How To Do The Close Grip Bench Press | Technique And Variations

In this article:

• Close Grip Bench Press Benefits
• Preparation
• Technique
• Recovery
• Common Mistakes
• Variations

All too often in the gym, triceps training is associated with push-downs and other isolation movements, while muscle-building compound movements are forgotten. Compound movements are essential to training in terms of muscle growth in size and strength, calorie expenditure and hormonal response. There are many more benefits, but those three alone should be enough to persuade anyone to include them in their training program.

The three most renowned compound exercises for the triceps are the close grip bench press, tricep dips and close grip press up. The grip positioning can turn a general upper body exercise into a tricep movement instantly , simply by narrowing the grip. The close grip bench press is a variation of the standard flat bench: focus is shifted from the chest and shoulders and on to triceps instead. While still incorporating the shoulders, inner chest and scapula, the majority of the muscle stimulus is placed onto the triceps. The close grip bench press is an exercise that should certainly be considered for anyone looking to develop their triceps in terms of aesthetic appearance, strength, power and even athletic performance.

Close Grip Bench Press Benefits

Contribution to other compound exercises

Almost any upper-body exercise incorporating a push movement will be assisted by the triceps. For example, while the primary working muscle during the military press is the shoulder, the triceps is the secondary. Another example is during the shoulder press, the triceps causes the arm to extend and drive upwards by generating a flexion-extension at the elbow joint. Stronger triceps will make this phase of the exercise to be much greater and more efficient. The close grip bench is one way to make the triceps stronger.

Less tension on the shoulders

One of the most common injuries drawn from the regular barbell bench press is shoulder strain and rotator cuff tear. This is due to the weak muscles in the shoulder being put under severe resistance and tension in a compromising angle. To prevent this, there should be serious rotator cuff work in order to act as injury prevention and to stop this occurring. However, due to the differentiated grip on the close grip bench press, there is a far lesser chance of shoulder injury. That said, there is considerably more tension placed on the elbow and wrist joints during the close grip variation, so for those with previous injury history in that region, time and careful consideration should be placed when performing this exercise.

Bigger arms

The following statement may come as a surprise to most— training biceps won’t lead to bigger arms. While biceps training does have benefits, training your triceps efficiently is what will lead to a more rounded, aesthetic arm appearance overall. This is because triceps is a larger muscle group with larger muscle fibres than biceps.

To put it simply, biceps make up about one third of your upper arm, while the triceps make up the remainder. If you were to walk into the gym and perform bicep curls throughout your arm session, you’d essentially be ignoring two thirds of your arm. Find a balance but certainly never ignore the triceps. Incorporating exercises such as the close grip bench press is one good way to achieve this.

Testosterone release

Including compound movements such as the close grip bench press into your training plan can have various different benefits. One of these is the release of growth hormone and testosterone which can help your training and improve muscle growth and stimulation.

Target both the lateral and medial heads

While tricep pushdown and dips will target specifically the lateral head (outer) of the tricep, the close grip bench press targets both the medial (inner) and the lateral head, so works more muscles.

The clear benefits of the close grip bench press may seem attractive, so it’s important to ensure good technique and form. The regular bench press is the most common upper body exercise and many people are accustomed to it, so the close grip bench press can take some getting used to. Below is a step-by step-guide on how to perform the exercise correctly.

Preparation

• Position yourself lying down on the flat bench press. You could even perform an incline or decline method if you prefer.
• Grip the barbell applying a close grip.
• While it’s generally down to preference, a grip about shoulder-width apart is generally advised.
• Carefully un-rack the barbell and position it just above your chest.
• Ensure that your back and head are kept flat on the bench throughout the exercise.

Technique

1. While inhaling your breath and keeping your close grip, gradually lower the barbell until it has come down to about chest level.
2. The key to maximising tricep stimulation is by preventing elbows flaring at all times. Keep your elbows close to your torso and make the mind-muscle connection by squeezing the triceps from start to finish.
3. Once you’re in this position, pause for a second before explosively pushing upwards.
4. As you push the barbell back to the starting position, exhale and again, keep your elbows tucked in at all times.
5. As with all exercise, form and tempo should always be considered and applied to training. For tempo on the close grip bench press, lower the weight down slowly for roughly two or three seconds, pause at the bottom for two seconds before pushing up powerfully as quickly as possible while squeezing the triceps at the same time.
6. Essentially, perform slowly for the eccentric, pause and perform powerfully for the concentric.