# Close grip bench press



## Fsuphisig (Dec 27, 2013)

I have been doing these recently on the decline bench but have heard a lot of people do them on the incline to better hit the triceps ? How does everyone like doing theirs ?


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## Bro Bundy (Dec 27, 2013)

i do them on the flat bench


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## don draco (Dec 27, 2013)

Brother Bundy said:


> i do them on the flat bench



I also do them on the flat bench.  I've never tried doing them on the incline.


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## animal87 (Dec 27, 2013)

I would do them flat. It's better for strength and it will save your shoulders for chest or shoulder day(I'm assuming your doing these just for tris).  A good tricep workout and you will hit all areas well.


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## Milo (Dec 27, 2013)

I've done them on flat, incline, and decline. You definitely feel it more on the incline but the biggest factor on hitting the triceps is how close together you place your hands on the bar. For optimal tricep isolation, be sure to not move your upper arm at all.


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## Fsuphisig (Dec 28, 2013)

Milo said:


> I've done them on flat, incline, and decline. You definitely feel it more on the incline but the biggest factor on hitting the triceps is how close together you place your hands on the bar. For optimal tricep isolation, be sure to not move your upper arm at all.



Can you explain that some more ?


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## PillarofBalance (Dec 28, 2013)

Milo said:


> I've done them on flat, incline, and decline. You definitely feel it more on the incline but the biggest factor on hitting the triceps is how close together you place your hands on the bar. For optimal tricep isolation, be sure to not move your upper arm at all.



Are you thinking of a skullcrusher or something?


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## DieYoungStrong (Dec 28, 2013)

I do them flat. Put my pinkies where the bar stops having grip, and keep my arms close to my lats throughout the movement to let the tris really do everything.


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## SFGiants (Dec 28, 2013)

Never wider then shoulder length

For tris do them flat off a 3board

Declines are a nice change but 3board flat = great overload = hitting tris hardest.


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## SFGiants (Dec 28, 2013)

I forgot to add Floor Press and to really hit tris great a fatbar.


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## stonetag (Dec 28, 2013)

SFGiants said:


> I forgot to add Floor Press and to really hit tris great a fatbar.


I think I'm the only guy in the gym that uses the fatty bar. lol


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## TheBlob (Dec 28, 2013)

Im a follower.. i also go with flat


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## SFGiants (Dec 28, 2013)

TheBlob said:


> Im a follower.. i also go with flat



The reason for flat is more weight more weight = hitting tris better which is why we Powerlifter go off a 3board for tri work and adding a fatbar makes it better.


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## Milo (Dec 28, 2013)

Fsuphisig said:


> Can you explain that some more ?


Not sure which part you want clarification on so I'll explain both.
As far as the degree of the exercise (incline, flat, decline) you're going to work chest to a lesser degree the higher you go on the angle plane i.e. incline press. The higher you go, the more triceps and shoulders and less chest are brought in to the exercise. So if you're trying to really work your triceps, take chest out of the equation as much as possible by going with incline. If I want to go heavy I will lower the degree to flat or even decline which will bring the chest more into play but I can also go much heavier. This is just something that I have been trying for the past few months and I've gotten some great results.



PillarofBalance said:


> Are you thinking of a skullcrusher or something?


Kind of like a skull crusher except it is still done over the chest in a "bench press" manner. The movement is for the most part the same however the hands are a few inches apart and the upper arm doesn't move at all. It absolutely destroys my triceps.


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## Fsuphisig (Dec 28, 2013)

Im just having a hard time picturing this lol


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## NbleSavage (Dec 28, 2013)

Flat bench here. Love me some close grip bench press.


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## Joliver (Dec 28, 2013)

I don't think anything is mutually exclusive regarding grips vs bench angle.  I vary my grips over all of my presses and that variation keeps me progressing.


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## Milo (Dec 29, 2013)

Fsuphisig said:


> Im just having a hard time picturing this lol



I would post a video but I don't want to be the gym douche by having some random dude record me doing a set lol.


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## Tren4Life (Dec 29, 2013)

Milo said:


> I would post a video but I don't want to be the gym douche by having some random dude record me doing a set lol.



I just set my phone up and do it my self. 
I do close grip work on a flat bench and I use the same 5/3/1/ workout that I am supposed to do for regular bench that week. Then use boring but big and 5 sets of 10. If I have anything left I finish them off on the dip stand if I get to 10 I stop and do another set.


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## bigrig (Jan 25, 2014)

I use flat bench for close grip, but for some reason I do bring my grip in closer on decline, but not close enough to call it a "close grip" I guess.


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