Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1

   Set up on the bench with standard arch and scapular retraction, gripping the bar at shoulder width or slightly narrower with wrists neutral.

2. 2

   Unrack the bar and position it over your upper chest with arms fully extended.

3. 3

   Lower the bar to your lower sternum while keeping the elbows tucked close to your sides at approximately 30-45 degrees of abduction.

4. 4

   Touch the chest lightly, maintaining tension in the triceps and anterior deltoid without relaxing at the bottom.

5. 5

   Press the bar upward by extending the elbows forcefully, focusing on triceps contraction through the lockout.

6. 6

   Complete the prescribed reps and rerack with control, avoiding any elbow flare on the final repetitions.

Common Mistakes

• Gripping too narrow (hands touching), which places excessive valgus stress on the wrists and reduces pressing stability.

• Allowing the elbows to flare wide as fatigue sets in, turning the movement into a standard bench press pattern.

• Lowering the bar too high toward the clavicle instead of the lower sternum, increasing anterior shoulder strain.

• Using an excessively heavy load that compromises the close-grip elbow path and recruits excessive chest involvement.

About This Exercise

The close-grip bench press shifts the mechanical advantage away from the pectoralis major and onto the triceps brachii by reducing the moment arm at the shoulder and increasing elbow extension demand. The medial and lateral heads of the triceps are heavily recruited through the full range, making this variation superior to isolation exercises for building pressing lockout power. It also serves as an effective accessory for overhead press and bench press plateau-breaking.