CLOSE-GRIP BENCH PRESS FORM: 5 KEY MISTAKES TO AVOID

Close grip bench press form

Most humans function the shut grip bench press all wrong.

That would possibly sound like an overly simplistic way to begin this article off, however hear me out.

Yes, the shut grip bench is a super workout to efficiently goal all three heads of the triceps in one go…

However, if your approach is off, you’ll probably be putting your self up for some actual issues down the road, particularly as you cross onto heavier and heavier weights.

Not solely will you fail to get the most out of the motion in phrases of education your triceps, however you’ll additionally be setting your wrists, elbows and shoulders below a lot of stress that can very without problems lead to injury.

(Of course, if you prefer to make positive factors consistently, you desire to stop injury.)

So except in addition ado, right here are the pinnacle 5 errors that most lifters make on their shut grip bench press form, and how to keep away from them throughout your tricep workouts…

5 Close-Grip Bench Press Form Mistakes To Avoid

Close-Grip Bench Press Mistake #1

Yes, this is a “close grip” bench press, however going too shut is really a crucial mistake that will stop up doing you a lot greater damage than true over the lengthy run.

Most lifters take the title of this workout a bit too actually and will normally grasp onto the bar with their fingers spaced very carefully together, frequently no extra than about 5 or 6 inches apart.

When you grip the bar too narrowly, you cease up putting a massive quantity of extra stress on your wrists as they’re compelled into an awkward, hyper-adducted position.

This now not solely will increase the probabilities for wrist and elbow injuries, however it additionally limits the stimulation on your triceps through lowering the complete quantity of weight you can lift, lowering the balance of the bar, and decreasing the vary of movement as well.

When it comes to appropriate shut grip bench press form, your intention have to constantly be to hold your wrists and elbows in line so that they’re immediately “stacked” on pinnacle of every different as you increase and decrease the bar. In order to do this, you’ll prefer to grasp onto the bar the usage of a shoulder-width grip.

Shoulder-width is slender sufficient to correctly maximize the stress on your triceps, however it’s additionally vast ample that your wrists and elbows will be included at the equal time.

Close-Grip Bench Press Mistake #2

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When you decrease the bar too high up on your body, your wrists and elbows will routinely fall into a misaligned position.

Your elbows will quit up flaring out excessively, or if you are capable to preserve them tucked in, your wrists will fall out of alignment with them.

To hold the perfect function for the exercise, center of attention on decreasing the bar under your chest to a factor proper under your nipple.

This will permit you to hold your elbows tucked in whilst additionally maintaining your wrists stacked immediately on pinnacle the place they must be.

Close-Grip Bench Press Mistake #3

When you operate the workout with your shoulder blades “flat” towards the bench, the quantity of stress your shoulder joints have to undergo is substantially increased.

This is due to the fact the shoulders lose their stable contact with the bench and have nothing to correct pressure against.

So, simply like with a widespread barbell bench press or dumbbell press, usually make positive to retract your scapula and hold that role in the course of the complete exercise.

This will assist to appropriate stabilize your shoulder joint and forestall injuries.

A right structure cue for this is to assume about squeezing your shoulder blades collectively and “putting them in your lower back pocket”.

Maintaining a small arch in your decrease again will assist out with this as well.

In order to make sure that you don’t lose that scapular retraction all through raise off, you’ll ideally desire to have a spotter help you in clearing the bar. Pressing upward to carry the bar off on your very own can purpose the scapula to flatten out in the process.

Close-Grip Bench Press Mistake #4

Although most lifters assume that the elbows ought to be at once at the aspects of their physique at all times, doing so will truely reason your scapula to flatten out as you operate the exercise.

Instead, flare your elbows out simply barely at about a 30 diploma angle.

This will stop your higher physique from rolling ahead as you decrease the bar and will preserve your scapula and shoulders in the suited function for the duration of the exercise.

Close-Grip Bench Press Mistake #5

This would possibly sound like an abnormal “mistake”, in view that the bar without a doubt has to be pressed away from your physique in order to whole every rep.

While this is needless to say true, what you prefer to focal point on whilst performing every rep is pushing your self away from the bar instead.

This is but every other way to make sure that your shoulders continue to be returned and in the applicable position.

So, as you press the bar up, additionally assume about using your physique backward into the bench at the equal time.

Close-Grip Bench Press Recap

In order to make use of most excellent shut grip bench press shape that maximizes the stress on your triceps whilst maintaining your wrists, elbows, and shoulders included from injury, you’ll choose to:

• Hold onto the bar the usage of a shoulder-width grip and hold your elbows and wrists in line with every different at all times.
• Lower the bar to a factor under your chest, simply beneath your nipple.
• Keep your shoulders lower back and your scapula retracted all through the exercise.
• Flare your elbows out barely at roughly a 30 diploma angle.
• Focus on pushing your self away from the bar as an alternative than simply wondering about urgent the bar away from you.