Exercise guide
Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
The Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press is a flat-bench pressing variation that places greater emphasis on the triceps. The chest and shoulders assist as the bar lowers to the torso and returns to arm's length. The grip is narrower than a conventional bench press but does not need to be extremely close.
Training context
Why use the Close-Grip Bench Press?
The exercise allows the triceps to be trained with more total load than many isolation movements. It can be used as a primary press or as an accessory for improving pressing strength.
A grip around shoulder width works for many lifters. Moving the hands too close can make the wrists uncomfortable without providing an additional triceps benefit.
Technique overview
Keep the wrists stacked over the forearms
Set the shoulders and feet before unracking the bar. Lower toward the middle or lower chest while keeping the wrists above the forearms and the elbows reasonably close to the torso. Press back over the shoulders without allowing the elbows to flare abruptly. Use a spotter or appropriate rack safeties when training near failure.
Treat this as an overview and use a range, pace, and setup you can control.