The Bench Press Grip Width Does Not Affect the Number of Repetitions Performed at Different Velocity Loss Thresholds

Abstract

This study aimed (I) to compare the number of repetitions that can be completed to failure (XRM) and before reaching a 15%, 30%, or 45% velocity loss threshold (XVLT) in the bench press exercise performed using different grip widths, and (II) to examine the inter-individual variability in the percentage of completed repetitions with respect to the XRM when the set volume is prescribed based on a fixed number of repetitions (FNR) and several velocity loss thresholds (VLT). Nineteen men performed four separate sessions in a random order where there was a single set of repetitions completed to failure against 75% of the one-repetition maximum during the Smith machine bench press exercise using a narrow, medium, wide, or self-selected grip widths. The XRM (p = 0.545) and XVLTs (p ≥ 0.682) were not significantly affected by grip width. A high and comparable inter-individual variability in the percentage of completed repetitions with respect to the XRM was observed when using both an FNR (median CV = 24.3%) and VLTs (median CV = 23.5%). These results indicate that Smith machine bench press training volume is not influenced by the grip width and that VLTs do not allow a more homogeneous prescription of the set volume with respect to the XRM than the traditional FNR.

Keywords: fatigue; resistance training; training prescription; training volume; velocity-based training.

Figure 1

Coefficients of variation for the percentage of completed repetitions with respect to the maximal number of repetitions performed to failure when reaching a fixed number of repetitions ((a) FNR; upper panel) or a given velocity loss threshold ((b) VLT; lower panel) for each bench press grip width. The grand mean was calculated as the average value of the four bench press grip widths. The selected FNR were based on the average number of repetitions completed by the participants when reaching the VLT.