EXERCISE · BARBELL
Close-Grip Bench Press
ChestShouldersArms
The mistake people bring over from a normal bench press is letting their elbows flare out wide — do that here and you lose the entire point of the close grip. Keep your hands just inside shoulder-width and your elbows tracking down your sides, close to your ribs, on the way down. Lower the bar to your lower chest under control, elbows brushing your body, then press back up along the same path. You'll feel your triceps working much harder than on a standard bench press, with your chest and shoulders playing a smaller supporting role. Don't go so narrow that your wrists bend backward under the load — that shifts strain into your wrists instead of your arms.