The wide hammer chest press is a flat-bench dumbbell press performed with a neutral grip and the elbows flared wide, training the chest through a long stretch while the hands stay palms-in. Most hammer presses keep the elbows tucked so the triceps share the load; this version sends the upper arms out to about 70 degrees from the ribs, so the dumbbells drop to the sides of the chest, the pec stretches further and the triceps contribute less. The palms-in grip keeps the wrists neutral despite the wide elbow. Lifters program it as a second press on achestday.
What Muscles Does the Wide Hammer Chest Press Work?
- Primary: Pectoralis major (sternal head, outer chest)
- Secondary: Anterior deltoid (front shoulder), triceps brachii
- Tertiary: Serratus anterior, rotator cuff, biceps brachii
How Do You Set Up for the Wide Hammer Chest Press?
Set a bench flat and sit on the end with a dumbbell on each thigh. Lie back, kick the dumbbells up one at a time and turn the handles parallel to your torso, palms facing each other. Plant your feet flat, pull your shoulder blades down and together, and open your elbows so the upper arms sit wide of the ribs. Hold the dumbbells over your mid chest, arms straight, handles well apart.
How Do You Perform the Wide Hammer Chest Press?
- Set your elbows wide, about 70 degrees from your torso, with the palms still facing each other.
- Lower the dumbbells out and down toward the sides of your chest, keeping the forearms vertical over the elbows.
- Stop when the dumbbells reach nipple level and your elbows sit just below the bench, chest fully stretched.
- Pause for one count at the bottom with the shoulder blades still pinned to the pad.
- Press up and inward in a shallow arc until the arms straighten over your mid chest, handles a hand's width apart.
- Squeeze the pecs at the top, then let the elbows travel wide again on the next descent.
What Are the Key Form Cues?
- Elbows out, palms in: keep the upper arms wide while the handles stay parallel, so the stretch lands in the chest and not the wrists.
- Stretch before you press: feel the outer pec lengthen at the bottom, then start the press from that tension.
- Keep the forearms vertical from the side and the front view on every rep.
- Drive the dumbbells together with the pecs at the top rather than locking the elbows.
- Keep the shoulder blades down and back from the first rep to the last.
What Are the Most Common Mistakes?
- Using your tucked-elbow pressing weight: the wide arm position cannot handle it, so the shoulders round forward at the bottom and the pause disappears; drop the load until the stretch is controlled.
- Letting the dumbbells drop below chest level: with the elbows this wide, the extra depth loads the front of the shoulder capsule; stop when the elbows are just under the bench line.
- Turning the palms forward at the bottom: the grip change adds shoulder rotation to a position that already has plenty; keep the handles parallel.
- Bringing the elbows in as you fatigue: the press turns into a tucked hammer press and the outer chest stops working; hold the wide angle or end the set.
- Bouncing out of the stretch: the pec tendon takes a snap load; pause before pressing.
What Are the Best Wide Hammer Chest Press Variations?
- Flat dumbbell hammer press: the tucked-elbow version, a regression for lifters who cannot yet control the wide stretch.
- Wide hammer press with a pause: a three-second bottom hold that makes the stretched position the whole exercise.
- Incline wide hammer chest press: a 30-degree bench shifts the wide press onto the upper chest.
- Single-arm wide hammer press: one dumbbell at a time with the free hand on the ribs to stop rolling.
- Wide hammer press on a stability ball: the ball replaces the bench and adds a trunk demand.
How Do You Progress the Wide Hammer Chest Press?
- Move up 5 pounds a hand once every set finishes at the top of the range with the elbows still wide.
- Build from 8 reps to 12 per set before each weight jump.
- Add a fourth set when three no longer leave the outer chest fatigued.
- Add a two-second pause at the bottom, or slow the descent to a three-count.
How Should You Program the Wide Hammer Chest Press?
Use the wide hammer chest press as the second press of a chest or upper-body day, after a barbell or standard dumbbell bench press has warmed up the shoulders, once or twice a week. Work 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps with 90 to 120 seconds of rest. It pairs with a tucked hammer press or a triceps extension afterwards to cover the arm work the wide elbow leaves out.
