How to Do a Close-Grip Bench Press
A close-grip bench press is a barbell bench press with your hands about shoulder width apart, 16 inches (40 cm) for an average man. Lower the bar to your lower chest with your elbows tucked, then press it up. It trains the triceps, chest and front delts. Most lifters do 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
- 1Bottom. Hands about shoulder width apart, elbows tucked 30 to 45 degrees from your sides, bar at your lower chest.
- 2Top. Press until your arms are straight over your shoulders, then lower over 2 seconds.
Watch 3 video demonstrations
Find more video demonstrations in the Gravitus app
How to do a close-grip bench press
- Lie on a flat bench with your eyes under the bar, feet flat on the floor, and your shoulder blades pulled back and down.
- Grip the bar overhand with your hands about shoulder width apart, thumbs wrapped around it and wrists stacked over your forearms.
- Unrack the bar and hold it with straight arms over your shoulders.
- Lower it over 2 seconds to your lower chest, keeping your elbows tucked 30 to 45 degrees from your sides. From the side, your forearms stay close to vertical.
- Touch your chest without bouncing and press the bar back up and slightly toward your face until your arms are straight.
How close is close? Grip width and what it changes
To find your close grip, hold your arms straight out to the sides. The gap between your armpits, measured between your index fingers on the bar, is the narrow grip one study used (Saeterbakken 2021); another used shoulder width, 16 in (40 cm) on average (Larsen 2021). At that width, triceps activity matched a medium grip and only dropped with a wide grip (Saeterbakken 2021), and the medial head worked harder with narrow and medium grips than wide (Larsen 2021). The bar also travels farther (Larsen 2021). Chest findings are mixed: one study found less lower chest activity as the grip narrowed (Lehman 2005), another no difference between grips (Saeterbakken 2021).
How much weight should you close-grip bench press?
On Gravitus, the median man lifts 135 lb (60 kg) for 10 reps on the close-grip bench press, and the median woman 60 lb (27.5 kg).
- Most lift
- 110 to 165 lb
- Top 10% lift
- 195 lb or more
- Starting out
- under 110 lb
- Most lift
- 45 to 75 lb
- Top 10% lift
- 95 lb or more
- Starting out
- under 45 lb
- Most lift
- 50 to 75 kg
- Top 10% lift
- 87.5 kg or more
- Starting out
- under 50 kg
- Most lift
- 20 to 35 kg
- Top 10% lift
- 42.5 kg or more
- Starting out
- under 20 kg
Close-grip vs regular bench press: how the weights compare
A close-grip max is about 81% of your regular bench max. We compared the best estimated max of 9,500+ men and 890+ women who log both lifts in Gravitus (Sep 2026). The median man's close-grip max was 81% of his bench, and the median woman's was 80%. The ratio held from lifters benching under 135 lb (60 kg) to those over 275 lb (125 kg). A 225 lb (100 kg) bench predicts a close-grip max of about 180 lb (80 kg).
Lab tests found a smaller gap. With a shoulder-width grip, trained men's 1-rep max was 4.8% lower than with a medium grip (Larsen 2021), and their 6-rep max 7.0% lower (Saeterbakken 2021). Those lifters tested each grip fresh on the same day. In a log, close grip is usually done after the main bench and in higher reps, so the gap is bigger. Start your first session at 75 to 80% of your bench working weight.
Close-grip bench press muscles worked
Close-grip bench press vs bench press vs dips
| Attribute | Close-grip bench press | Bench press | Dips |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hands | About shoulder width | 1.4 to 1.7x shoulder width | On parallel bars |
| Weight you can lift | 81% of your bench, median | Most | Bodyweight plus added load |
| Triceps activity | Same as a medium grip | Same at medium, less when wide | Not measured against the bench |
| Range of motion | Longest bar path | Shorter | Deep shoulder stretch at the bottom |
| Best for | Heavy triceps work, lockout | Most weight, chest | Triceps and chest with little equipment |
Use the close grip as your second press, not a replacement for the bench. Grip studies found the same triceps activity at shoulder width and at a medium grip (Saeterbakken 2021), so the regular bench already works the triceps hard, with more weight. No study has compared close-grip bench and dips for growth; pick the one your shoulders tolerate and you can load steadily.
