Most young men measure their strength by their bench press. Some lifters prefer a wide-grip because it reduces the range of motion during the exercise, but this is a mistake. British strength coaches Carly Green and Paul Comfort discussed the best bench press technique for maximizing performance and reducing the risk of injury. A wide grip during the bench press (greater than 1.5 times the biacromial width; the lumps on the upper part of your scapulae or shoulder blades) increases the risk of shoulder injury and pectoralis major rupture. Avoid wide-grip bench presses that align your upper arm at 90° angles from your torso. Instead, keep your elbows in and move the bar in a straight line at a point below your lower pecs.
Learn to use your legs effectively during the lift and align your upper body so that your chest is up and your butt remains in contact with the bench. Most guys who have bench pressed seriously for many years have rotator cuff injuries— usually because they used poor technique and overtrained. Prevent bench press injuries and maximize performance by using a narrower grip and elbows closer to the body, avoiding excessive training volume and dropping the weight when changing your bench press technique. You can bench press big iron without ruining your shoulders.