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Barbell Close-Grip Bench Press

Do you need help building bigger triceps? Then maybe it is time to try the barbell close-grip bench press. As an upper-body compound lift, it targets the triceps, shoulders, and chest, shaping powerful-looking arms.

Today, we will show you how to do the barbell close-grip bench press. We cover techniques, professional tips, anatomy, and more. 

How To Do

  1. Place a suitable barbell on the bench press. Add the weight plates and fasten them with barbell collars. 
  2. Sit on the end of the bench and lie back so the barbell is directly over your eye-line. 
  3. Position your feet firmly on the floor, flat and shoulder-width apart.
  4. Grasp the barbell using an overhand grip chest-width apart so your arms align with your shoulders.
  5. Push the barbell off the rack and bring it over your chest.
  6. With your elbows tucked to your side, bend your elbows and lower the barbell to your chest.
  7. Once it reaches the chest, press the barbell until your arms are straight, returning to the starting position.

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Tips From Expert

  • Form a solid base by placing your feet flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart. This will help you press from a stable base, improving your lifting capacity.   
  • Keep your elbows tucked to your sides, and concentrate on extending at the elbow as you press the barbell. This will stop your shoulders from taking over and improve tricep isolation. 
  • Before unracking the barbell, tense your core muscles. When you unrack the barbell, inhale as you lower the barbell, and exhale as you press.

Optimal Sets and Reps

Set and repetition ranges can vary based on your training goals. Below are load recommendations for strength, hypertrophy, endurance, and power.

Training TypeSetsReps
Strength Training3–54–6
Hypertrophy3–48–12
Endurance Training3–415+
Power Training3–51–5
Optimal Sets & Reps of Barbell Close-Grip Bench Press

How to Put in Your Workout Split

The barbell close-grip bench press is a powerful mass builder. Primarily targeting the triceps, it also engages the shoulders and chest, which makes it great for increasing lean muscle mass.

Below is a list of training splits that work well with the barbell close-grip bench press. 

- Complete-Body — The barbell close-grip bench press targets multiple muscle groups, making it a great fit for your complete-body workout. Add it after your standard bench press or at the end of your workout alongside your arm exercises. 

For hypertrophy, perform sets of 8–12 repetitions at moderate to high intensity at 60%–80% of your one repetition maximum. Your 1RM is the maximum amount of weight you can lift for one repetition with proper form. Allow for a 45–60 second rest between sets. 

- Bro Split — The barbell close-grip bench press is a great exercise to add to your chest or arm day. Consider adding it in the middle of your chest day or at the end of your barbell shoulder workout.  This ensures you reserve the bulk of your energy for your bigger lifts.

- Push/Pull — The barbell close-grip bench press slots perfectly into your push-day workout. The push-and-pull split is movement-based. Add it to your push day after squats and bench presses to save energy for your bigger compound lifts.

Push and pull splits are great for developing strength. For strength, perform sets of 4–6 repetitions at 80%–100% of your 1RM. Allow 2–3 minutes of rest between sets.

*Expert tip: To boost tricep growth, consider adding the barbell close-grip bench press to both your chest and arms days. This will increase your training volume, which has been shown to enhance hypertrophy. 

Primary Muscle Groups

Triceps Lateral Heads

Muscles located on the back of your arm between your shoulder and elbow.

Triceps Lateral Heads

The triceps brachii is situated on the back of the upper arm. This muscle consists of three heads;  the lateral head, medial head, and short head.

The triceps lateral head can be found on the outer side of your upper arm. It attaches the upper arm bone (humerus) and the forearm bone (ulna). Its primary function is to extend the elbow and straighten the arm. 

The triceps’ muscle activation rate is 77.6% during the close-grip press, compared to 68.8% during a wide-grip press. Thus, the barbell close-grip bench press is better for triceps activation.    

When we perform the barbell close-grip bench press, the triceps lateral head concentrically lifts the barbell away from our chest. As we lower, the muscle eccentrically lengthens to control the descent. 

Secondary Muscle Groups

Clavicular Head of Pectoralis Major

Muscles located at the top of your chest, running from your armpit to collar bone. Smaller portion of your chest muscle.

Sternal Head of Pectoralis Major

Large muscles located underneath your clavicle head. Makes up most of your chest area

Serratus Anterior

Small, fan shaped muscle that lies deep under your chest and scapula.

