Close-grip Bench Press

What it hits

Parts of the target muscle.

• Long-head triceps

  Not hit

  Crosses the shoulder - hit best with arms overhead.

• Outer triceps

  Hit

  Lateral head - hit hardest with pronated pushdown.

• Inner triceps

  Hit

  Medial head workhorse - always involved, peaks at lockout.

The movement

Get it right, not roughly right.

Optimal form

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4:12· Renshaw's Personal Training

Close Grip Bench Press - The Right Way For BIGGER Triceps

Hands shoulder-width, elbows tucked at ~45° to your sides. Bar to lower chest, drive up by extending the elbows, not by flaring.

Common mistakes

• Going TOO close - wrists pay the price, not the triceps.
• Flaring elbows - turns it into a regular bench.

Where you should feel it

Triceps lockout work - chest is along for the ride.

Injury risk · 3/10

SafetyGoing TOO close torches the wrists, not the triceps - keep hands at least shoulder-width. Tuck the elbows; flaring turns this into a worse bench press.

Progression

Step back, or step up.

Same movement family, different rung. Harder versions sit above, easier versions below — tap a rung to land there.

1. Progress toJM pressHeaviest direct triceps loading with a barbell.
2. You're hereClose-grip Bench Press
3. Step back toTriceps pushdownSame elbow extension at half the stability cost.
4. Step back toBench dipBodyweight lockout work - earn the bar.

Variations

Same movement, moved emphasis.

Ranked by how directly each variation still trains triceps. 80%+ means the target barely changes. Below 60%, the emphasis has meaningfully shifted — useful for variety, but less precise for the specific part. The label calls it at a glance.

• Floor press, close grip

  ROM cut at upper-arm-on-floor.

  90% on target

  On target

  Same target, minor adjustment.

• Smith machine close grip

  Vertical bar path.

  80% on target

  On target

  Same target, minor adjustment.

Cool-down

Worked it. Walk it back down.

A couple of minutes here pays back in soreness avoided tomorrow. Browse the full library.

• Doorway Pec Stretch

  Forearm against doorway, elbow at shoulder height. Step the same-side foot through. 45s per side.

  ChestFront delts

• Cobra Pose

  Lying face-down, hands under the shoulders. Press the chest up by extending the back. Hips stay on the floor. 30s. Antidote to a long day of crunches and sitting.

  AbsFront deltsChest

• Downward Dog

  Hands and feet on the floor, hips in the air making an inverted V. Press the heels toward the floor. Pedal the heels alternately for a stronger calf stretch. 45s.

  CalvesHamstringsLatsFront delts