Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
🤖 AtletIQ – телеграм-бот для бодибилдинга
General info
How to perform exercise
- Lie back on a flat bench. Using a close grip (around shoulder width), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position.
- As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your middle chest. Tip: Make sure that - as opposed to a regular bench press - you keep the elbows close to the torso at all times in order to maximize triceps involvement.
- After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your triceps muscles. Lock your arms in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up.
- Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
- When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.
Caution: If you are new at this exercise, it is advised that you use a spotter. If no spotter is available, then be conservative with the amount of weight used. Also, beware of letting the bar drift too far forward. You want the bar to fall on your middle chest and nowhere else.
Variations: This exercise can also be performed with an e-z bar using the inner handle as well as dumbbells, in which case the palms of the hands will be facing each other.
Photos of the correct technique
What muscles work?
If the correct technique is followed, the following muscle groups work: Shoulders, and auxiliary muscles: Chest, Shoulders
Weight and number of repetitions
The number of repetitions and working weight depends on your goal and other parameters. But the general recommendations can be presented in the form of a table:
Goal | Sets | Reps | Weight, %1Rm | Rest between sets |
---|---|---|---|---|
Strength | 2-6 | 1-5 reps | 100-85% | 3-7 min |
Mass gain | 3-6 | 6-12 reps | 85-60% | 1-4 min |
Fat burning | 2-4 | 13-25 reps | 60-40% | 1-2 min |
In order to make the training more diverse and effective you have to change the number of repetitions and the working weight. It is important not to go beyond certain values!
*Specify the weight and the maximum number of repetitions that you can perform with this weight.
Best workout routines with this exercise
These programs with this exercise «Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press » are among the best rated by athletes.