How do short people do close-grip bench presses?

[hostile]

At 5'9, my bench press grip width is about an inch-and-a-half outside the edge of the knurling. I'm nearly ready to add some assistance exercises to my BP programming, and I'm wondering how to perform close grip bench presses as a shorter person with shorter arms. I sweat intensely every training session, so my hands are always ultra-slick. I don't have any idea how to hold on to the bar without knurling. Is there a secret I'm missing here? Do you guys use chalk for horizontal presses?

[skid]

From the sounds of it you are already doing close grip. I'm 5'9 and my ring fingers are on the rings when I normally bench

Yes, use chalk

[hostile]

I don't know dude I've posted pictures of my bench on here and no one has told me my grip is too narrow

[Adam Skillin]

I don't know dude I've posted pictures of my bench on here and no one has told me my grip is too narrow

Could be your barbell has a weird knurl/smooth pattern, or perhaps someone assumed you gravitate towards a narrower grip because of shoulder issues.

[Charlie Davies]

5'9" is short?

Bench grip varies a lot.

I'm 5'10", and used a 21" grip width, which is thumb length into the knurling -- my bar's smooth center is is 17". This is comfortable. It's about what you are using.

Then I read that the most *efficient* grip for most raw powerlifters is about 1.5x your shoulder width, measured at the point of your shoulder.
For me (5'10") this width is 18" thus my ideal grip is 27" or so. This puts my index fingers 4.5" into the knurling and my pinky finger on the powerlifting rings (32").
This grip is a little less comfortable on my wrists and shoulders, but it cuts my range of motion by an inch or so, which means I can use more weight.

Probably your current grip/my old grip is "close grip" i.e. best grip for building muscle and avoiding injury.

You might want to experiment with a wider grip to set PRs or compete, but if your goals are general strength, I don't see any reason to compromise ROM for more pounds on the bar.

[Phill]

At 5'9" and a bit I place my hands on the knurl with thumbs parallel, end of the thumb at the end of the knurl then close the grip.

I have no idea if that is correct or good but it just feels comfortable to me and is repeatable.

[Adam Skillin]

Then I read that the most *efficient* grip for most raw powerlifters is about 1.5x your shoulder width, measured at the point of your shoulder.

I don't understand how anybody can think through all the potential anthropometries and come to the conclusion that this is universally true or correct. I've seen the claim, but I think it doesn't take a lot of things into account. To me, it's sort of like the "knees don't go past your toes when you squat" advice, adjusted for the upper body.

[Charlie Davies]

I don't understand how anybody can think through all the potential anthropometries and come to the conclusion that this is universally true or correct. I've seen the claim, but I think it doesn't take a lot of things into account. To me, it's sort of like the "knees don't go past your toes when you squat" advice, adjusted for the upper body.

I suspect you are right. But I tried the wider grip and could move more weight. And I had to lower the j-hooks an inch, as I now unrack the bar a bit lower with the wider grip.

I'm a little worried about the long-term safety of this wider grip, but it doesn't seem to bother my bad shoulder so far. It did make my pecs sore at first.

[Adam Skillin]

I suspect you are right. But I tried the wider grip and could move more weight. And I had to lower the j-hooks an inch, as I now unrack the bar a bit lower with the wider grip.

I'm a little worried about the long-term safety of this wider grip, but it doesn't seem to bother my bad shoulder so far. It did make my pecs sore at first.

I do agree that a wider grip (within reason) tends to allow more weight. It shortens the ROM and allows you to touch a big higher on the chest, which shortens the moment arm between touch point and shoulder joint. Personally, I bench on the narrow side because it keeps my cranky shoulder from acting up. I just think saying that all lifters are best served by a particular grip width based on a related, but not necessarily completely correlated metric, ignoring injury history, individual bony anatomy differences, and anthropometry is typical gym bro science, and that the analysis of the 1.5x biacromial width claim is lacking. Maybe it's a perfectly okay starting point from which to adjust from individual to individual, but I just can't see how it can be universally optimal across the entire population of lifters. I think we're not in disagreement about this.