The close grip press exercise is a great basic exercise for building strength and building overall triceps mass.
The close grip press is a classic free weight arm training exercise. It is performed mainly with a straight neck.
Working muscles
The following muscle groups are being worked out:
main load - all three bundles of triceps
additionally - upper chest and front deltas
Advantages
The main advantage is the ability to completely pump the entire triceps in one fell swoop, while developing strength and increasing the total mass.
Athletes of any level can perform. However, beginners should first learn the execution technique literally on an empty neck, and only then increase the weight.
Application
The scope is extensive:
body fitness - for the elasticity of the hands
bodybuilding - for building up the total mass
powerlifting - as an auxiliary movement for training the strength of the triceps muscle. With the right approach, it will help progress in the bench press.
Suitable for both boys and girls
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Close Grip Bench Press Technique
- Lie down on a bench. Bend slightly in the lower back, so that the buttocks, head and shoulders are pressed tightly against the bench. In the absence of racks, ask a partner to serve and take the projectile.
- Take the bar with an overhand grip, the distance between the hands is about 20-30 cm, or at a distance of two outstretched thumbs. Although a wider grip is possible.
- We squeeze the weight until the arms are fully extended. At the top point, after a short pause, tighten the triceps as hard as you can. While you are pressing the bar, the elbows move strictly along the sides, directed only forward and do not diverge to the sides, the bending of the arms is performed exclusively in the vertical plane.
- Taking a deep breath and holding your breath, lower the projectile to the lower chest in a straight amplitude.
- As soon as the bar touches the chest, without pausing, immediately squeeze it up.
Recommendations
Exercise should be performed at the beginning of the workout, while the triceps muscles are not tired. This will make it possible to work with large weights. With the close grip press, the weight with which you work the triceps will be more than in any other exercise for the triceps.
The speed of movement is average, you should not use too slow a pace, but you do not need high speed in the bench press with a narrow grip.
Keep your balance. To do this, do not be lazy and take the time to make sure that the hands are at an equal distance from the center of the neck before starting the exercise. EZ - bar will greatly facilitate the task of maintaining balance. Do not forget, in no case should you stop at the bottom point, otherwise the load will shift from the triceps to the chest. As soon as the neck touches the chest, immediately squeeze the bar up. But keep in mind that you must control the entire course of the exercise, the bar should not spring from the chest.
It is very important to hold your breath, in the negative phase of the bench press a deep breath, in the positive powerful exhalation. This will provide an opportunity to develop a powerful muscle effort. You should not arch your back in order to squeeze the barbell with your whole body, this entails a decrease in efficiency and distribution of the load among other muscle groups.
If, when lowering the bar, you spread your elbows to the sides, then it is taken with a too narrow grip. This will reduce the load on the triceps and create a risk of losing control of the barbell. The longer the bar, the wider your grip, this must be remembered in order to keep the bar in balance.
