Close-Grip Bench
Coached by JustinAlso called: Close-Grip Bench Press · Close Grip Bench
- Primary
- triceps
- Secondary
- chest · shoulders
- Equipment
- barbell
- Mechanic
- compound
- Force
- push
- Category
- strength
Tricep support on Chest day · Power (tricep) PR on Arm day.
Execution
Hands just inside shoulder width. Forget the tucked-elbow cue — tuck the elbows tight to the ribs and it turns into a front-delt press with no triceps in it. Flare the elbows out to the side instead, compressed against flared lats, and keep them pointed up toward the ceiling as much as you can. The upper arm barely moves — the second it does, the pecs and delts jump in, so try to move only the forearm. That keeps the bar path short: there's a point a few inches above the chest where the only way to go lower is to drop the elbows, which hands the work to the chest and delts — so that's the bottom. Work that range at a fast, pumping pace. On Arm day it's a PR: chase total reps across both sets, or more weight once you hit 2×10.
The cue that matters
Elbows flared and high, only the forearm moving — you're changing the angle at the elbow across a short bar path, not pressing the bar down to your chest.
Common mistake
Tucking the elbows to the ribs and driving the bar all the way to the chest — that's the "standard" close-grip that never built anything for me. Done my way, close-grip made my triceps possibly my best body part.
Power Bodybuilding Bro Split — Day 1 (Chest, support) & Day 4 (Arms, Power).