Close-Grip Bench Press
Compound exercise targeting the triceps with a barbell. Keep the elbows pinned near the body, fully extend the arms as you exhale, then return under control.
Muscles worked
- Triceps (primary)
- Mid chest
Equipment
Barbell
How to do it
- Lie back on a flat bench. Using a close grip (around shoulder width), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position.
- As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your middle chest. Tip: Make sure that - as opposed to a regular bench press - you keep the elbows close to the torso at all times in order to maximize triceps involvement.
- After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your triceps muscles. Lock your arms in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up.
- Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
- When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.
Sets and reps to start with
4 sets of 10 reps, 90 s of rest between sets. Increase the load once you complete every set at the top of the rep range.
Similar exercises
Log your close-grip bench press and see the weight to try at every workout. Free, no ads.