Anterior Deltoid

Muscles located at the front of your shoulder region

Triceps Medial Heads

Small muscles located at the back of your arms. Deep to the triceps long heads between the shoulder and elbow.

Triceps Long Heads

Large muscles located at the back of your arms between your shoulder and elbow. Most outside portion of the tricep.

Anterior Deltoid 

Located at the front of the shoulder is the anterior deltoid. It originates from the front of the collarbone and inserts into the humerus. Its primary function is to lift the arm in front and above the body.

During the barbell close-grip press, the anterior deltoid contracts to stabilize and hold the arm vertically. 

As we begin to lower the barbell to our chest, the anterior deltoid eccentrically lengthens. From here, it contracts, working alongside the triceps to push the bar back up. 

During the close-grip press, the average muscle activation rate for the anterior deltoid is 111.4%. Similar values are shown with the wide-grip press, which has an activation rate of 111.9%. This shows just how effective the barbell close-grip bench press is for targeting the anterior deltoid. 

Clavicular Head Of Pectoralis Major 

The clavicular head of the pectoralis major is the upper portion of the chest, just beneath the collarbone. It attaches the front of the collarbone and the top half of the humerus. Its main function is to bring the arm across the body. 

At the beginning of the barbell close-grip bench press, the clavicular head is active. It supports the shoulder and stabilizes the arm.

During the lowering phase, the clavicular head lengthens, allowing us to control the barbell down to our chest. When it makes contact with the chest, the clavicular head contracts and shortens to press the barbell up. 

The average muscle activation rate for the clavicular head was 103.8% during the barbell close-grip press. This is compared to the average muscle activation of 99.3% during a wide-grip press.  

Sternal Head Of Pectoralis Major 

The sternal head of the pectoralis major is beneath the clavicular head. It originates from the sternum in the middle of the chest and inserts into the top half of the humerus. Its primary function is to bring the arm across the body.

When performing the barbell close-grip bench press, the sternal head fibers are active, holding the humerus vertically.

As we lower the barbell, they begin to elongate, providing control for the lowering phase. During the upward phase, the sternal head contracts, working alongside the shoulders and triceps to press the barbell.

The average muscle activation rate for the sternal head was 125.7% during the barbell close-grip bench press. This is compared to the average muscle activation rate of 113.5% during the wide-grip press.

Triceps Medial Heads 

The triceps medial head is located in the middle of the back of the upper arm. It originates from the back of the upper arm and is inserted at the elbow. Its primary function is to extend (straighten) the elbow.

When the barbell is over our chest with our arms straight, the triceps medial head is active. It works to keep the arms extended. As we lower the barbell and bend our elbows, the triceps medial head eccentrically lengthens. This allows us to lower the barbell with control. 

Once it reaches our chest, the tricep medial head contracts to extend the elbow. This straightens the arm and presses the barbell back up to the starting position. 

Triceps Long Heads 

Your triceps long head is situated on the inner side of the back of the upper arm. Attaching to the scapula and the elbow, this portion of the triceps extends the elbow and stabilizes the shoulder. 

During the barbell close-grip bench press, the triceps long head keeps our elbows tucked to our sides. As we lower the barbell, the long head fibers lengthen. Once the barbell reaches the chest, it contracts, shortening to extend the elbow as we press.   

Serratus Anterior 

The serratus anterior is a fan-shaped muscle that runs across the front of the rib cage under the armpit. It originates from the front of the 8th or 9th rib and inserts into the underside of the shoulder blade. Its primary function is to hold the scapula against the rib cage and provide stability.

When we hold the barbell over our chest, the serratus anterior contracts, stabilizing the scapula and shoulder. As we lower the barbell, it eccentrically lengthens while continuing to provide stability.

Once the barbell meets our chest, the serratus anterior shortens as we press the barbell through the upward phase.

Equipment

Barbell

Flat Bech With Rack

Barbell

You can use this for a range of arm exercises. Ensure the seat is at the right height. A good alternative would be the incline bench.

Flat Bech With Rack

This is great for pressing and pulling movements. Ensure the safety catch is firmly locked in. If you can't find this bench, use one with a rack for barbell exercises.

Variations

Exercises that target the same primary muscle groups and require the same equipment.

Dumbbell Close-Grip Press

Barbell Overhead Tricep Extension

Alternatives

Exercises that target the same primary muscle groups and require the different equipment.

