horizontal push
Close-Grip Bench Press
triceps · chest · shoulders
barbell · bench · intermediate
How to do it
- 1Grip the bar about shoulder width.
- 2Lower to the lower chest keeping your elbows close to your sides, then press up.
What to think about
- Elbows tucked, not flared.
What usually goes wrong
- Gripping so narrowly that the wrists are strained.
Worth knowing
- A narrow grip loads the elbows. If they ache the next day, back the weight off rather than adding to it.
Watch it
Instead of this
DipsAlso trains triceps, through a different movement. It is the closest match you can do.Cable Overhead Triceps ExtensionAlso trains triceps, through a different movement. It is the closest match you can do.Overhead Dumbbell Triceps ExtensionAlso trains triceps, through a different movement. It is the closest match you can do.Triceps Rope PushdownAlso trains triceps, through a different movement. It is the closest match you can do.
What the cautions rest on
The safety points above come from these, not from house opinion.
- Strength and muscle gain require progressively increasing demand over time.
- Weight training carries a low injury rate compared with most field and contact sports.
- Holding your breath through a heavy rep raises blood pressure sharply, which matters most for people carrying cardiovascular risk.
- Free weights carried over the head or trunk need a spotter or a catch mechanism, and equipment needs checking before it is loaded.
Who checked this
Nobody qualified has. These are standard coaching points and ordinary gym safety, written down: how to set the thing up, what to control, and when to stop a set. They are not a clinical opinion and no physiotherapist or strength coach has read them back. If they disagree with somebody who can actually see you lift, believe that person.