Platform Article: The Close-Grip Bench Press

[Mark Rippetoe]

The Close-Grip Bench | Mark Rippetoe

[KarlK]

Very interesting. I've been doing wide grip -- and my PECs are getting YUUUGE (well, not really, but bigger!) so I guess I'll have to start the close grip.

Isn't the bodybuilding "rationale/standard" to use both -- wide for the pecs and close for the tris? I know Beachbodys "Body Beast" does it, but with dumbells (yes, I admit, I own the package, don't think too badly of me, I really have come around to the force!).

[Mark Rippetoe]

I really don't know what bodybuilders do. I assume they do a lot of direct tricep work.

[tompaynter]

I have never done much close-grip bench press. I'd be interested to hear others' experience with this exercise.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I'd be more interested in hearing yours.

[AndrewLewis]

I have never done much close-grip bench press. I'd be interested to hear others' experience with this exercise.

I'm not a huge fan of close grip bench press and I haven't used them much except to try them once or twice. I use weighted dips where close grip bench press would otherwise go.

Although to be honest, I don't like the assistance exercises that much at all unless you're working on a sticking point or are an olympic lifter.

[tompaynter]

I'd be more interested in hearing yours.

At this point, next to none like I said. But I may be nearing the end of my novice LP (benched 260 for 5 sets of 3 last night, which felt pretty heavy), and it sounded from your article like this might be something to work in to an intermediate program at some point.

[Eric Schexnayder]

My primary experience with the close-grip bench is that I was inadvertently doing it and artificially limiting my bench numbers by around 30 - 40 lbs (maybe 20% difference).

That being said, I “felt” the close-grip version much more, and even after a 30 lb jump once I made some adjustments to my grip, I still barely “feel” the wider grip bench. Probably because of the increase in muscle mass usage, like the The Squat vs the high bar variation.

[Nockian]

I close gripped throughout NLP and only just started trying out a wider grip. It actually feels more difficult to wide grip and my numbers haven't moved any faster than on narrow grip. One of the keys I believe is that, without a good spotter, that it's harder to get the bar off/on the hooks with a wide grip with short arms.

Might go back to narrow grip after reading this article. Safer shoulder seems like a good thing.

[Bestafter60]

Ugh. Watched the video. Going back to mall-walking!