Close grip bench press

[NightFallTech]

ok, so how close is "close" ... I've been trying to do this with my hands almost touching and it does feel like the biggest challenge is 'balancing' the bar ..... what should my hand position be for this?

 

[TDS]

Can vary for the individual as the angle that the wrists experience at the bottom of the movement can be painful for some people. I usually put my hands thumb widths apart but it can be further and still mainly engage your triceps. If you go to wide you wont be able to keep your elbows in which is the general idea.

 

[KungFooGoo]

When l used to do CGBP id have 2 fingers on the smooth so no where near touching... Pretty sure that would be a good way to fuck your wrists + shoulders if you were going all the way down to your chest region.... Pretty sure CGBP should be done from pins above your chest so your shoulders dont get cluster fucked.

Im happy for someone to say im a spastic and wrong though....

 

[strong enough?]

IMO your hand position should be such that your forearms are perpendicular to the bar with your elbows brushing as close as possible to your torso during the press.

Any closer than that and you actually have to limit your range of motion and flare out your elbows just to touch the bar on your chest. When you flare out your elbows on close grip bench, you actually take emphasis off the tris and onto your chest. When I was taught to bench close grip, I was told that the elbows stay tucked in as much as possible throughout the whole movement.

 

[NightFallTech]

Thanks, that sounds like practical advice...

 

[Bench Polkov]

I wouldn't recommend any closer than shoulder width as you get heavier as it will become dangerous for your wrists.

 

[D1cko]

I have my hands on the very edge of the knurling, so not really that close, and as SE said, bring elbows right in.

 

[Bench Polkov]

IMO your hand position should be such that your forearms are perpendicular to the bar with your elbows brushing as close as possible to your torso during the press.

Any closer than that and you actually have to limit your range of motion and flare out your elbows just to touch the bar on your chest. When you flare out your elbows on close grip bench, you actually take emphasis off the tris and onto your chest. When I was taught to bench close grip, I was told that the elbows stay tucked in as much as possible throughout the whole movement.

This.

 

[TDS]

I wouldn't recommend any closer than shoulder width as you get heavier as it will become dangerous for your wrists.

Agreed El Freako.

 

[Darkoz]

You'll also find that with the nature of the movement you'll be bringing the bar down much lower down the chest than a regular bench press.

 

[0ni]

Thumbs length (not width) from the smooth is about right for most people
If you want a closer grip use an ez curl bar

 

[Bench Polkov]

Thumbs length (not width) from the smooth is about right for most people
If you want a closer grip use an ez curl bar

+Where your forearms are perpendicular to the bar.

 

[strong enough?]

You'll also find that with the nature of the movement you'll be bringing the bar down much lower down the chest than a regular bench press.

This will be the tendency, but if you try to touch as highup the chest as you can (without flaring the elbows) it will hit the triceps much harder.

 

[Darkoz]

This will be the tendency, but if you try to touch as highup the chest as you can (without flaring the elbows) it will hit the triceps much harder.

The thing is that trying to bring the bar higher up on the chest your elbows start to flare out, there's no avoiding this

 

[strong enough?]

The thing is that trying to bring the bar higher up on the chest your elbows start to flare out, there's no avoiding this

I agree, that's exactly right. The trick is to get the sweet spot between avoiding elbows flaring out and touching too low.