Exercise guide · evidence-graded

Close Grip Bench Press

The close-grip bench press is a flat barbell bench press with the hands about shoulder-width apart instead of wider. The narrower grip shifts more of the work to the triceps while the chest and front shoulders still contribute, and it is the standard heavy barbell press for triceps and lockout strength.

Also called: CGBP, Close Grip Bench, Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press, Narrow-Grip Bench Press · Equipment: barbell · Pattern: push

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How to do it

Step by step

  1. Lie on the bench with your eyes directly under the bar and your feet planted flat on the floor.
  2. Grip the bar about shoulder-width apart, index fingers roughly on the inner edge of the knurling. Wrap your thumbs round the bar and set it low in your palms over the forearm bones, wrists stacked and not bent back.
  3. Pull your shoulder blades back and down into the bench and keep your upper back tight.
  4. Take a big breath, brace your trunk and unrack the bar with straight arms. Move it forward until it sits over your shoulders.
  5. Bring the bar down under control to the bottom of your breastbone, elbows tucked about 30–45° from your sides and forearms close to vertical.
  6. Touch your chest with control, then press up and slightly back so the bar finishes over your shoulders with your elbows fully straight.
  7. Re-brace at the top before each rep. After the last rep, move the bar back until it touches the uprights, then set it down into the hooks.
Coaching cues
  • Hands about shoulder-width, wrists stacked
  • Elbows tucked about 30–45° from your sides
  • Bar to the bottom of your breastbone
  • Shoulder blades pinned back and down
  • Press up and back to full lockout

In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.

Muscles worked

What it trains

MuscleRoleEvidence
Triceps brachii: lateral headPrime moverC
Triceps brachii: medial headPrime moverC
Pectoralis major: sternocostal (mid)SecondaryC
Anterior deltoidSecondaryC
Triceps brachii: long headSecondaryC
Pectoralis major: clavicular (upper)SecondaryC

Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.

Common faults

What goes wrong, and the fix

Grip too narrow

Fix: Grip about shoulder-width, index fingers near the inner edge of the knurling.

Elbows flaring out

Fix: Keep your elbows tucked about 30–45° from your sides on every rep.

Wrists bent back

Fix: Set the bar low in the palm over the forearm bones, with wrists stacked.

Bouncing the bar off the chest

Fix: Touch the chest with control, hold tension, then press from a brief, solid touch.

Finishing short of lockout

Fix: Finish every rep with your elbows fully straight before starting the next.

Bar drifting towards the face

Fix: Touch the bottom of your breastbone, then press up and back to finish over your shoulders.

Programming

What the research says

Strength · first choiceMuscle growth · first choiceGeneral fitness · first choicePowerSport performanceEnduranceFat loss & conditioning

  • Load by goal — Research comparing loads finds maximal strength favours heavier loads (about 8 reps or fewer per set), while muscle growth is similar across a wide range of loads when sets finish close to failure.
  • Effort — Studies show sets that finish a few reps short of failure capture most of the size benefit, and strength gains appear largely insensitive to how close to failure you train. Lifters training close to failure under a fixed bar commonly use a spotter or safety arms.
  • Volume and frequency — Research links more weekly sets for a muscle to more growth, with diminishing returns. Around 10 or more hard sets a week has been associated with more growth than fewer than 5, and training a muscle about twice a week is a common way to spread that volume.
  • Rest — In trained lifters, rests of about 3 minutes between sets have produced greater strength and size gains than 1-minute rests, largely because each set can carry more load.
  • Grip width — EMG studies find a narrower grip raises triceps activation and slightly shifts work away from the chest, but the differences are small. There is no direct research comparing grip widths for long-term triceps growth.
Alternatives · VALDA FLEX

Swap it mid-workout

With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.

Log the close grip bench press in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.

General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.