Arms · Horizontal push
Close-Grip Bench Press
The close-grip bench press is a barbell bench press performed with the hands roughly shoulder-width apart instead of wide. The narrower grip keeps the elbows tucked and increases elbow range of motion, shifting much of the work onto the triceps while still training the chest and front delts. It is the heaviest triceps exercise most people can do.
Also known as: Close grip barbell bench press, CGBP, Narrow grip bench press, Close grip bench
- Muscle group
- Arms
- Movement pattern
- Horizontal push
- Type
- Compound
- Equipment
- Barbell, Flat bench, Rack
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
What muscles does the close-grip bench press work?
Primary movers
- Triceps brachii
- Pectoralis major
Assisting muscles
- Anterior deltoid
- Serratus anterior
Narrowing the grip changes how a bench press is shared out. With a wide grip the upper arm travels mostly sideways and the chest does the bulk of the work. With a shoulder-width grip the elbows stay closer to the body and bend through a much bigger angle, so the triceps have more distance to straighten the arm and do more of the lifting.
All three heads of the triceps contribute. The lateral and medial heads are heavily loaded because the press finishes at full elbow lockout. The long head is involved but less so than in overhead work, which is why close-grip bench pairs well with an overhead extension.
The chest is still a prime mover. Moving the hands in does not switch the pecs off. It mostly reduces how much they stretch at the bottom, and the sternal fibres still drive the bar off the chest.
Because the triceps are the limiting factor at lockout on a regular bench press, close-grip work is a staple for lifters trying to fix a sticking point in the top half of their bench.
How to do the close-grip bench press
Setup
- 1
Lie on a flat bench with your eyes under the bar and your feet planted.
- 2
Grip the bar with your hands about shoulder-width apart, index fingers roughly over the edge of each shoulder.
- 3
Pull your shoulder blades back and down and set a modest arch, the same as a regular bench press.
- 4
Unrack the bar and bring it over your lower chest with locked elbows.
Execution
- 1
Lower the bar under control towards your lower chest, just below the nipple line.
- 2
Keep your elbows tucked at around 30 to 45 degrees from your torso rather than flared.
- 3
Touch the chest lightly without bouncing.
- 4
Press the bar up and slightly back towards your face, driving through the triceps to full lockout.
- 5
Keep your wrists stacked directly over your elbows throughout the rep.
- 6
Breathe and re-brace at the top before the next rep.
Common close-grip bench press mistakes
Gripping too narrow
Placing the hands close together in the middle of the bar. It does not add triceps work but does force the wrists to bend and loads the elbows awkwardly.
The fix: Shoulder-width is close enough. Your forearms should be roughly vertical when the bar touches your chest.
Flaring the elbows
Letting the elbows drift out wide as the bar descends, which turns it back into a regular bench press and puts the shoulders in a weaker position.
The fix: Keep the elbows tucked so they finish slightly in front of the bar at the bottom. Think about bending the bar in half.
Touching too high
Lowering the bar towards the upper chest or neck, which puts the elbows behind the bar and stresses the front of the shoulder.
The fix: Aim for the lower chest. A narrower grip means a lower touch point than your regular bench press.
Bending the wrists back
Letting the bar roll towards the fingers so the wrists hyperextend under load, which is uncomfortable and leaks force.
The fix: Set the bar low in the palm over the forearm bones and squeeze the bar hard. Wrist wraps help on heavy sets.
How many sets and reps?
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Load | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 4–5 | 4–6 | Heavy, about 80–90% of regular bench | 2–3 min |
| Hypertrophy | 3–4 | 8–12 | Moderate, 1–2 RIR | 90 s–2 min |
| Bench lockout | 3 | 5 | Heavy, after main bench work | 2–3 min |
Close-grip bench can be the main press on an arm or upper-body day, or a secondary press after regular bench. Expect to handle roughly 80 to 90 percent of your normal bench weight. Because it already trains the triceps heavily, count it as triceps volume and reduce isolation work accordingly. A useful arm day pairing is close-grip bench for heavy work followed by an overhead extension for the long head.
Running the close-grip bench press in your next block? Hercules logs every set, shows last session's numbers before you lift, and suggests when to add weight.
Get it on Google PlayClose-Grip Bench Press variations and alternatives
Barbell Bench Press
AlternativeThe regular grip puts the chest back in charge and lets you lift more total weight.
Dips
AlternativeUpright dips are the bodyweight equivalent, with a similar triceps and lower chest emphasis.
Close-Grip Push-Up
EasierThe same narrow-hand pattern with bodyweight. A good way to build triceps strength before loading a barbell.
Skullcrusher
AlternativeRemoves the chest and shoulders entirely to isolate the triceps, at a much lighter load.
Smith Machine Close Grip Bench Press
EasierA fixed bar path makes it easier to train hard without a spotter.
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the close-grip bench press work?
Mainly the triceps and chest, with the front deltoids assisting. Compared with a regular bench press, the narrower grip shifts a larger share of the work to the triceps. It is one of the few exercises that lets you load the triceps with genuinely heavy weight.
How close should my grip be?
About shoulder-width, with your forearms roughly vertical at the bottom. Going narrower than that adds wrist and elbow strain without adding triceps work. Most people find their index fingers sit around the edge of the knurling or just inside it.
Is close-grip bench a chest or triceps exercise?
Both. It is a compound press that trains the chest substantially, but it is usually programmed as a triceps exercise because it is one of the best ways to load them heavily. Think of it as a triceps-biased bench press.
How much should I close-grip bench compared to my regular bench?
Most lifters manage around 80 to 90 percent of their regular bench press with a close grip. A much bigger gap than that often points to weak triceps, which is exactly what close-grip work is meant to fix.
Does close-grip bench press hurt your wrists?
It can if the grip is too narrow or the bar sits too far back in the fingers. Keep the hands about shoulder-width apart and the bar over your forearm bones. If the wrists still bother you, an EZ bar or neutral-grip dumbbells are easier alternatives.
Hercules tracks every close-grip bench press you log, shows you last session's numbers before you lift, and flags when your progress stalls.
Get it on Google Play