How to do the Barbell Close-grip Bench Press
Lie on the bench and grip the bar at shoulder width or slightly narrower.
Lower the bar to your lower chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
Press the bar up until your arms are straight.
Keep your wrists straight and shoulder blades squeezed throughout.
Sets and reps
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muscle growth | 3–4 | 8–12 | 2 min |
| Muscular endurance | 2–3 | 15–20 | 1 min |
When you hit the top of the rep range on every set, add 2.5 kg (5 lb) next session and work back up.
Starting points from training research. Stop each set 1–3 reps short of failure.
Muscles worked
Alternatives
Same muscles, similar movement: swap in one of these if the Barbell Close-grip Bench Press doesn’t suit your gym or your joints.
Train smarter
- How to bench press: setup, grip, bar path and safetyHow to bench press with good form: eye position, shoulder blades, arch, grip width, bar path and leg drive step by step, plus how to bench safely alone.
- How to break a strength plateau: diagnose, then fix itHow to break a strength plateau: check sleep, food and fatigue first, then fix the program with rep ranges, volume, variations, deloads and smarter progression.
- How to get bigger arms: triceps first, then bicepsHow to get bigger arms: why the triceps matter most, how many sets of arm work a week, the curls and extensions worth doing, and a complete arm day.
