Close-Grip Bench Press

The close-grip bench press uses a grip spacing of roughly shoulder width — hands inside the smooth rings on a standard powerlifting bar, but not so narrow that the wrists collapse. The narrower grip lengthens the lever arm for the triceps and shortens it for the pectorals, so the lift biases the triceps and anterior deltoids.

Elbows travel closer to the ribcage on the descent instead of flaring wide. The bar path is slightly more vertical and tends to touch lower on the sternum or upper abdomen than a competition bench. That elbow path is also the same pattern used in overhead pressing — which is why close-grip bench is a common supplemental lift for overhead press progress.

As a supplemental lift, close-grip bench pairs well with any pressing program. 5/3/1 variants often program it as an assistance lift for both the bench and the overhead press. Working loads are typically 80 to 90 percent of a normal bench for the same rep targets — the weight comes down fast as the grip narrows.

In LiftProof, close-grip bench is tracked as its own lift. It will lag the standard bench by a consistent percentage, which is useful diagnostic information: a close-grip that climbs faster than the standard bench suggests the standard bench is chest-limited; a standard bench that climbs faster suggests it is tricep-limited.

• Grip roughly shoulder width — hands inside the rings on a standard bar
• Elbows tucked to 30 to 45 degrees from the ribcage — not flared, not pinned
• Bar touches low on the sternum or upper abdomen — not the collarbone
• Drive through the triceps — think "push the bench away" more than "push the bar up"
• Lock out aggressively — triceps do the majority of the work in the last third

• Grip too narrow — wrists collapse inward and the load on the wrist joint becomes unsafe
• Flared elbows — you lose the triceps emphasis and put the shoulder in a compromised position
• Using a regular bench weight — the working load for close-grip is measurably lower
• Ignoring wrist pain — a narrow grip that hurts means the grip is too narrow for your anthropometry

• bench press→
• dips→
• tricep pushdown→