10 Wide-grip Barbell Bench Press Alternatives for Limited Equipment

The Wide-grip Barbell Bench Press is done lying on your back with a barbell. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Barbell Bench Press, the Barbell Wide Bench Press and the Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip. Four harder versions, among them the Bench Press With Chains and the Bench Press - Powerlifting, are listed below as progressions rather than swaps.

Wide-grip Barbell Bench Press

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the Wide-grip Barbell Bench Press

The steps for the Wide-grip Barbell Bench Press itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Pectorals, with shoulders, triceps · Barbell · Intermediate · Compound

  1. Lie back on a flat bench with feet firm on the floor. Using a wide, pronated (palms forward) grip that is around 3 inches away from shoulder width (for each hand), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. The bar will be perpendicular to the torso and the floor. This will be your starting position.
  2. As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your middle chest.
  3. After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your chest muscles. Lock your arms and squeeze your chest in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up.
  4. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.

The 10 Best Wide-grip Barbell Bench Press Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Wide-grip Barbell Bench Press on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page. Harder versions are tagged as progressions and kept out of the top spot even when they score higher.

Each link re-ranks the list below for the kit it names. Pick one to hide the substitutes you cannot set up.

  1. Barbell Bench PressPlay demonstration

    1. Barbell Bench Press

    99% match

    Pectorals · Intermediate · Compound

    It uses the same equipment and still works the pectorals.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
    2. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
    3. Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
    4. Lower the barbell slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in.
    5. Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest.
    6. Push the barbell back up to the starting position by extending your arms.
    7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: flat horizontal press, the same as the Wide-grip Barbell Bench Press
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Wide-grip Barbell Bench Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Wide-grip Barbell Bench Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Wide-grip Barbell Bench Press
  3. Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip

    3. Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip

    98% match

    Pectorals · Intermediate · Compound

    The same equipment, taken with an overhand grip.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Lie back on a flat bench. Using a medium width grip (a grip that creates a 90-degree angle in the middle of the movement between the forearms and the upper arms), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position.
    2. From the starting position, breathe in and begin coming down slowly until the bar touches your middle chest.
    3. After a brief pause, push the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out. Focus on pushing the bar using your chest muscles. Lock your arms and squeeze your chest in the contracted position at the top of the motion, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: Ideally, lowering the weight should take about twice as long as raising it.
    4. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
    5. When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: flat horizontal press, the same as the Wide-grip Barbell Bench Press
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Wide-grip Barbell Bench Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Wide-grip Barbell Bench Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Wide-grip Barbell Bench Press
  4. Bench Press With Chains

    Progression

    4. Bench Press With Chains

    98% match

    Pectorals · Advanced · Compound

    Pick this when you want a harder version that still works the pectorals.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Adjust the leader chain, shortening it to the desired length.Place the chains on the sleeves of the bar.
    2. Lying on the bench, get your head beyond the bar if possible. Tuck your feet underneath you and arch your back. Using the bar to help support your weight, lift your shoulder off the bench and retract them, squeezing the shoulder blades together. Use your feet to drive your traps into the bench. Maintain this tight body position throughout the movement. However wide your grip, it should cover the ring on the bar.
    3. Pull the bar out of the rack without protracting your shoulders. Focus on squeezing the bar and trying to pull it apart. Lower the bar to your lower chest or upper stomach. The bar, wrist, and elbow should stay in line at all times.
    4. Pause when the barbell touches your torso, and then drive the bar up with as much force as possible. The elbows should be tucked in until lockout.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: flat horizontal press, the same as the Wide-grip Barbell Bench Press
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Wide-grip Barbell Bench Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Wide-grip Barbell Bench Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Wide-grip Barbell Bench Press

Why You Might Need a Wide-grip Barbell Bench Press Alternative

You may need substitutes because wide-grip bench increases shoulder torque and can aggravate rotator cuff issues, or you might lack a suitable barbell or spotter. Substitutes reduce risky horizontal abduction moments, change the moment arm, or redistribute load to the triceps or deltoids while preserving pectoral tension. For example, dumbbell presses permit greater scapular mobility and unilateral loading to correct imbalances; machine presses limit transverse instability and lower shoulder shear. Use cues like driving through the forearms and keeping the scapulae depressed and retracted to maintain horizontal adduction and maximize pec activation while minimizing impingement risk.

How to Choose the Right Wide-grip Barbell Bench Press Substitute

Select a substitute based on equipment, shoulder health, and which pectoral region you want to prioritize. If you lack a barbell but want maximal sternal pec loading, choose flat dumbbell presses and cue a controlled descent with elbows at ~45°; if your shoulders hurt, pick a chest press machine to constrain the path and reduce shear. Want more upper-pec emphasis? Use an incline press with a moderate bench angle and cue scapular retraction to load clavicular fibers. Consider unilateral options (single-arm dumbbell press) for stability and progressive loading to maintain mechanical tension and hypertrophy.

Wide-grip Barbell Bench Press FAQ

What muscles does Wide-grip Barbell Bench Press work?

The wide-grip bench press emphasizes the sternal head of the pectoralis major, with secondary involvement from the anterior deltoids and triceps brachii. Because the hands sit wide, the movement increases horizontal adduction and chest stretch, cue: avoid flaring elbows beyond 60° to reduce anterior shoulder stress while keeping pecs engaged.

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