Close Grip Bench Press

Muscles Worked

How to Perform

1. 1

   Setup: Lie flat on a bench, eyes under the bar. Grip the barbell with hands 12-16 inches apart (shoulder-width or slightly narrower), using an overhand grip. Plant your feet flat on the floor, create a slight arch in your lower back, and squeeze your shoulder blades together like a standard bench press.

2. 2

   Unrack and Position: Lift the bar off the rack and position it directly over your chest with arms fully extended. Take a deep breath, brace your core hard, and create full-body tension. Keep your wrists straight—don't let them bend backward under the load.

3. 3

   Lower the Bar: Control the bar down to your lower chest or upper abs, keeping your elbows tucked close to your sides at about 30-45 degrees from your torso. This tucked elbow position is critical—it protects your shoulders and maximizes tricep engagement. Take 2-3 seconds to lower the bar with complete control.

4. 4

   Press Explosively: Drive the bar back up powerfully by extending your elbows, thinking about pushing through your triceps. Press your feet into the ground for leg drive and maintain that tight upper back position. The bar should travel in a slight arc back toward your shoulders, finishing directly over your upper chest.

5. 5

   Lockout: Fully extend your arms at the top without hyperextending your elbows. Squeeze your triceps hard for a brief moment. The bar should finish directly above your shoulders with elbows locked. Maintain tension throughout your entire body—don't relax between reps.

Common Mistakes

• Grip Too Narrow

  Gripping too narrow (hands touching) puts extreme stress on your wrists and elbows without additional tricep benefit. Use a shoulder-width grip or slightly narrower—this provides optimal tricep activation while keeping your joints safe. Comfort matters for longevity.

• Elbows Flaring Out

  Letting your elbows flare wide like a regular bench press shifts the work to your chest and shoulders, defeating the purpose. Keep elbows tucked at 30-45 degrees from your torso. This elbow position is what makes this a tricep exercise.

• Lowering to Wrong Position

  Lowering the bar to your upper chest or neck region increases shoulder stress and reduces tricep involvement. Touch the bar to your lower chest or upper abs. This lower touch point keeps elbows tucked and maximizes tricep work while protecting your shoulders.

• Bouncing Bar Off Chest

  Using momentum by bouncing the bar eliminates time under tension and increases injury risk. Control the bar all the way down to a light touch, pause briefly, then press. Every rep should be deliberate and controlled for maximum tricep stimulation.

Pro Tips

• Use as Your Primary Tricep Builder

  Because you can load this movement heavy, program it first in your tricep workout when you're fresh. Hit 3-5 sets of 6-8 reps with progressive overload. The compound nature allows for maximum mechanical tension—the primary driver of muscle growth.

• Try on an Incline Bench

  Setting the bench to a 15-30 degree incline changes the angle and emphasizes the long head of the triceps more. Incline close grip presses also reduce shoulder stress for those with impingement issues while still allowing heavy loads.

• Think "Push Hands Apart"

  While pressing, imagine trying to push your hands apart (though they stay fixed on the bar). This mental cue creates internal rotation that fires your triceps harder and stabilizes your shoulders. It's a powerlifting trick that builds serious pressing power.

• Board Press Variation for Lockout

  Place a 2x4 board or foam pad on your chest and press to that instead of full range. This partial ROM focuses entirely on the lockout portion where triceps work hardest. Use 10-20% more weight than your full ROM max to overload the triceps specifically.

Variations

The close grip bench press can be modified to target different aspects of tricep and chest development. These variations adjust angle, equipment, or range of motion to provide fresh training stimuli while maintaining the close-grip pressing pattern that emphasizes triceps.

• Incline Close Grip Bench Press

  Setting bench to 15-30 degrees shifts emphasis to long head of triceps and reduces shoulder stress for some lifters.

• Close Grip Floor Press

  Limited range of motion focuses on lockout strength and eliminates shoulder stretch, ideal for those with shoulder issues.

• Dumbbell Close Grip Press

  Holding dumbbells close together allows more natural wrist position and corrects strength imbalances between arms.

• Paused Close Grip Press

  Holding bar on chest for 2-3 seconds eliminates momentum and builds explosive pressing power from dead stop.

Alternative Exercises

If barbell close grip pressing doesn't suit your equipment or training goals, these alternatives deliver comparable tricep development. Each emphasizes elbow extension under load, the primary function for building bigger, stronger arms.

• Weighted Dips

  Bodyweight plus external load targets triceps and lower chest with similar movement pattern and heavy loading potential.

• JM Press

  Hybrid between close grip press and skull crusher that isolates triceps with heavy weight and reduced shoulder stress.

• Cable Close Grip Press

  Cables provide constant tension and allow for unique pressing angles that target triceps from different positions.

• Diamond Push-Up

  Bodyweight version with hands close together replicates tricep emphasis without equipment, excellent for high-rep finishers.

Related Chest Exercises