For most lifters, the best bench press grip width is about 1.3 to 1.5 times your biacromial (shoulder bone) width, measured between the index fingers. For a typical adult that works out to roughly 50 to 65 cm. This medium grip lets you lift about as much as a wide grip while keeping shoulder load moderate.
Going wider than about 1.5 times shoulder width adds stress to the shoulder joint with little strength payoff for most people. Going closer shifts more work to the triceps and usually costs a modest amount of load. The rest of this guide shows you how to find your own number instead of guessing.
Why "Shoulder Width" Is the Wrong Starting Cue
Most bench press grip advice says to start "slightly outside shoulder width." The problem is that people judge shoulder width by their outer shoulders, which includes muscle and soft tissue. Coaches and researchers use biacromial distance instead.
Biacromial distance is the straight-line distance between the acromion processes. These are the bony points you can feel at the top outer edge of each shoulder. It is a skeletal measurement, so it does not change as you add muscle, and it gives you a repeatable baseline.
For reference, biacromial width commonly falls around 36 to 43 cm in adult men and around 33 to 38 cm in adult women, with plenty of individual variation. That variation is the point. Two lifters who "look" the same width can need grips that differ by several centimeters.
What Each Grip Width Does
Research on grip width in the bench press usually expresses grips as multiples of biacromial distance. Here is how the three main options compare.
Close Grip (About 1.0x Biacromial)
- Longer range of motion, because the bar travels farther to reach your chest
- Greater triceps involvement and less shoulder abduction
- Generally the most shoulder-friendly option
- Typically costs a moderate amount of load compared with a medium grip, often in the single digits as a percentage
A true close grip means hands roughly under the shoulders, not touching in the middle of the bar. Grips much narrower than that tend to stress the wrists and elbows without adding useful triceps work.
Medium Grip (About 1.3 to 1.5x Biacromial)
- Strength output comparable to a wide grip for most lifters
- Balanced contribution from the chest, triceps, and front delts
- Moderate shoulder loading
- Forearms usually close to vertical at the bottom, which is efficient for force transfer
This is the default for most lifters who bench for general strength and muscle.
Wide Grip (About 1.7x Biacromial and Beyond)
- Shortest range of motion, which is why competitive powerlifters often favor it
- Highest shoulder joint loading, particularly at the bottom of the press
- Strength advantage over medium grips is small or absent for many lifters
In a review published in the Strength and Conditioning Journal, Green and Comfort (2007) examined the grip width literature and recommended keeping grips under 1.5 times biacromial width to reduce shoulder injury risk. That is a useful ceiling for anyone not competing.
Close Grip vs Wide Grip Bench: Chest or Triceps?
The chest versus triceps question is where a lot of gym advice overstates things. Electromyography studies, including Lehman (2005) in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, have found that changing grip width has a relatively modest effect on overall pectoralis activation. Triceps activity rises more noticeably as the grip narrows.
The practical takeaway:
- If you want more triceps work, a close grip bench is a sound accessory.
- If you want more chest work, a wider grip is not the most efficient way to get it. More total sets, controlled eccentrics, and movements like dumbbell presses or flyes are more dependable.
- If you want to bench the most weight, a medium to moderately wide grip is your best bet.
In other words, grip width is mostly a tool for managing range of motion, shoulder stress, and triceps demand. It is not a switch that turns the chest on or off.
The IPF 81cm Ring Grip Rule
Powerlifting bars have two knurling marks, or rings, spaced 81 cm apart. Under IPF rules, the maximum grip width is 81 cm measured between the forefingers. Your index fingers may cover the rings but cannot go outside them.
For a lifter with a 40 cm biacromial width, 81 cm is just over 2.0 times biacromial. That is well past the 1.5x guideline. So the competition maximum is not a recommendation. It is an upper limit that suits a minority of lifters, usually those with broad frames or long arms.
The rings are useful even if you never compete, because they give you a fixed reference point on almost every barbell.
How to Find Your Bench Press Grip Width in 5 Steps
Here is a concrete process you can finish in one session.
- Measure your biacromial distance. Have a partner find the bony tip of each shoulder and measure straight across your back with a tape. Record it in centimeters.
- Calculate your target range. Multiply by 1.3 and 1.5. A 40 cm biacromial width gives a range of 52 to 60 cm between the index fingers.
