Press Grip Width

[Subsistence]

I've been taking a rather narrow grip on press for a while now. I measured today, and it was about 12 and 3/4 inches. My forearms are more or less vertical, so I thought it was fine, but I do notice it seems narrower than other people's. I did some searching on the forums and saw Rip say "We teach a 18-19.5" grip" in an old post. I am having a hard time seeing how to determine the "right" width. I took a few pics of me measuring different grip widths, as posted below:

http://imgur.com/a/WaObG

How exactly do I find the "right" grip?

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

Sweet umbrella!

The correct grip keeps the forearms vertical and the wrist straight. This can generally be anywhere from 14-18" depending on anthropometry, with of course some deviation either way. I always put my index finger on the start of the knurling where it meets the center smooth (on a standard barbell with a 16" center part) and that lines me up nicely. You're 12.75" grip is about right, although I might have you play around with a knuckle or two wider than that to get your wrist perfectly straight, as it looks like it's a little radially deviated to me. The 18" grip is too wide.

[dienster]

I've been setting up about an inch into the knurling using the thumb knuckle at the transition. Maybe that's why my press is sucking now. Guess I'll have to play around with it. Moving in tends to pull my shoulders forward. Is the press supposed to have shoulders forward at the start position, or shoulders neutral? Crap, time to go read the book again....

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

What do you mean by shoulders forward or neutral? Do you mean a flexed shoulder/humerus? The position of the shoulder is determined by the grip and anthropometry and the bar will be over the middle of the foot, shoulders may be all sorts of places.

[Subsistence]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=sqKhLR1zRaU

Looking here (pausing at 3:40) it seems like he has a lot more distance between his shoulders and his grip that I do in my narrower position. Eyeballing it, it seems like his thumb lines up with the end of his shoulder. Is this what I should be aiming to mimic?

Ignoring my derpy face, here is a picture at 15 inches and 16 inches:

http://imgur.com/a/T2NIm

I feel like these closely mimic the video I linked. Do they look reasonable to you?

[Subsistence]

What do you mean by shoulders forward or neutral? Do you mean a flexed shoulder/humerus? The position of the shoulder is determined by the grip and anthropometry and the bar will be over the middle of the foot, shoulders may be all sorts of places.

I think he means shoulder blades retracted or delts shoved forward (or in the middle, "neutral"). I thought the shoulder blades were to be pulled back to bring the chest up and give a stable platform.

[dienster]

I guess that's what I'm getting at, moving the grip in pulls my shoulders forward more. By neutral vs forward, I guess it is the same as a proper bench position with the scapulae pinched together being neutral/back and the forward position being the other extreme with loose/forward shoulder blades. Is proper form in the press similar where you actively pulling your shoulder blades together or is it appropriate to allow them to come forward at the bottom?

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

I feel like these closely mimic the video I linked. Do they look reasonable to you?

15" looks good to me (that's what she....well, you know)

I think he means shoulder blades retracted or delts shoved forward (or in the middle, "neutral"). I thought the shoulder blades were to be pulled back to bring the chest up and give a stable platform.

The scapulae should be somewhere in the middle between retraction and protraction, or neutral if you will. The shoulder joints won't be moved in any sort of position in particular, we just cue chest up.

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

I guess that's what I'm getting at, moving the grip in pulls my shoulders forward more. By neutral vs forward, I guess it is the same as a proper bench position with the scapulae pinched together being neutral/back and the forward position being the other extreme with loose/forward shoulder blades. Is proper form in the press similar where you actively pulling your shoulder blades together or is it appropriate to allow them to come forward at the bottom?

You don't actively protract your scapula at the bottom, no, but the scapulae will elevate and rotate upwards on the way up and then return to a normal/neutral position at the bottom. I don't normally cue people to pinch their shoulder blades together at the bottom of the press, I just cue chest up.