When doing the flat or incline bench press, many trainers advocate a wider than shoulder-width grip so that when you lower the bar, the forearms will be at a 90? angle to the upper arms in the bottom position (when the arms are in line with the shoulders). They recommend not going below this point but never explain why. Perhaps not understood is that lowering the arms below the level of the chest is not dangerous, in fact, it can bring about greater development of the pectoralis major muscle. The only time bringing the arms below the level of the chest can be injurious is when you do the dumbbell flye exercise with the arms straight. This can place great stress on the shoulder and cause stretch marks.