- Convert it to the bar. The rings sit 40.5 cm from the center of the bar. Halve your target and subtract from 40.5. For a 60 cm grip, each index finger lands 30 cm from center, which is about 10.5 cm inside each ring.
- Check your forearms. Film a set from the foot of the bench. At the bottom, your forearms should be close to vertical. If your elbows sit well inside your hands, narrow the grip. If they sit well outside, widen it.
- Test two widths over time. Run your current grip and the calculated grip for three to four weeks each at the same rep range. Compare loads at a matched effort, such as RPE 8, rather than how a single heavy set feels.
One caution: published studies do not always measure grip the same way. Some measure between index fingers and others between hand centers. Treat the multiples as a range, not a precise target.
How This Fits Into Your Training Log
Grip changes only prove themselves over weeks of comparable sessions. Kenso's AI Coach can read your bench history, so you can ask the Kenso AI coach how a grip change fits your program before you commit.
Bench Press Grip for Shoulder Pain
If your shoulders complain during the bench press, grip width is one of the first variables worth adjusting. Many lifters find relief with these changes:
- Bring your grip in to about 1.0 to 1.3 times biacromial width.
- Tuck your elbows to roughly 45 to 70 degrees from your torso rather than flaring them to 90.
- Keep your shoulder blades pulled back and down so the upper back stays stable.
- Touch the bar slightly lower on the chest, around the lower sternum.
A narrower grip reduces how far your upper arm moves away from your body, which tends to lower stress at the front of the shoulder. Reduce the load while you adapt, since a close grip changes your bar path and leverage.
These adjustments manage discomfort. They do not replace a diagnosis. Pain that persists, worsens, or shows up outside the gym deserves an assessment from a physiotherapist or sports medicine professional.
Treating Grip Width as a Training Variable
The most useful shift in thinking is to treat grip width as something you set on purpose and keep consistent. A grip that drifts by a finger width from week to week changes your range of motion. That makes your logged numbers harder to compare.
A simple structure works well:
- Main bench: medium grip, with the exact ring-relative position written down
- Close grip bench: one accessory slot per week at about 1.0 times biacromial, logged as a separate exercise
- Wide grip: optional, mainly for powerlifters who have built up to it gradually
Logging close grip and medium grip separately keeps each lift's progression honest. In Kenso, the rule-based progression engine works from what you log. Clean, consistent entries give it cleaner signals about when to add weight.
Conclusion
There is no single perfect bench press grip width, but there is a reliable starting point. Measure your biacromial distance, multiply by 1.3 to 1.5, and find that spot relative to the rings on the bar. Use forearm position and several weeks of consistent training to fine-tune it.
Stay under about 1.5 times shoulder width unless you compete and have a specific reason to go wider. Use a close grip as a deliberate triceps and shoulder-friendly accessory rather than a chest-to-triceps switch. Above all, keep your grip consistent so your progression reflects real strength changes rather than shifting technique.
If you want a clear record of how each grip performs over time, Kenso makes it simple to log every session, compare variations, and build steady progression on the bench press. Download Kenso for iOS and train with intention.
Frequently Asked Questions
How wide should I grip the bench press as a beginner?
Start at about 1.3 to 1.5 times your biacromial width, which is roughly 50 to 65 cm between the index fingers for most adults. Check that your forearms are close to vertical at the bottom, then keep that grip consistent for several weeks before making changes.
Is a close grip or wide grip bench better for chest growth?
Neither grip dramatically changes chest activation. Research suggests grip width has a modest effect on the pecs and a larger effect on the triceps. For chest growth, total weekly volume and exercise selection matter more than grip width.
What is the IPF 81cm ring grip rule?
In IPF powerlifting, the maximum grip is 81 cm measured between the forefingers. Barbells have rings marked 81 cm apart, and your index fingers can touch or cover the rings but cannot be placed outside them.
What bench press grip is best for shoulder pain?
A narrower grip, around 1.0 to 1.3 times biacromial width, combined with tucked elbows and stable shoulder blades, is generally easier on the shoulders. If pain persists, see a qualified healthcare professional.
How do I measure my biacromial distance?
Have a partner locate the bony tip at the top outer edge of each shoulder, called the acromion. They should then measure straight across your upper back between those two points with a tape measure.