close grip bench press

The Close Grip Bench Press is a weight shifting variation of the standard bench press. While it primarily targets the chest, it redistributes the weight to place additional emphasis on the triceps. Understanding this exercise and its benefits can help you optimise your chest workouts. Or as we like to call them around here; “boob” workouts.

Here we will delve into the muscles worked, how to perform the Close Grip Bench Press, benefits, common mistakes to avoid, reps and sets, how to progress this exercise, how and where to fit it into your workout plan and finally other exercises targeting the same muscle groups.

Muscles Worked When Performing the Close Grip Bench Press

The Close Grip Bench Press primarily targets the following muscle groups:

Pectoralis major (chest muscles, or “pecs” as they are commonly known): This exercise places a significant emphasis on the pectoral muscles, which is the large muscle of the chest that sits behind your breast tissue.

Triceps brachii (the muscles on the back of the upper arm): Because of the close grip, the triceps are actively involved in this exercise, more so than when compared to a traditional Bench Press grip.

Anterior deltoid: The anterior deltoid, which is the front part of the shoulder, is also engaged. This muscle contributes to the overall pressing action.

You can use the muscle highlighted image at the top of this page for a visual guide of the muscles worked.

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How to Perform the Close Grip Bench Press

Follow these steps to execute the Close Grip Bench Press correctly:

1. Equipment Set Up: Get yourself on a bench press, ideally one with safety bars that you can lock into place. Rack the bar and do not add any plates until you are confident in your ability to lift the weight safely.

2. Start Position: Lay with your back flat on the bench, ensuring your shoulders are pressed into the bench and your feet are firmly planted on the ground.

3. Get Under the Bar: Position yourself comfortably beneath the unloaded bar. The bar should be around eye level.

4.Grip: Reach up to grip the bar toward the center, with each hand placed approximately a thumb's distance from the bar's midpoint.

5. Unrack the Bar: Carefully unrack the bar and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.

6. Lower the Bar: Brace your core and slowly lower the bar to your chest, allowing it to lightly touch your chest.

7. Pause and Press: Pause briefly at the bottom and then, in a controlled motion, press the bar straight back up to fully extended arms.

8. Go for reps.

9. Add Weight: Once you are comfortable performing this exercise with an unloaded bar, you can start to add some weight plates.

Want to test your power? Try our one rep max calculator.

Benefits of the Close Grip Bench Press

Incorporating the Close Grip Bench Press into your chest workouts offers several benefits:

Enhanced Chest Strength: The exercise targets the pectoralis major, helping you develop a stronger and more defined chest.

Tricep Development: The triceps are actively engaged with this variation, contributing to improved tricep strength and definition.

Functional Strength: Building both chest and tricep strength can translate into better overall upper body strength and performance in various activities.

Maximum Loads: With the assistance of the bench press you can safely unrack the bar from its position and re-rack it when you are done. Without this piece of equipment, it would be unsafe and limiting for lifters to get the barbell in position to perform this exercise.

Use a spotter to test your limits: With the support of someone to assist if needed, you can really test your strength boundaries with this exercise. Even adding the smallest plate to your maximum loads can help you break through your strength barriers.

Close Grip Bench Press: Common Mistakes to Avoid

To maximise the effectiveness of the Close Grip Bench Press, be cautious of these common mistakes:

Form: Prioritise proper form to avoid potential injuries. Correct form is vital for the safe execution of this exercise. There is no use adding weight to sloppy sets, this will hinder your results at best, or at worst lead to a repetitive strain or acute injury.

Mind Muscle Connection: Maintain focus on the intended muscle groups—chest and triceps—during the movement for targeted results. Don’t lose focus, mind muscle connection works.

Safety Features: Always use the clips to secure the weight on the bar and the safety bars incase you need to bail. Even if you’re starting light with some warm up sets, anything can happen mid lift that could compromise your ability to safely rack the bar.

Know How to Bail: If you don’t have a spotter, make sure you know how to safely bail on the lift. If you can’t lift the bar back up from your chest, you can slowly roll the bar down your body and free yourself, this is the safest thing for you and others in the gym.

Reps and Sets

The number of reps and sets for the Close Grip Bench Press should align with your fitness level and goals:

Beginners: Start with simply mastering the move. Keep in mind that 3 reps, if you’re just starting out, is a valid set.

To determine how many reps/sets of the Close Grip Bench Press you should start with, you first need to figure out how many reps you can comfortably perform. Then add 2, and perform that number of reps for 3 sets.

For example; let’s say you can perform 4 reps comfortably. Add 2 to make 6 reps. Perform those 6 reps 3 times over, allowing yourself sufficient rest inbetween.

Experienced lifters: You know your body and its abilities better than anyone, use your own judgment.

We recommend that you avoid performing more than 12 reps per set. If you’re comfortably performing 12 reps for up to 6 sets, it’s time to make the exercise more challenging.

How to Make the Close Grip Bench Press More Challenging

The Close Grip Bench Press is generally made more challenging by simply adding more weight. You should aim to work with an amount of weight that challenges you through the last 2 reps.

Adding weight isn’t the only thing you can do to make this exercise more challenging though. You can also slow down the move to increase time under tension. Or you can play around with your hand position; and turn this exercise into a standard Bench Press, or a Wide Grip Bench Press, all variations hitting the target muscle groups differently.

How to Incorporate the Close Grip Bench Press into Your Workouts

The Close Grip Bench Press is a key compound exercise and if it’s the only bench press in your workout, it should be incorporated as the foundation of that workout plan. Why? Because a good workout plan is built around these types of key compound moves. They are the exercises that work the most muscle groups, moving the most weight. These should always come first.

You can learn more about exercise order here.

To follow up this big move, you can add other Chest Exercises, either using the barbell or working your way down to dumbbell or cable exercises. You can even incorporate this with bodyweight exercises, such as Push Ups.

Exercises that Work Similar Muscles to the Close Grip Bench Press

There are other bench press variations, such as the standard Bench Press, a Wide Grip Bench Press, as well as an Incline Bench Press and a Decline Bench Press. All of which target the pectorals differently, the difference in weight distribution recruits and builds other smaller muscle groups in the process.

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