Close-grip Bench Press
One of the most effective movements in the entire triceps exercise inventory is the close-grip
bench press exercise. This highly beneficial movement is a favorite of many long-time trainees as it involves all three heads of the triceps brachii (though it should be noted that the long head is not as strongly activated as the lateral and medial heads).
The close-grip bench press provides for a large sweeping muscle mass of the posterior portion of the upper arm.
Intelligent Weight Selection Required
In order to establish a sound fundamental
the base of operation for the close-grip
bench press it is necessary for the trainee to
understand that the close-grip bench press
exercise is performed for the triceps while
the conventional bench press exercise is
performed for the chest.
The chest is far more powerful than are the triceps.
It is senseless to attempt to work with poundages
on the close-grip bench press movement
that approximate those employed during
conventional bench press applications.
Shoulder and elbow-joint injuries can easily
occur from the use of ill-advised poundages
and at best, the little result will be gained by the
intended muscles (triceps) if too much
weight is used for this movement as the
elbows will be encouraged to flare out and
there will be strong incorporation of the
chest muscles during the execution of the
the movement which reduces the effectiveness
of the exercise on the desired region of the
triceps.
Elbow Position Vitally Important
The close-grip bench press movement
incorporates the strong involvement of the
chest and, as such, the close-grip movement
should not be applied to a program that
sees the trainee working triceps following a
chest day as this would encourage an
over-training burden on the muscle.
In order to alleviate the activation of the chest
muscles it is imperative that the elbows be
kept in toward the body in order to provide
for maximal stimulation of the triceps and not be allowed to flare out to the sides
which would highly activate the chest.
Proper resistance selection will go a long way toward determining the ability of the trainee to apply and maintain the desired “tucked” elbow
position throughout the execution of the exercise.
Strong Neural-Impulsing Essential
The close-grip bench press, while a very effective movement for the triceps also incorporates the
strong activation of the shoulders as well as the muscles of the chest. Intense concentration is required
in order to allow for the trainee to apply a powerful mind/muscle connection with the triceps
in an effort to divert the onus of attention away from the shoulders and chest and into the desired area
of the triceps. In addition, the close grip application does not provide for a readily applied balancing
of the bar. Should fatigue set in, and the muscles begin to respond in sporadic fashion, there is tremendous
pressure placed upon the shoulders. Maintaining a balance of the bar is difficult and the
shoulders could easily be duressed to the point of injury which further dictates that strong impulsing
must be directed to the triceps in order to avoid the increasing emphasis that will be placed upon the
shoulders during the completion of the set.
Considerations for Concentric Finish Position
You will want to avoid the tendency to snap the bar into the “finish” position. There are many
expert trainers who advocate the concept of incomplete finish position extensions. The basis for
their thinking is actually two-fold: the fully-extended position can invoke injuries upon the shoulder joint;
the less than fully extended position provides for the implementation of the “continuous tension”
concept. The concept of locking-out should not be compared with improper “snapping-out”
applications that can cause injuries. “Locking-out” is a normal approach to training and need not
cause injuries of any kind while “snapping-out” should be avoided at all times as such applications can easily create serious injury to the muscles and to the joints. The considerations for the necessity of avoiding the “snapping-out” flaw in technique, is even more greatly emphasized during close-grip applications than would be the case during regular bench pressing due to the increased emphasis that close-grip pressing exerts upon the shoulders.
Summary of Correct Exercise Execution
- Assume the correct preparatory position by lying down on a supine bench with the feet placed securely on the floor. Remember, no tip-toes on the pressing movements. If you are unable to reach the floor then use a raised platform for the feet. The hips, back, and head should be in contact with the bench.
- Prepare for the proper positioning of the weight by reaching up and grasping the bar in a close (4-6 inches apart) pronated grip. Remember the closer the grip the greater the accentuation upon the triceps while wider grips encourage the involvement of the chest muscles.
- Lift the bar from the cradle and while keeping the elbows in tight to the body, press the bar up-ward to the fully extended position. The bar should be aligned with the mid-point of the chest.
- Initiate the eccentric contraction phase of the movement by slowly lowering the weight to the mid-point of the chest. Remember to keep the elbows tucked into the sides during the movement.
- Complete the eccentric contraction phase by lowering the weight to the mid-point of the chest
gently touching the chest with the bar at the eccentric phase finish position. There is a strong
tendency to bounce the bar off the chest at the completion of the eccentric phase and you will
need to concentrate fully in order to avoid this common pitfall. - You will want to check to make certain that the elbows are tucked into the body and down near
the rib cage as opposed to flared out and high up near the chest in order to ensure maximum accentuation
of the triceps. - Begin the concentric contraction phase by slowly extending the arms upward. It is essential that
the elbows remain down and in and not up and out and that the elbows are forward under the
bar not behind it. - Complete the concentric contraction phase of the movement by extending the arms to their fully-
locked out position. You will of course want to avoid the aforementioned flaw of “snapping out”
at the conclusion of the movement.
Keys to the Lift
- The elbows must be placed and maintained in the proper down and in as well as forward under the bar (not behind it) position throughout the entire execution of the exercise.
- Do not bounce at the conclusion of the eccentric contraction phase.
- Do not “snap-out” at the conclusion of the concentric contraction phase