Grip Width Q

[Lamont Burns]

Been deadlifting, flat bench and OH pressing with barbells for a bit now and I'm curious as to the grip width on these... I watch videos and most are from the side not showing the front of the bar.

Are most of these recommended at shoulder width? I have been wider than shoulder on flat bench, about shoulder on deadlift, and slightly wider than shoulder on OH press.

I'm not looking to hit a certain spot more than another with width, just standard grips for standard strength on a guy needing basic strength.

For reference my lifts are(lbs):
Deadlift 185
Flat Bench 100
OH press 65

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: Lamont Burns
Been deadlifting, flat bench and OH pressing with barbells for a bit now and I'm curious as to the grip width on these... I watch videos and most are from the side not showing the front of the bar.

Are most of these recommended at shoulder width? I have been wider than shoulder on flat bench, about shoulder on deadlift, and slightly wider than shoulder on OH press.

I'm not looking to hit a certain spot more than another with width, just standard grips for standard strength on a guy needing basic strength.

For reference my lifts are(lbs):
Deadlift 185
Flat Bench 100
OH press 65

DL: as wide as you feel comfortable. If you go wide like 3-4inches from the collars it works a different range and is AWESOME to do!

It's good to mix up the width of your grip every so often

Bench press: Wider = more focus on pecs then your triceps
Bench press: Closer = more focus on triceps then pecs

OH Press: whatever you want. It's down to personal preference

If you look at the bar (if it's a non sh!t bar) it'll have 'small circles' on it and most people have their pinky inside of these small circles.

Koing

 

[BeauJangles]

Here's what I do on my lifts:
deadlift -- hands just outside my legs by maybe an inch. On the bars at my gym this translate to right where the knurled part begins.
bench press -- on the wider side, where the un-knurled ring is. Usually my pinkie goes over that.
OH press -- hands just outside my shoulders, so that when I rack the bar my hands are not trapped between the bar and my shoulder.

 

[brikis98]

For general strength training, the grips you want are:

Deadlift: as narrow as possible so that your hands and arms can still clear your knees & thighs on the way up. Hands closer together gives you a small mechanical advantage in not having as long of a distance to lift the weight. However, make sure not to overdo it so you aren't scraping your arms against your legs.

Bench press: your pinkies on each hand should end up an inch or two inside the markings on an olympic bar. The goal is to have your forearms end up completely vertical (as seen from the side and from behind) at the bottom position of the bench press (when the bar is in contact with your chest).

Overhead Press: just outside shoulder width.

Note that all of these apply to a person of average size and proportions. If you have really long arms or really broad shoulders or something else well out of the norm, you'll have to tweak these. Also, all of this described nicely in Starting Strength and the Starting Strength Wiki.

 

[Lamont Burns]

Thanks for the tips guys, this will serve me and my buddy well.

 

[katank]

I have a related question about clean grip. How wide should the grip be?

I'm using roughly shoulder width grip but can't seem to get my elbows up as it feels like I'm trying to shove the bar through my neck.

Issue with wrist flexibility? If so, what would you recommend to fix it?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: katank
I have a related question about clean grip. How wide should the grip be?

I'm using roughly shoulder width grip but can't seem to get my elbows up as it feels like I'm trying to shove the bar through my neck.

Issue with wrist flexibility? If so, what would you recommend to fix it?

Same grip width as a deadlift with a hook grip is best for cleans. That sounds like elbow/wrist inflexibility. Solution? Find a barbell, keep your elbows up as high as you can and let the BB stretch both out. I believe Starting Strength also has a guide on how to stretch this as well. I can't remember it off hand though.

 

[spamsk8r]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: katank
I have a related question about clean grip. How wide should the grip be?

I'm using roughly shoulder width grip but can't seem to get my elbows up as it feels like I'm trying to shove the bar through my neck.

Issue with wrist flexibility? If so, what would you recommend to fix it?

Same grip width as a deadlift with a hook grip is best for cleans. That sounds like elbow/wrist inflexibility. Solution? Find a barbell, keep your elbows up as high as you can and let the BB stretch both out. I believe Starting Strength also has a guide on how to stretch this as well. I can't remember it off hand though.

Wrist inflexibility shouldn't be an issue if the bar is correctly racked, since you're only holding onto it with the tips of your fingers, and your wrist only needs to be at about 90 degrees. The problem most people have in getting their elbows up is the discomfort of jamming the barbell into their neck, which is something you just have to do to get comfortable with. It *should* feel like shoving the bar through the neck.

Check out this video for some good information about this: http://vimeo.com/2859165