Bench press with a narrow grip - a technique for working the triceps

Pros and cons of the exercise

The close-grip press has an impressive number of advantages and a few disadvantages that are worth considering. This will help you get the most out of the exercise and make the triceps bench press truly effective.

Main advantages:

Powerful load on the triceps.
Recruitment of a large number of muscle fibers and increased anabolic response.
An easy-to-learn technique, making the close-grip bench press excellent even for beginners without training.
Development of not only the triceps, but also almost the entire shoulder girdle.
The best and safest exercise for working with heavy weights.

The close-grip barbell press is considered the most effective and basic basic movement for working the triceps. Despite the enormous benefits, the exercise also has a number of disadvantages:

When performing bench triceps barbell presses, any limiting muscle area (such as weak hands) will reduce the weight used and the load on the target area.
A number of studies show that the long head is practically not included in the work when performing a barbell press with a narrow grip in a conventional technique.

This does not allow us to perceive the close-grip triceps press as an exercise for developing all the bundles. Therefore, it must be supplemented with other movements in which the main load is on the long head (for example, bending arm extension).

8 more useful tips

The barbell and dumbbell press is fully included in the breast lift program for women, but it is necessary to remember some of the features of performing this type of strength load specifically for women:

To begin with, use a light working weight, or train without weight until you completely master the technique of performing the exercise.
Load calculation. The result will be achieved with a gradual, steady increase in working weight. Working with minimal weights, you will burn calories well, but your muscles will not grow significantly in volume.
Number of approaches. The average number of exercises for women is 2-3 sets of eight repetitions. The break between sets should be one or two minutes. If you want to lose weight in the chest area, do 20-25 sets with light weights.
The load and number of repetitions should be determined individually, taking into account the girl’s level of physical fitness.
Don't start strength training without warming up to stretch and warm up the target muscles. This may pose a risk of injury. If your arms and chest are very sore after a workout, it is important to see a doctor.
If you are new to training, work with a coach or partner who can back you up.
It is recommended to do strength training two or three times a week, although you can choose a different training regimen that is convenient for you.
The number of repetitions and approaches performed can be reduced if you feel weak and very tired after training. Strength training should bring you joy and a feeling of satisfaction that you have worked your muscles well.

Important to remember! The bench press must be done at the beginning of the workout, since it comes first in terms of energy expenditure.
The rest of the exercises should be less stressful. The last movements in the program should be aimed at relaxing the muscles. Strength exercises with a barbell and dumbbells can help girls achieve their goal in building their body - making their muscles prominent and their breasts firm. This strength movement is basic for good development of the core muscles and contributes to the formation of the pectoral muscles. Dumbbells or a barbell allow you to adjust the weight used, which is an advantage of this type of exercise for girls. When planning your workouts, remember the specifics of performing this type of training: the complex must be selected strictly individually by your trainer, based on your age, health and general level of physical fitness. And you will definitely succeed in everything else!

If you want to use the bench press to combat sagging breasts, pay attention to these other methods to solve the problem:

Special gymnastics will help tone the muscles surrounding the chest.
To produce collagen and elastin, you can apply special creams and gels for the chest to the décolleté area. The use of masks to combat sagging is also recommended.
Massage for breast enlargement activates skin renewal and helps prevent the appearance of stretch marks.
Anti-cellulite wraps with fabric impregnated with a special nourishing mixture show high efficiency.
Rubbing in various oils is an unexpected solution, which, according to girls’ reviews, gives good results.
There are 5 more folk recipes that help get rid of flabby breasts.
Special diets and foods are the basis for keeping your bust in shape. A balanced diet helps preserve youth.
Hemming the breast skin with special threads helps prevent it from sagging.
A supportive bra is a great way to prevent sagging.
To quickly visually correct the problem, you can use silicone stickers, as well as Kim Kardashian’s method of tightening the bust with tape.

From our comprehensive list of methods, choose the ones that suit you best.

What muscles work

With a narrow grip, the following are involved:

Triceps.
Pectoral muscles (middle part).

Auxiliary zones:

Front delts.
Forearms (mostly static).
Latissimus and posterior delta (responsible for stabilizing the body and arms).

A huge contribution to the study of the effectiveness of the close-grip triceps bench press was made by the research of Professor Kawakami, one of the leading researchers in muscle hypertrophy in the world. A three-month experiment showed which muscles work in a close-grip barbell press. It turned out that the long head (the most massive and determines the volume of the muscle) practically does not work in this movement. This also affects her hypertrophy, which in the close-grip triceps barbell press was practically zero, against the backdrop of the progression of other beams.

Close-grip barbell press technique

Despite the fact that the technique of performing a triceps press with a narrow grip is quite simple, its perfect mastery is mandatory. This is where athletes of any level should start before progressing and increasing the weight of the weight.

Classic close grip bench press technique:

Lie down on a bench, pressing your pelvis, shoulder blades and back of your head tightly against it. Take the bar so that there is a distance of 26-30 cm between your hands (22-25 for women).
Remove the bar from the supports and hold it above your chest. Begin to lower the barbell slowly and under control to your lower chest.
Without pausing, push the weight upward with a more powerful movement.

