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Exercises

Close-grip bench press: grip width, form, and how to program it for triceps

Published October 19, 2026

The close-grip bench press is a barbell bench press with your hands about shoulder-width apart instead of wider. The narrower grip keeps your elbows closer to your body, which makes the triceps do more of the pressing while your chest and front shoulders still help. Grip at shoulder width, not with your hands touching, lower the bar to the bottom of your chest with your elbows tucked, and press it back up over your shoulders.

Your last close-grip bench press set

How to do the close-grip bench press

It is the heaviest way to load the triceps, since your chest and shoulders still help move the bar. That makes it a strong first exercise on triceps day and a useful bench variation for anyone whose press stalls near lockout.

Steps

  1. Lie back on the bench, eyes under the bar, feet planted, and squeeze your shoulder blades together and down into the bench.
  2. Take the bar with your hands about shoulder width apart, so your forearms are vertical when the bar is on your chest.
  3. Lift the bar out of the rack and hold it over your shoulders with your arms locked.
  4. Lower it to the lower part of your chest, letting your elbows travel down close to your sides at roughly a 30 to 45 degree angle from your torso.
  5. Press the bar back up and slightly toward your face until your arms lock out over your shoulders.

Cues

  • Hands at shoulder width
  • Elbows tucked, not pinned
  • Bar to the base of the chest

Common mistakes

  • Gripping so narrow your hands nearly touch: that bends the wrists and loads them, not the triceps. Shoulder width is close enough.
  • Flaring the elbows out wide: that turns it back into a regular bench press. Keep them pointing down toward your hips.
  • Bouncing the bar off your chest: touch lightly and press, so the triceps start the rep instead of momentum.

Swap for: JM Press, Close-Grip Push-Up, Machine Triceps Dip

Muscles the close-grip bench press works

The close-grip bench press works the triceps, chest and front deltoids. Compared with a regular grip it shifts more of the work to the triceps and the inner part of the chest movement, but the chest still contributes a lot. Your upper back and legs hold your position on the bench.

Sets, reps and reps in reserve for the close-grip bench press

GoalSets × repsRIRRest
Build triceps 3–4 × 6–10 1–2 2 min
Do it first on triceps day and follow with an isolation exercise.
Bench press support 3–5 × 4–6 2 2–3 min
Use it after your main bench to build lockout strength.
Higher reps 2–3 × 10–15 1–2 90 s
Good with a lighter bar when your elbows prefer fewer heavy sets.

Close-grip bench press variations

  • JM Press start position

    JM Press

    Lower the bar toward your chin with your elbows forward when you want a press that is even more triceps.

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  • Floor Press start position

    Floor Press

    Press from the floor when you have no bench or want to cut the range and focus on lockout.

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  • Close-Grip Push-Up start position

    Close-Grip Push-Up

    Do close-hand push-ups when you have no barbell; raise your feet to make them harder.

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Close-grip bench press alternatives

Other triceps presses

  • Machine Triceps Dip start position

    Machine Triceps Dip

    Use the dip machine when you want heavy triceps pressing without balancing a bar.

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  • Bench Dip start position

    Bench Dip

    Dip off a bench with your hands behind you when you only have bodyweight.

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Triceps isolation

  • EZ-Bar Skullcrusher start position

    EZ-Bar Skullcrusher

    Lower an EZ bar toward your forehead when you want triceps work without the chest helping.

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  • Cable Cross Pushdown start position

    Cable Cross Pushdown

    Use the cables for pushdowns when you want light, steady tension after your presses.

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Regular grip

  • Barbell Bench Press start position

    Barbell Bench Press

    Take a wider grip when your goal is the chest or the most weight on the bar.

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How close should your grip be?

Shoulder width is the usual answer: your index fingers at about the edge of your shoulders, or roughly a hand's width inside your normal bench grip. That is already narrow enough to bring the triceps in. Going narrower adds wrist strain without adding much triceps work. If your wrists or elbows complain, widen your grip by a finger at a time until they do not.

Why is the close-grip bench harder?

With your hands in, the bar travels a little farther and the chest has less leverage, so the smaller triceps do a bigger share. Most people close-grip around 10 to 20 percent less than their regular bench. That gap is normal and is part of why the lift builds the triceps.

Questions

How close should a close-grip bench press be?

About shoulder width. Your forearms should be vertical with the bar on your chest. Hands touching or a few inches apart only strain the wrists.

Why is a close-grip bench so much harder?

The bar travels farther and the chest has less leverage, so the triceps carry more of the load. Expect to use somewhat less weight than on your regular bench.

What muscles does the close-grip bench press work?

The triceps, chest and front shoulders, with more triceps than a regular-grip bench press.

Is the close-grip bench press good for triceps?

Yes. It is one of the few triceps exercises you can load heavy, so it works well as the first exercise on triceps or arm day.

How do you do a close-grip dumbbell press?

Hold two dumbbells with palms facing each other and the dumbbells touching over your chest, then press with your elbows tucked. It is a lighter way to get a similar triceps emphasis.

Should elbows be tucked on close-grip bench?

Tucked toward your sides, not pinned against them. An angle of roughly 30 to 45 degrees from your body is comfortable for most people.