How to Do Barbell Close Grip Bench Press

Form Cues

1. 1

   Grip shoulder width or slightly inside, keep elbows tucked at 45 degrees

2. 2

   Lower to lower chest

3. 3

   Keep your wrists straight and stacked over your forearms, not bent back under the bar

4. 4

   Press up and slightly back, finishing with the bar over your shoulders

Common Mistakes

• ●

  Gripping too narrow — causes wrist pain and doesn't increase tricep activation beyond shoulder width

• ●

  Letting elbows flare out wide — that shifts the emphasis back to the chest and away from the triceps

• ●

  Bouncing the bar off the chest instead of a controlled touch-and-press