How to Do Close a Grip Bench Press for Triceps
A barrel-looking chest and big arms are the dreams of many aspiring bodybuilders. Luckily, you can hit both of these muscle groups when performing the close-grip bench press.
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Instructions
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Find a weight that you can easily handle for at least eight repetitions. Lay on a flat bench with your chest lined up underneath the barbell. Place your feet flat on the floor with your back flat against the bench. Throughout this exercise, it is important to keep your back flat and not arch it at all. If you find that you are elevating your back, then lower the amount of weight you are using.
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Grasp the barbell with a narrower grip than you normally would on the bench press. Using a grip that is shoulder width will usually do the trick. Lift the bar off the pins, holding the barbell so that the bar is lined up across the middle of your chest. This position, with your arms fully extended, will be your starting position.
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Slowly lower the bar to your chest, feeling the contraction and the squeeze in your tricep muscles. You also will feel a contraction in your chest, as this exercise hits both muscles. You should feel it more so in your tricep muscles. Once you have lowered it and you have reached your chest, be sure not to let it lay on your chest too long. Letting the bar touch your chest for just a second is ample time.
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Slowly lift the bar off your chest and push back to get your arms fully extended again, but keep your elbows slightly bent. When you are pushing up, be sure to try to keep your arms in the straight up-and-down range of motion to maximize the effectiveness of the exercise.
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Reaching full extension again and returning to the starting position, you can begin your second repetition. Repeat for eight repetitions, and then re-rack the bar on the pins.
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Tips & Warnings
Start off with a light weight to avoid injury, and get used to the movement.
