Triceps · Barbell

Barbell Close Grip Bench Press

The barbell close grip bench press is a compound upper-body exercise that targets the triceps along with the anterior deltoids and pectoralis major. It suits lifters of all experience levels and is best placed at the beginning of a triceps workout or directly after heavy chest presses.

Muscles: Triceps
Equipment: Barbell
Type: Strength
Animation: Men and women

How to do it

Lie on a flat bench with your feet planted firmly on the ground.
Grip the barbell with your hands closer than shoulder-width apart, using an overhand grip.
Inhale and slowly lower the barbell towards the middle of your chest, keeping your elbows close to your sides.
As the barbell approaches your chest, keep your wrists straight and your forearms perpendicular to the floor.
Exhale and press the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms and contracting your triceps.

Common mistakes

Placing the hands excessively close together strains the wrist joints without providing any additional activation for the triceps.
Flaring the elbows out to the sides shifts tension toward the shoulder joints and pectorals instead of the working triceps.
Bouncing the bar off the chest removes mechanical tension from the muscles and introduces injury risk to the sternum.
Lifting the hips off the bench compromises core stability and places unnecessary pressure on the lumbar spine.

Tips

Set your grip roughly shoulder-width apart so that your forearms remain vertical to the floor at the bottom of the rep.
Keep your elbows tucked at roughly a 30 to 45-degree angle relative to your torso throughout the entire range of motion.
Lower the barbell under full control to the lower sternum rather than letting it drop quickly.

Sets and reps

For building triceps strength and hypertrophy, perform 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps with 2 to 3 minutes of rest between sets. For muscular endurance, aim for 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps with 60 to 90 seconds of rest.

Muscles worked

Your coach guides every set

Turn on the coach in Gloox: it asks how you feel, picks the weight from your history and cues technique and rest. Rate each set and the next one is tuned to you.

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Questions

Which muscles are primarily targeted in this exercise?

All three heads of the triceps brachii act as the primary movers, assisted by the anterior deltoids and the sternal head of the pectoralis major.

What should you do if your wrists hurt during the movement?

Widen your grip slightly or switch to an EZ-curl bar to alleviate joint stress, and stop the exercise and consult a specialist if the discomfort persists.

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