Triceps Dips

Diamond Push-Up

Chair Tricep Dip

Close-Grip Push-Up

Crab Walk

Knee Diamond Push-Up

Ring Dip

Cable Tricep Pushdown

Overhead Cable Tricep Extension

Rope Tricep Extension

Who Should Do?

Bodybuilders

Bodybuilding’s main focus is to build bigger muscles and improve symmetry for aesthetic appeal. This requires a progressive overload of muscle tissue by increasing sets, repetitions, and intensity. 

The barbell close-grip bench press is a large multi-joint movement that targets many muscle groups. The barbell’s weight capacity allows for a heavy load, which can be performed at high intensity. This increases the stimulus to the triceps, chest, and shoulder for serious growth.

This makes it the perfect inclusion for your barbell tricep workout.

The General Population

The barbell close-grip press is an excellent exercise for the general population. The average gym-goer should aim to build muscle and improve function using compound and isolation lifts.

Compound lifts are fantastic as they target many muscle groups, making you stronger and more functional overall. This means we can increase the load placed on our body for greater stimulus and muscle growth.  

The barbell close-grip bench press allows you to target more muscle groups simultaneously. This means you can push a heavier load, stimulating greater growth while improving upper body strength and function. 

This makes it a great addition for a complete-body or barbell arm workout.     

Who Should Not Do?

People With Elbow Tendinopathy

If you’re experiencing pain on the inner side or outside of your elbow, avoid the barbell close-grip bench press. Tendinopathy is an overuse condition where the tendons become inflamed.

Tendons on either side of the forearm are attachment points for your forearm and hand muscles.

Pain on either side of the elbow can make it difficult to grip and grasp the barbell. 

Elbow tendinopathies can make it difficult to hold the bar during the barbell close-grip press, leading to poor technique or further injury.

People With Shoulder Capsule Damage

People with shoulder capsule damage should avoid the barbell close-grip bench press. Characterized by instability, deep pain, catching, and locking, it may cause issues during the press movement.

The barbell close-grip press has a narrow grip position which can reduce the freedom of movement at the shoulder. This fixed position can place stress on the shoulder, leading to poor technique or further damage.

Benefits Of The Barbell Close-Grip Bench Press

Builds Muscle 

Building muscle requires a significant stimulus to promote growth. This can be done by progressively overloading muscle tissue through increasing intensity, weight, sets, and repetition.

Unlike other tricep exercises, the barbell close-grip bench press is a large compound lift that engages many upper body muscles. This makes it a stronger movement than a standard isolation exercise, meaning you can apply a heavier load. 

Improves Physique 

Improving physique is a combination of increasing muscle mass and reducing body fat. As mentioned, compound exercises are brilliant for increasing load. Additionally, they are great for targeting more muscle groups and increasing energy expenditure during and up to 72 hours post-workout. 

The barbell close-grip bench press targets many muscle groups, increasing stimulus. This is great for growth. Combined with proper nutrition, the barbell close-grip bench press will help improve your physique. 

Great For Beginners

As a beginner, your focus should be on safely applying a stimulus to your muscle for growth and function. However, not all exercises are safe to perform as a novice. Some exercises can be complex and require attention to detail to avoid injury. 

The barbell close-grip bench press is incredibly safe, as it can be done using a bench with little weight. Beginners can easily add this to their training to increase the variety and increase volume of their upper body training.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the close-grip bench press work?

The barbell close-grip bench press works the triceps, shoulders, chest, and serratus anterior. This makes it an excellent upper-body compound exercise for building muscle mass and strength.

Why is the close-grip bench harder?

The close-grip bench is harder because of the narrow grip position. The narrow grip position decreases shoulder involvement and places greater emphasis on the triceps.

Is close grip easier on shoulders?

The close grip press is easier on the shoulders as the narrow grip places greater focus on the tricep. However, if you have a shoulder injury, the reduced shoulder range of motion may lead to more pain.

What is the bar path for the close-grip bench press?

The bar path for the close-grip bench press begins directly over the shoulders. It is brought down to the nipple line as the elbow flexes to a 90-degree angle before returning in reverse.

Resources

Endomondo.com refrains from utilizing tertiary references. We uphold stringent sourcing criteria and depend on peer-reviewed studies and academic research conducted by medical associations and institutions. For more detailed insights, you can explore further by reading our editorial process.

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