If you dont want to bring a measuring tape to the gym, a compromise that I and many others have used is to cut a piece of string to the correct length at home and bring that to the gym. The close grip bench press improves the athletes function in these particular sports by not only inducing muscular hypertrophy and neuromuscular strength gains but also in bodily coordination due to the rather delicate form and control required of the exercise. Interestingly, the subtle changes in this exercise make a big difference in the muscles targeted. Keep your armsshoulder width or even a little inside shoulder width as long as that's comfortable for you. Your elbow position changes, the muscles it targets shift, and your intention for the exercise needs to be approached differently. Effects of Variations of the Bench Press Exercise on the EMG Activity of Five Shoulder Muscles. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol. This drawback is compounded by the fact that your triceps aren't as engaged in this lift, meaning that a lot more stress is added to the shoulders. As such, most individuals will find that the maximum weight they may utilize during a close grip bench press is around half of what they are capable of when performing the traditional bench press instead. The exercise mainly targets your triceps muscles. Other injuries might require you to keep a wide grip and your elbows far out to the sides. By doing a close grip bench press, there will be an increase in tensile strength which further helps elbow extension and improves joint health. This is due to the concept of a form sticking point where said portion of the exercises form abruptly requires an explosive increase in strength output, such as in the bottom of the bench press repetition wherein the exerciser pushes it away from their sternum to complete the concentric portion of the lift. As weve already seen, the close-grip bench press bestows additional strength onto the triceps which then improves elbow extension. After setting up your weight, lie down on the bench and reach up to grab the barbell. Want to give premium a shot? The three most prominent benefits of using the close-grip bench press are however: As you may have noticed, the close-grip bench press is the press to perform if youre looking to strengthen or target your triceps. Overall shoulder health and recovery is essential to anyone lifting, so switching to the close-grip now and again is advisable for any lifter in order to let the shoulders recover whilst not jeopardising bench pressing progress. For some injuries and shoulder nags, this might be more of a close grip bench with your elbows close to your sides. 3. Additionally, the close grip bench press is super easy to set up and to perform. Close grip bench press was voted as the best tricep exercise for increasing your strength and getting more power in your regular bench press. It should be categorized as more of a hybrid motion much like the close-grip bench press and dip that can be used for more triceps involvement depending on how you adjust your hand and elbow positions. Take another breath while in the top position, and repeat for reps. Within the close-grip bench press the clavicular head of the pectoralis major (the part of our pecs closest to our collarbones and shoulders), was found to have increased activation levels when compared to other bench press variations. 1. slightly increase the ROM, and 2.) This will work for some and may be challenging for others. You've got to love compound movements. Biacromial, meaning, the distance between the acromion of your shoulder blades. This targets the triceps and the inner chest. Today's star of the show will have your hands lined up directly in line with your shoulders in a shoulder width grip. 222227, www.biomekhane.com.br/wp-content/uploads/Barnett-1995-Effects-of-variations-of-the-bench-press-exercise-on-the-EMG.pdf, 10.1519/00124278-199511000-00003. Load intensity refers to a given trainees subjective valuation of the heaviness of weight used (i.e. Everything will feel like it's crowding into a small area, and your body likely wont be able to handle it for long. Even though the close grip bench press is full of benefits and is a real diamond in the rough, we understand it may not work for everyone. It simply means that just because you see someone else grip the bar in a specific spot doesnt mean it will give you the same results or work the same way. By reversing the grip, you take some of the strain out of these areas and placing more emphasis on your musculature. Grab the bar with a shoulder-width grip . Read how to smash through it here. It is used for building strength and muscle in the upper body and is most commonly known to target the triceps; however, there are more reasons to try a close grip bench press. The close grip bench press will shift the order of importance. On average, trained individuals seem to be about 56% stronger in the wide grip bench press compared to the close-grip bench press, measured in a 1RM lift.1 2. Here's a look at our five favorite benefits. We are, of course, talking about the triceps, which is actually the largest of your upper arm muscles. Stick to shoulder-width apart. Rinse and repeat. The close grip bench press aids in the overcoming of the sticking point by not only replicating that particular portion of the bench presss form but also by increasing the exercisers explosive strength potential, resulting in a reduced difficulty in said sticking point of the other exercises. Hopefully, you read this article and are now inspired to put the close grip bench press in your upper body workouts routine ASAP. Here are three of our most recent additions: Or, check out all of our bench press programs here. Whether you're in the mood