Essomio™

← All exercise guides

triceps

Close Grip Bench Press

A bench press with your hands close together and your elbows tucked, which shifts the work from the chest to the triceps.

intermediatebarbellflat benchplates

Close Grip Bench Press, start position
START
Close Grip Bench Press, end position
END
BEFORE YOU START2
  1. Set the hooks so you can unrack with almost straight arms.
  2. Load the same weight on each side and clip the plates on.
HOW TO DO IT

Get into position

  1. Lie on your back with your eyes under the bar and your feet flat on the floor.
  2. Grab the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart or a little closer, palms facing your feet.
  3. Pull your shoulder blades into the bench.
  4. Lift the bar off the hooks and hold it above your chest, arms straight.

Check: The bar is above your chest with your hands about shoulder-width apart and your wrists straight.

Lower the bar

  1. Bend your elbows and lower the bar slowly to your lower chest, elbows close to your sides.
  2. Let the bar touch your chest lightly.

Check: The bar rests lightly on your lower chest and your elbows are tucked near your ribs, not flared.

Press up

  1. Push the bar straight up until your arms are almost straight.

Check: The bar is back above your chest where you started.

That is one rep. Repeat for your set.

Breathe out as you straighten in about 1 second; breathe in as you bend over 2 to 3 seconds.

MUSCLES WORKED
Close Grip Bench Press: muscles worked, front view
Close Grip Bench Press: muscles worked, back view

tricepsfront deltschest

Red marks the muscles doing the work; amber the assisting ones. Same body for every exercise, so guides compare at a glance.

COMMON MISTAKES2
  • Hands very close together, wrists bent. A very narrow grip does not add triceps work. Fix: Keep your hands about shoulder-width apart; closer strains the wrists.
  • Elbows flaring out. Fix: Tuck them toward your ribs.
SAFETY3
  • Keep your wrists straight.
  • Use a spotter or safety bars for heavy sets.
  • Wrap your thumbs around the bar.
EQUIPMENT SETTINGS
  • flat bench · rack height: bar at arm's length when you lie down
  • plates Same weight on both sides, clipped on.
RELATED EXERCISES

easier: bench dips

variants: barbell bench press, parallel dip bar

© 2026 Essomio LLC. The illustrations, muscle charts and guide text on this page are works of Essomio LLC, all rights reserved. They are for your personal use and may not be copied, redistributed or used to train models without written permission — see Licensing.