What does close grip bench press work?
What does close grip bench press work?
Close grip bench press is an upper body compound exercise that targets your triceps muscles over chest muscles. Your chest and shoulder muscles are only secondary to this exercise. Your chest and shoulders only assist the movement in this form of bench press. Close grip press has the potential for heavier lift loads and maximum strength gains for your triceps.
In this article, we look closer at the close grip bench press and what it actually works.
How so you work these muscles with close grip bench press?
To target your triceps, chest and shoulders with close grip bench press, you need a barbell, bench and some weights.
Lie down on the bench with your feet firmly flat on the ground with your hips and glutes also flat on the bench. Load the weight up on the bar and grasp it around shoulder-width apart or slightly closer.
Lift the bar above your head with your arms locked and the bar over you in line with your chest. Inhale and bend your elbows close to your body until the bar gently touches your chest.
Pause for a fraction of a second then drive your feet into the ground and push the bar off your chest back into the original position.
You should feel the majority of the power coming from your triceps given the position of your arms during the close grip bench.
Exhale at the end of the of the repetition and repeat until the desired amount of reps have been accomplished.
What should you should not do when working on a close grip bench?
There are several things that you should avoid doing when training while performing the close grip bench.
The first thing you should do is make sure that you have a spotter while training under the bench. If you lose control of the weight or the bar for whatever reason, you want to make sure that there is someone there to catch you to help you avoid injury.
When we mentioned touching your chest with the bar while performing the close grip bench press, that does not mean that you should be bouncing it off yourself. Bouncing the weight off your chest can pose a risk to your sternum and also supplements your muscle exertion with momentum – you won’t get the same benefit. If you are struggling too much to get the weight off your chest, you should try a lighter weight.
Make sure you’re also using proper grip. Make sure your thumbs are wrapped around the bar and don’t be tempted to slide them over with your fingers in what is known as a ‘false grip’, it dramatically increases your risk of injury.
Also ensure that you control your breathing and don’t take your hips off the bench.
In summation: This is what close grip bench press works
Close grip bench press when done correctly with proper form can work your triceps, chest and shoulders with an extra emphasis on your triceps by your hands are positioned on the bar.
It is ideal if you’re triceps are lacking in power and you need a heavy weight exercise to help beef them up.
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Paul Pardner is the editor of Bench-Press.net. He is obsessed with lifting weights, and the science of muscle building. Whenever he’s not in the gym attempting to maximize his bench press, he’s online looking for the best ways to optimize his body, strength and overall results.