Close-Grip Bench Press

by JP – Updated: 09/24/2016

Muscles Used    •    Exercise Type    •    Form Instruction    •    Tips and Techniques    •    Recommended Reps    •    Common Variations    •    Substitutions    •    Equipment Needed

Bottom	Top

Primary Mover(s)	Muscles Used:	Secondary Mover(s)
Triceps		Delts (F) Pectorals
		Other Mover(s)
		Biceps

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– Close-Grip Bench Press –
AKA: Narrow-Grip Bench Press or Triceps Bench Press

Compound Exercise, Push Movement

Lying face up on bench, grab bar from rack with a slightly narrower than shoulder width grip, lower bar to lower or middle of chest and then raise until arms are nearly locked.

Where with the standard bench press you want to keep the upper arms at a 45 to 90 degree angle to the torso (at the bottom of the exercise) to keep the focus on the pectorals, with the close-grip bench press you want to keep the elbows in to keep the focus on the exercise’s main target: The Triceps. The upper arm should be 45 degrees from the body or closer.

Going narrower than “slightly less than shoulder width” on the grip is sometimes advised. There is no great benefit to this and it can create wrist strain in many. For most, “slightly less than shoulder width” means the hands are about 6″-12″ apart. If you still feel wrist discomfort, try using an ez-curl bar which can lessen strain.

Typically you will use a little less weight with the close-grip as opposed to the standard. Strengthening your triceps will have the additional benefit of likely increasing the load you handle for your standard bench press.

6-12 the majority of the time, trying higher or lower reps on occasion.

Bench Dips and Triceps Dips (same as Bar Dips but with a narrower width between the bars) are compound exercises that target the triceps.

Bench with rack, barbell, weights