for a push up variation or tricep extensions, we're certain there's an exercise here you'll enjoy. It will take trial and error to see what works best for your body. Youll notice this position allows your elbows to travel slightly farther away from your body (but not as far as a wide grip) so you can get the deep pec stretch at the bottom of the exercise. In my opinion, however, that is no different from stating that the bicep curl has a higher risk of elbow injury than the squat, and the squat has a higher risk of knee injury than the bicep curl. So whats the problem, exactly? All of this is in addition to the extra muscle growth benefits that come with the regular grip bench pressbigger range of motion, more chest activation, better carryover to other . As you may have guessed, the close-grip bench press involves performing the press with your hands much closer together on the bar in a narrower grip. So if you are looking to increase your bench press resistance or just want to build additional mass in your arms, the close-grip bench press could be the perfect fit for your programme. For the best triceps development, a close grip (~1x biacromial width) is preferable, along with direct triceps work. The close-grip bench press works these three particular muscle groups: The front delts, or our anterior deltoids, are the fronts of the shoulders. The tighter tucking in of the elbows with the close grip bench press helps generate more power even if you have longer arms than usual standard bench press bro. For maximum strength, perhaps one session per week focusing on the bench press and another focusing on the board press is ideal. The close grip is a variation of the standard barbell bench press. Since it is a multi-joint move the benefits are two-fold. Lockie RG, Callaghan SJ, Moreno MR, Risso FG, Liu TM, Stage AA, Birmingham-Babauta SA, Stokes JJ, Giuliano DV, Lazar A, Davis DL, Orjalo AJ. 2. Time Efficient Compound exercises, such as the close grip bench press are an efficient use of your time. One of the most talked-about benefits of decline bench training is the effective workout it provides your lower pecs. You can use it to accomplish any of the 3 goals in the bulleted list below: Written directly below is the definition of load intensity, a term that youll see mentioned several times in the ensuing bullet points. That makes this particular benefit particularly attractive to powerlifters who are training the bench press for a competition. But traditional grip tends to occasionally incorporate some bicep activation into the movement. On a standard powerlifting barbell, the ring markings are 81 cm (about 32 inches) apart from each other. It does, however, come with a higher risk of injury. A close grip bench press is one of the best ways to work on arm muscle growth in your chest and triceps. The two most obvious things a narrower grip does to the bench press is 1.) If you skip it, you will likely arch your back and flare your elbows too far to your sides. The Close-Grip Bench Press. Probably the best of all the close grip bench press benefits is the ability to use it to build muscle and/or strength. Once the bar has touched either the chest or the sternum, drive the bar off the torso by engaging the triceps and upper chest. This is a form of dynamic tension training. If youre looking to improve your bench press, our founder, Sally takes you through three ways to improve. Benefits This will allow you to master the form and position with your elbows closer to your body, so you dont have any shoulder pain. Ive been through both situations myself. That means the grip is much more restrictive as the elbows must be tucked into the sides, ultimately making it more difficult when compared to other bench press variations, which offer more space to move. But it is a benefit that deserves mention, nonetheless. The bar path will travel lower toward your rib cage than your sternum. Tricep isolation exercises will help with growth but wont come near the strength gains of the close grip bench. We could go on and on about how great the close grip bench press is. 2. But the benefit of performing the close grip bench press is that your body has to work much harder to perform this exercise correctly, making the demands on the body greater and stimulating more muscle growth. In theclose-grip bench press, the same numbers are 63% vs. 37%. Pippa - Ladies Who Lift, "It's been great - extraordinarily instructive!" Common questions around the close-grip bench press debate both its difficulty level and its performance level. It Is Safe For Your Shoulders 3. Another typical goal for lifters is to increase muscle function and symmetry. For that reason alone it makes a great addition at the end of a . It provides the best carryover to athletic movements like football, basketball, grappling or MMA, rugby, and more. If you switch again and it still hurts, make sure you get it looked at. Inhale, hold your breath, and unrack the bar. You can set up the same for this exercise using a closer grip, but you will get the added benefit of the smith machine acting as a built-in spotter. In addition, close-grip bench presses can be performed with a variety [] Grip the bar at about 1.52x shoulder width. how heavy it feels to the trainee). 