Incline Close Grip Barbell Bench Press

Incline Close Grip Barbell Bench Press Basics

Primary muscles worked: Triceps, Pecs

Synergist Muscles: Deltoids

Mechanics: Compound

Equipment: Barbell, Incline Bench

How To Perform The Incline Close Grip Barbell Bench Press

• Set up for the incline close grip bench press by laying with your back flat on an incline bench with your feet flat on the floor.
• Grip the barbell with a "close grip" which simply means you hands should be spaced 3 to 6 inches inside shoulder width on each side.
• Next, unrack the weight so that it is directly over the middle of your chest with your arms fully extended.
• Now, lower the bar towards your chest by bending your elbows and bringing your arms down towards the side of the body.
• When the bar touches your chest, immediately press the weight back up so that your arms return to full extension. This will require significantly more tricep strength than the incline barbell bench press so you may need to adjust the weight accordingly.

Incline Close Grip Barbell Bench Press Tips

• Make sure you keep your feet and back flat on the floor and bench, respectively, throughout the whole lift. Doing this will increase the curve in your back and could lead to back injury.
• As you perform the lift, make sure that your elbows stay tight to your body.

Incline Close Grip Barbell Bench Press and Sports Application

The incline close grip barbell bench press is a variation of the traditional barbell bench press. This means that it too is a variation of sports maneuvers such as pass protection in football, punching in boxing, and chest passing in basketball to name a few. With this particular exercise, emphasis is placed more on the triceps. This can improve coordination between tricep and pec which may result in efficient more powerful movements when extending the arm.