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Fitness & Health

01st Jul 2015

Video: Learn Arnold Schwarzenegger’s wide-grip bench press technique with this old-school footage

Ben Kenyon

If you want to build up your training knowledge, you could do worse than watching Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Muscle Pharm have been digging around in archives recently for old school footage of the Austrian Oak training in his prime.

This latest clip shows Arnie tackling the wide-grip bench press (presumably gearing up for winning yet another Mr Olympia in the 70s).

Wide-grip bench press is a great variation to hit your chest as it works your pectoralis major muscles more intensely than a standard or narrow grip.

Arnie s

The triceps are recruited to a big extent when doing narrow grip chest press. But the wider your grip, the less your triceps work in the movement and the more emphasis there is on your chest.

(You don’t have to go too wide and stress your shoulders – just slightly outside the normal grip will often do).

It’s a great muscle builder. Arnie makes sure his reps are nice and slow and consistent to work the muscle.

You will also notice he does partial reps (without the full lock-out) to keep tension on his chest and keep the triceps out of the movement.

Stick a couple of plates on each side, how hard could it be?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yaHY43VNAo