Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press

Starting position

1. Lie on a flat bench with your eyes roughly under the bar.
2. Feet on the floor, shoulder blades pulled together and pressed into the bench.
3. Grip the bar at shoulder width or a little narrower — roughly 30–40 cm between your hands. There's no need to go extremely narrow.
4. Keep your wrists straight and stacked over your elbows.

Execution

1. Unrack the bar and bring it over your shoulders with straight arms.
2. Inhale and slowly lower the bar to your lower chest, elbows tucked close to your sides.
3. Touch your chest without bouncing.
4. Exhale and press the bar up, driving with your triceps. Don't snap your elbows into lockout.

Common mistakes

• Grip too narrow (hands almost touching) — heavy strain on the wrists and elbows.
• Elbows flaring out — it turns into a regular bench press and the triceps work less.
• Wrists bent back — sore wrists and an unstable bar.
• Bouncing the bar off the chest — momentum does the work instead of the muscles.

Beginner tips

• You'll usually lift less than on a regular bench press — start with the empty bar.
• Go heavy only with a spotter or in a rack with safety pins.
• If your wrists hurt, widen your grip slightly.

Alternatives

• Diamond Push-Ups — the same triceps focus with no equipment
• Dips — chest and triceps with your own body weight
• Flat Bench Smith Machine Press — narrow grip in the Smith machine, fixed path