Close-grip bench press
A bench press with the hands narrowed to shoulder width. The heaviest triceps exercise there is.
The movement
2 stages
Bottom
01 Bottom
Bar at the lower chest with the elbows brushing the ribs.
02 Lockout
Press up and slightly back until the elbows are fully straight.
How to do it
Setup
- Lie on the bench with your eyes under the bar and your feet flat on the floor.
- Grip the bar at about shoulder width, wrists stacked straight over your forearms.
- Unrack the bar to straight arms over your shoulders.
Execution
- Lower the bar to your lower chest with your elbows tucked close to your ribs.
- Touch lightly, without bouncing.
- Press back up and slightly toward your face until your elbows lock.
BreathingInhale as the bar comes down, exhale hard through the press.
Getting it right
Form cues
- Elbows brush your ribs on the way down.
- Keep your wrists straight and your knuckles pointing at the ceiling.
Common mistakes
- Gripping so narrow the wrists buckle inward. Shoulder width is close enough.
- Flaring the elbows out as the set gets hard, which hands the work back to the chest.
- Bouncing the bar off the chest to rescue a grinding rep.
Worth knowing
- Press inside a rack with safety bars, or with a spotter. A failed rep with a narrow grip pins the bar on your chest the same as a wide one.
General guidance, not medical advice. See how Setkit works.
Notes
Narrowing your grip to shoulder width tips the bench press toward the triceps. The elbows tuck, the forearms stay vertical, and the last half of every press becomes an elbow-extension problem that the triceps have to solve. No dumbbell extension or pushdown lets them work against loads like this.
It earns a place beyond arm training. The tucked-elbow press is the same position the bar passes through in the last third of a regular bench press, so a stronger close grip usually drags the standard press up with it. Lifters who stall at lockout are usually sent here first.
Expect to handle around 10–20 % less than your regular bench press, and let the elbows set the standard for every rep. The grip only matters because it keeps them tucked. If they flare wide under fatigue, the exercise quietly becomes a narrow-hand chest press and the triceps lose the stimulus you came for.