Chest · Barbell
Barbell Wide Bench Press
How to do the barbell wide bench press, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- HorizontalPush
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Lie on a flat bench with a barbell racked above you and grip it wider than shoulder-width. Lower the bar to your mid-chest under control, keeping your elbows flared slightly. Press the bar back up to the start, driving through your chest.
- 1Lower the bar to your chest and feel a strong stretch across your pecs
- 2Keep your shoulder blades pinned to the bench and press through your chest
- 3Maintain a steady bar path and squeeze your chest at the top
Common mistakes
- Don't flare your elbows excessively or let the bar drop too low on your
- chest
- Avoid arching your back excessively or lifting your feet off the floor
- Don't bounce the bar or lose control on the way down
Muscles worked
The barbell wide bench press mainly works the mid chest, with the triceps, upper chest, lower chest, and front delts assisting.
- Mid ChestPrimary
- TricepsSupport
- Upper ChestSupport
- Lower ChestSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
Kovo programs the barbell wide bench press for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More chest exercises
- How to do the archer push-up
- How to do the assisted dip
- How to do the resistance band chest flyes
- How to do the resistance band push-up
- How to do the barbell bench press
- How to do the paused bench press
Last reviewed June 2026.