Bench Press Grip Widths & Muscles Worked Any bench press grip will train your chest, triceps, and shoulders — but changing your grip width shifts the emphasis. Close Grip - Highest triceps involvement - Chest becomes secondary - Least shoulder involvement Medium Grip (standard bench grip) - Greatest overall chest activation - Moderate triceps involvement - Slightly more shoulder involvement compared to close grip Wide Grip - Still primarily chest-focused - More shoulder involvement - Least trice