3 Benefits of the Close-Grip Bench Press The close-grip bench press offers immense benefits for beginners and athletes alike. Press - Floor - BB - Close Grip Share Watch on Switching variations would give their shoulders a necessary break, and build tricep strength at the same time. First and foremost among the various benefits provided by the close grip bench press is that of a significantly improved athletic ability in the exerciser, whom will find that after repeatedly performing the close grip bench press over a period of time (and when combined with a proper diet and adequate rest) their ability to output upper body explosiveness, power and strength have all increased noticeably. Grip the bar narrower than in a regular bench press, so that your hands are directly above your shoulders or even closer. This version of the bench press is performed with a narrower grip, typically with the hands positioned on the bar a distance equivalent to 95-100% of biacromial distance ( 5,9,28,39 . Position your grip: Start at the top of your press with your hands about shoulder width apart (8-10 in. Note that the widest grip allowed in powerlifting competitions is 81 cm (about 32 in) between your hands. Related reading: Hit a plateau with your bench press? The lower back, located between the lowest part of the rib cage and the upper part of the bu Inspire US serves as an informational hub for people looking to start their fitness journey. Give them all a shot and see what works best for you! Rippling pecs, anyone? J Hum Kinet. Some lifters naturally bench wider, some closer, and some even prefer reverse grip. These are primarily that of the anterior deltoid head, the pectoralis major that makes up the upper portion of the chest, as well as the various smaller muscles located in or around the shoulder joint of which are collectively referred to as the rotator cuff muscles. There are, in fact, a whole host of exercises (both weighted and unweighted) that can be incorporated into a . Movements in which your elbows stay out wide reduce the emphasis on the elbow extensors while placing more on the pecs. Enhanced "vanity" muscles: The arm muscles usually win over the pec muscles when it comes to what looks more aesthetic. Bigger triceps - while the close grip dumbbell press is most definitely a chest exercise, it takes your arms through a large range of motion, which makes it a good triceps exercise too. Lower the bar with control until it touches your chest somewhere close to the lower end of your ribcage. Barbells designed for powerlifting have the ring markings 81 cm apart, but barbells designed for weightlifting have their rings 91 cm apart (about 36 in). On the other side, however, is that the increased range of motion may make the exercise more difficult and as such reduce the total amount of weight the exerciser may use, as well as place increased strain on the joints and other connective tissues. As our motto goes - "You don't have to get ready if you stay #alwaysready! One recommended way to measure whether the hands are placed correctly is to count five finger widths inside of the grip a lifter would use for their standard bench press. Ill explain each: The last of the close grip bench press benefits Ill discuss is the great ease of setting it up. In the close-grip bench press the grip a lifter uses to perform the press is significantly narrower than the grip used for a standard bench press or wide bench press. How to do the close grip bench press with proper form, Variations and alternatives of the close grip bench press, It's great for your triceps and improving strength. While the shorter range of motion might help you lift heavier with the wide grip bench press, it's also going to place an unnatural amount of stress on your shoulder muscles and sockets. Here's a look at our five favorite benefits. The close grip bench press is usually combined with other upper body compound exercises such as the chest press machine or overhead press so as to provide a more well rounded but nonetheless highly intense upper body workout. Lifters who focus on the close-grip bench press may find that their elbow lockout then improves in other bench press variations, and thats something particularly worth considering for powerlifters. Our app StrengthLog is packed with bench press programs for all levels. Try moving in one fingers width at a time, until you find something that feels strong, stable, and comfortable. Think weve gone mad? Lean forward, keeping your body straight, but your elbows bent. BENEFITS OF THE CLOSE GRIP BENCH PRESS: If your shoulder is bothering, you this is a great pressing variation. Triceps dips are a close second. Proper setup and form can allow you to put up some big numbers if powerlifting is your thing. Away from powerlifting, lifters who are struggling with any pain in the shoulder that is preventing them from performing other bench press variations may find it much more comfortable to change to a close-grip bench press. StrengthLog Your Friendly Training Buddy Since 2018, Beginner Bench Press Program, 2 Days/Week, Intermediate Bench Press Program, 23 Days/Week, Advanced Bench Press Program, 3 Days/Week, How to Bench Press with Proper Form (Guide), Accessory Exercises to Improve Your Bench Press. In my experience, the best way to learn any exercise is to learn the fundamental mechanics of the movement. If you like to have separate days for push and . Adding the Smith Machine Close Grip Bench Press to your exercise arsenal entails the following benefits 1. Relationships between Mechanical Variables in the Traditional and Close-Grip Bench Press. Close Grip Bench Press Benefits By using a closer than shoulder-width grip, you put more stress on your triceps than the wide grip variation and thus force it to do more work. One study showed that using a reverse grip on the bench press - flat bench, not incline - increased subjects' upper pec activity by 30%. It is sometimes expressed quantitatively, as a percentage of the trainees one repetition max on a given exercise. We like it in a back and chest workout. For hypertrophy purposes, perhaps one session per week focusing on the bench press and another focusing on the close-grip incline press is ideal. 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