The position of your elbows partially influences which muscles are worked.

Partial extension of the elbows can slightly increase the load on the long head, but this technique is considered too traumatic and therefore is not used in sports.
Your forearms should “go” down perpendicular to the floor.
Also, at the top point, it is forbidden to fully extend the elbows; to avoid stress on the joint, it is necessary to maintain minimal bending in the joint.

Common Mistakes

Trainers are advised to pay attention to these popular mistakes and eliminate them:

the weight of the projectile is too high. Leads to injury (shoulder dislocation, sprained ligaments and muscles);
elbows are positioned incorrectly. They need to be pressed to the body and moved only up and down, otherwise the load on the triceps will not be sufficient;
using an inclined bench. Use a horizontal option or a bench with a slight negative slope;
breath. As you exhale (through the mouth), lift the projectile, and while inhaling (through the nose), lower the projectile;
overtraining. Beginners are advised to contact a trainer to determine the volume of loads;
It is permissible to take too light a weight for the first time of training. After 1 month during introductory classes it is gradually increased. Optimal variation - the final 2 repetitions should be difficult;
open grip. The risk of dropping the projectile on your chest increases;
separation of the pelvic part of the body. The buttocks are pressed to the surface and not torn off until the final stage. By lifting them, negative compression is formed on the spinal column and concentration of movement is lost.

Smith machine close grip press

Performing the Smith close-grip press can be a good alternative not only for beginners, but also for advanced athletes. This option is well suited for overcoming stagnation. The exercise also allows you to reduce the load on some stabilizer muscles, thereby increasing the quality of triceps work.

Technically, this version is no different from working with a free barbell, but the following features should be taken into account:

It is important to lie down correctly on the bench and position the bench so that the secured bar falls to the lower part of the chest. To do this, it is always recommended to perform the first test set without additional weight.
In this option, the maximum possible weight of the projectile will be higher than when working with a free barbell (this is facilitated by a fixed bar). This should be taken into account for the correct load of the target zone.

How to replace the exercise

Theoretically, the close-grip flat bench press can be replaced with any other basic movement:

Dips.
Press a dumbbell or kettlebell using a similar technique (replacing the apparatus).
Push-ups from the floor (hands are placed closer to each other).
Reverse push-ups from the bench.

However, such a “replacement” should be considered in the context of introducing variety into training and working the muscle from different angles. In terms of effectiveness for the shoulder girdle and triceps, the exercise is still one of the leaders, so its exclusion from the program is not recommended. The only actual cause may be injuries (for example, in the hand area), which do not allow technically correct execution of all elements of the movement.

Recommendations

This is a basic exercise that initially involves the use of heavy weights, since the load falls on a large number of muscles at the same time. It is impossible to target the triceps in this movement. For this, isolation exercises are used, such as standing arm extensions and other triceps exercises.

Given the use of large weights and the effectiveness of working with weights in the range of 55-80% of 1RM, the number of repetitions per set should not be large.

To develop strength, it is recommended to perform 4-6 repetitions.
For the purpose of maximum hypertrophy - from 7 to 10.

Excellent results are demonstrated by drop sets (a partner is needed to drop the plates), forced repetitions and failure approaches. These techniques help create maximum stress and the subsequent anabolic response.

An important aspect is to design the program in such a way that the arm day does not overlap with the chest day. An excess of the same type of movements can negatively affect the growth of muscle mass throughout the shoulder girdle.

Main complex

An important factor when drawing up a training program is the correct coordination of muscle groups by day of the week. Since during the triceps bench press a significant part of the load falls on the pectoral and deltoid muscles, this exercise should not be combined with a chest or shoulder workout day.

When building a training complex, it is worth taking into account the involvement or workload of each of the triceps muscle bundles during each of the selected exercises.

A good combination is:

Bench press for triceps on a horizontal bench with classic placement of hands on a barbell (8-12 repetitions).

Extension of arms on a vertical block. This movement must be performed by taking 1-1.5 steps from the virtual line of the handle of the simulator. This will create additional stretch in the triceps and load the long head of the triceps muscle (12-15 repetitions).

To gain weight and increase strength, the following combination of exercises is used:

Dips. You can perform the exercises either with your own weight or using weights. In the first case, the number is performed the maximum number of repetitions, in the second - from 6 to 8 times.
Press on a bench with a positive incline of 10-15°. Perform 10-12 repetitions in 3-4 approaches.

The following set of triceps exercises is considered the main one:

Reverse grip push-ups (10-12 reps*3)

When performing the movement, it is important that the elbow at the lowest point of the amplitude does not fall below the shoulder. This movement is natural and the risk of injury is minimal.

Triceps bench press using the classic technique (8-10 reps*3)

French incline press (12-15 reps*3). When performing the exercise, you must monitor the position of your elbows. Their position should not change when bending the arms. For extensions, either a straight barbell or a curved barbell can be used.