Preparation
Lie back on a flat bench and put your legs firm on the floor. Grasp the bar with overhand grip (palms facing forward) with your hands about 20-25cm. apart. Lift the bar from the rack and hold it above the chest. This will be your Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press starting position.
Execution
As you breathe in start slowly lower the weight, keeping your elbows close to your body, until you almost touch the lower chest (just above your sternum). From this position carefully change the direction of the movement and bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out.
Recommendations
- During the movement keep your elbows as close to your body as possible and your forearms perpendicular to the floor.
- To keep the tension on the triceps muscles and to minimize the involvement of the chest don’t go all the way down and don’t lock your elbows at the top.
- Grip the bar with your thumbs around the front, to prevent it from slipping.
- If you feel pain in the wrists while perform the Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press with straight bar you can change it with e-z bar variation, to lower the stress on the wrist joints.
- To perform the exercise safe and correct the negative phase of the movement should be twice longer than the positive.
- Use a spotter to helps you to un-rack and rack the bar