8 Close Grip Bench Press Benefits (No. 5 is our favorite)

The close grip bench press is one of our favorite pressing exercises despite not being the first thing that comes to mind, this technique is a great addition to your workout, and the close grip bench press benefits will have you trying it out in no time.

It’s fortunate that this exercise is actually quite better than the ones provided by other tricep-focused workouts, as this exercise is rather easy and safe to do.

It is a fast method to improve your triceps in terms of strength and muscle gain. Read on to know more about its benefits!​

Via: Fitnessandpower.com

1. It Is A Safe Way To Focus On Your Triceps

Because it puts you in a horizontal press position (you will be on a bench, too), your triceps will be supported by your front deltoids, chest, and torso muscles. This means that it will be relatively okay and safe to add more weight.

You can “punish” your triceps more without worries. Your torso will be there as a form of stable support and you can borrow a bit of strength from your deltoids in case you are losing power.

2. It Is Safe For Your Shoulders

The shoulders are the most injury-prone body part when doing barbell exercises. Most exercises, especially when performed poorly, can make you experience rotator cuff tear and shoulder strain.

However, the close grip bench press is not that hard on the shoulders. Due to form and the way you will grip the bar, the tension on your shoulders will be less.

Nevertheless, do take note that this exercise will add a bit more tension on your wrists and elbows. So, if you have had injuries on those parts, it would be better to take this exercise off your roster.

3. It Will Let You Have Greater Strength Gains

Aside from the usual rack lockout, the close grip bench press can allow your triceps to gain strength faster. Of course, having powerful triceps can enable you to safely and easily lift heavy items.

Due to the strength gains in your triceps, most workouts will become easier for you. After all, your triceps always play a role in most upper body workouts.

4. It Maximizes Your Muscle Gain

Since you will be able to confidently lift heavy weights and gain strength fast, your triceps will benefit from huge muscle gains. As well as that, the exercise itself provides you with a desirable range of motion.

Your triceps will be the ones doing all the work — as long as you do not cheat and maintain your form. By performing high reps (around 8 to 16) and then increasing weights as needed, you will see improvements within weeks.

Of course, the gains still depend on how frequently you do it and how much weight and intensity you put in this exercise. With the help of supplements, you’re guaranteed to see additional muscle mass.

5. It Will Allow You To Bench Press More

Do you still remember the first time you performed a bench press? Surely you will have felt the burn in your triceps during your first reps and sets.

Basically, improving your triceps’ strength will improve your prowess on the bench. Also, you will immediately see the difference and notice the additional reps that you will be able to do when you do push-ups.

Even though the close grip bench press focuses mainly on improving your triceps, the exercise will also affect your front deltoids. We all know full well that your delts play a huge role in most bench press exercises.

And, as another bonus, doing the close grip bench press will make your bench form more refined. As you do the exercise, your chest muscles become trained on the form and make it more versatile.

6. It Is Easy To Set Up

As long as you have a bench, bar, and weights, you can pull off a close grip press with no hassle. Compared to other triceps exercises (excluding the ones with dumbbells) like rack lockouts, triceps dip, and floor presses, you can do this exercise without the time-consuming setup.

However, we advise you to get somebody to spot you in case it is your first time to set up and perform this workout. It is tempting to add weights when you are at it, but things may easily get out of hand.

7. It Doesn’t Really Require You To Have A Bench Or Barbell

You can do the close grip bench press without a bench or barbell by lying flat on the floor and lifting something heavy. Technically, it won’t be a bench press anymore but as long as you maintain the right form, you can still work it out.

However, expect that it will won’t be too fulfilling since there will be relatively few objects that will be heavy enough to lift when doing the close grip without a bench.

8. It Can Let You Shift Your Focus Muscles

It might break your form, but with this exercise you can change the target muscle group that you want to train. You can target your chest, and even your shoulders.

You can also opt to work all of them at the same time. However, do remember that you need to be mindful of the heaviness of the load when changing your target muscles; be sure that the muscles you have targeted can lift the weight.

Conclusion

The close grip bench press is an excellent way to strengthen and improve the muscle mass of your triceps. It is also a good way for you to “power level” your bench press.

Of course, even though we say it is one of the best triceps workouts, you do not need to restrict yourself to it alone. You can try other workouts such as triceps dip and rack lockouts to round out your triceps workout.

To make sure that you can get all the close grip bench press benefits listed in this article, always remember to maintain the proper form for this exercise, which will help prevent injury and allow you to continuously improve.