logic terms close grip bench uses tris therefore wide grip uses bis.
 
The bicep does not press, the triceps do. Actually, muscles don't press, they flex or extend. Anyway, the biceps are not used in the bench press regardless of hand width. That would be like saying "depending on how close or far my hands are apart, I'll use more triceps in this deadlift".
 
isent it so that in order to move your arm one muscle has to "drag" on the other muscle on the other side of the joint and then the arm moves? thats just something i came up with out of thinking logically. like when you do biceps curls, the biceps pulls on the underarm muscle causing your elbow to move. well, maybe some muscle pulls on the biceps, like the shoulder or something? :S

i might be wrong, so correct me if i am:)
 
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I don't have time to go into the activation of muscles but I think what you're thinking about is antagonists (ex:triceps are the antagonists of the biceps) or the opposing muscle group.
 
nope, thats not what im going into. the muscle has to pull on something else for a joint to move right? lets say you do a bicep curl, the biceps contracts and pulls on the muscle in the under arm, causing the arm to curl.

the "string" from the biceps goes over the elbow joint and is attached to the muscle in the under arm, that string pulls the underarm and causes the movement.
am i on the right track here or am i out in the bush?

Dont take my word for anything of this, it is just something i think sounds logical.
 
Heh it does make sense that doing wide grip wouldnt help your biceps but I too also saw somewhere where it said it would i tried doing this set twice no soreness or pain from the biceps I dunno why I still thought it did after that :confused:. Is there a compound lift that works the biceps alot?
 
The wider the grip the more the pecs are stressed. The narrower the grip the more the triceps are stressed. Your biceps play a larger role, still not a big on, when yoru grip is at or near shoulder width. Either way it is more of a stabalizer than it is a work force in this lift.
 
Karky said:
nope, thats not what im going into. the muscle has to pull on something else for a joint to move right? lets say you do a bicep curl, the biceps contracts and pulls on the muscle in the under arm, causing the arm to curl.

the "string" from the biceps goes over the elbow joint and is attached to the muscle in the under arm, that string pulls the underarm and causes the movement.
am i on the right track here or am i out in the bush?

Dont take my word for anything of this, it is just something i think sounds logical.
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Yes, the MUs (motor units) fire causing a contraction. The 'string' is the tendon that you're referring to (at least I think that's what you're referring to).
 
you got it ;) so i was thinking if the shoulder muscle might pull on the biceps or if the pecs pull on the biceps or something like that? :S
 
Karky said:
you got it ;) so i was thinking if the shoulder muscle might pull on the biceps or if the pecs pull on the biceps or something like that? :S
Click to expand...
Nope each muscle is connected to the bone through its own tendon.
 
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