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Close Grip Bench Press Guide & Progress Tracker

Learn the close grip bench press: grip width, elbow position and bar path in plain English, a coaching video, answers to common questions, and free close grip bench progress tracking.

Log Close Grip Bench Press
Close Grip Bench Press Diagram

Close Grip Bench Press technique

Lie on a flat bench, grip the bar with your hands about shoulder width apart, lower it to your lower chest with your elbows close to your sides, then press it back up.
  1. 1Grip about shoulder width, close enough to load the triceps but wide enough to keep the wrists stacked.
  2. 2Set your shoulder blades and plant your feet exactly as you would for a regular bench press.
  3. 3Lower the bar to the bottom of the chest with elbows tucked, then press back up toward the shoulders.

Close Grip Bench Press Video Guide

Close Grip Bench Press: Gym Shorts (How To) · Barbell Logic

Why Lifters Add the Close Grip Bench Press

The close grip bench press is a regular bench press with your hands moved in to about shoulder width. The narrower grip increases the range of motion and shifts more of the work onto the triceps and front shoulders, while almost everything else about the bench stays the same.

That makes it one of the most popular assistance lifts for pressing. Stronger triceps help lock out a heavy bench press and a strict press, and many lifters find the closer grip easier on their shoulders.

Keep your grip about shoulder width. Going much narrower strains the wrists without adding much triceps work. Sets of 5 to 10 reps are a great fit, since the lift rewards clean, controlled volume.

Log your close grip bench sessions and this page tracks your rep PRs, tonnage and progress, ready to compare with your regular bench press.

Third Party Close Grip Bench Press Articles

Why a closer grip

“I much prefer to use a closer grip so that the deltoids and triceps handle the bulk of the effort.”

Bill Starr, The Role of the Bench Press in Strength Training, CrossFit Journal

How close should my grip be on the close grip bench press?

About shoulder width, which on a standard barbell usually puts your hands near the inner edge of the knurling. Going much narrower bends the wrists awkwardly without adding much triceps work.

How much should I close grip bench compared to my bench press?

Most lifters close grip bench a little less than their regular bench, often around 85 to 90 percent of it. A bigger gap usually points to the triceps as the muscle with the most room to grow, which is exactly what this lift trains. Compare your numbers with the bench press guide.

What muscles does the close grip bench press work?

The triceps, front shoulders and chest. Compared with a wider grip, the triceps work through a longer range of motion and the chest contributes a little less.

Is the close grip bench press easier on the shoulders?

Many lifters find it more comfortable, because the elbows stay closer to the body and the shoulder works with better leverage. It is a popular way to keep pressing heavy while a wide grip bench feels cranky.

Where should the bar touch on a close grip bench press?

A little lower on the chest than a regular bench, around the bottom of the sternum, with your elbows tucked closer to your sides.

Can the close grip bench press replace triceps extensions?

It is a great heavy triceps builder, because you can load it far more than an isolation exercise and it carries straight over to the bench press. Many programs use it alongside lighter triceps work rather than instead of it.