Close-grip bench claims the research does not back
- "The closer your hands, the more it works your triceps." Triceps activity was the same with a shoulder-width grip and a medium grip, and only dropped with a wide grip (Saeterbakken 2021). Hands touching has not been tested and bends your wrists. Shoulder width is close enough.
- "A close grip takes the chest out of the lift." The chest still works. In trained and novice men, chest activity did not differ between narrow, medium and wide grips (Saeterbakken 2021). One isometric study found less lower chest activity as the grip narrowed (Lehman 2005).
- "Close grip mainly hits the lateral and medial heads." No grip study measured all three heads. Lehman 2005 recorded only the lateral head, and Larsen 2021 found the medial head worked harder with narrow and medium grips than wide. All three heads straighten the elbow.
- "Close grip is only a little lighter than bench." In the lab, 5 to 8% lighter. In Gravitus logs, the median lifter's close-grip max is 81% of their bench.
Sets, reps and progression
Do close-grip bench presses once or twice a week, after your main bench or as the first press on a second upper-body day. Stop each set 1 to 2 reps short of failure. Sets taken close to failure build muscle across a wide range of reps (Schoenfeld 2021), so pick a range you can keep strict.
Touch your chest every rep. In a 10-week bench press study, full reps built more strength than two-thirds or one-third reps (Martínez-Cava 2022). Add reps first: when every set reaches 10, add 5 lb (2.5 kg) and drop back to 6.
Common mistakes
-
Hands too closeYour wrists bend and your elbows flare to reach your chest. Move your hands out to shoulder width.
-
Elbows flared straight outIt turns the lift back into a regular bench with less weight. Keep your elbows 30 to 45 degrees from your sides.
-
Bar lowered to your upper chestWith tucked elbows the bar belongs lower. Touch your lower chest, just below your nipples.
-
Wrists bent backThe bar sits in your fingers and strains the wrist. Set it low in your palm, stacked over your forearm.
-
Bouncing the bar off your chestThe bounce skips the hardest part of the rep. Touch lightly, then press.
Close-grip bench press variations
Questions people ask
What muscles does close grip bench press work?
The triceps most, with the chest and front delts helping. The rotator cuff and serratus anterior keep your shoulders steady, and your forearms keep your wrists straight under the bar.
How close should hands be on close grip bench?
About shoulder width, 16 in (40 cm) apart for an average man, or the gap between your armpits with your arms held out to the sides. That width drew as much triceps activity as a medium grip (Saeterbakken 2021). Hands touching adds wrist strain without evidence of more triceps work.
Is close grip bench good for triceps?
Yes. The median lifter presses 81% of their bench weight on it, a heavy load for the triceps. A regular medium grip drew the same triceps activity in one study (Saeterbakken 2021), so the close grip is a second press, not a triceps shortcut.
Does close grip bench work chest?
Yes. Chest activity did not differ between narrow, medium and wide grips in one study (Saeterbakken 2021). Another found less lower chest activity as the grip narrowed (Lehman 2005), so a regular grip remains the better chest press.
Which head does close grip bench work?
All three heads straighten the elbow. Grip studies measured only one or two of them. The lateral head worked harder as the grip narrowed (Lehman 2005), and the medial head worked harder with narrow and medium grips than wide (Larsen 2021).
Is close grip bench press better than dips for triceps?
No study has compared them for triceps growth. The close-grip bench is easier to load in small jumps, and dips take the shoulder into a deep stretch that some lifters find uncomfortable. Use the one you can progress without pain.
How much weight should I close grip bench press?
For 10 reps, the median on Gravitus is 135 lb (60 kg) for men and 60 lb (27.5 kg) for women. The strongest quarter lifts 165 lb (75 kg) and 75 lb (35 kg) or more.
Log every set and see your percentile on every lift, close-grip bench press included.
Get Gravitus
