Close Grip Press- Arms Exercise
The close
grip press, one of the most basic exercises for
arms, is just a variation on the normal bench
press.
A close grip bench press, also a recommended
exercise for flabby arms, is the same as the free
weight medium grip barbell bench press but with
your arms positioned close on the bar.
It may
look like a small change, but moving your hands
to about 18-24 inches apart on the bar completely
changes the muscles worked.
The close grip bench
press shifts the emphasis to your triceps and
to a lesser extent your shoulder’s lower
chest.
It’s an ideal exercise for upper
arms. How to go about with this combined
arms exercise?
Lay on a bench with a straight
bar or an E-Z-Curl bar, the bent curl bar,
with your feet position widely and firm on
the floor.
Like the beginning of the bench
press, lift the barbell from rack with a
shoulder width grip (about 12 inches apart).
In a slow controlled movement, lower it to
about 3 inches above your chest keeping your
wrists straight and with elbows close to
body, bringing your elbow toward the floor.
Pause, then
press the bar back to the start position and repeat.
This exercise for arms is sure to result in thinner
arms.
DO NOT TOUCH THE BAR TO YOUR CHEST (this causes unneeded stress on your shoulder joints
and takes the tension away from your pec muscles,
which are what we want to be doing the work!).
Lower
the bar in a slow and controlled fashion.
On the other hand, when you press the bar upward,
do this in an explosive fashion.
Repeat this movement
for as many repetitions as you feel you can. When
doing the close grip bench press, keep your elbows
tucked in at your side throughout the exercise,
to really hit those triceps. You'll notice the extra
work on your triceps right away.
It is advisable
to always use a spotter when performing this arms
back exercise and almost every other free weight
exercise.
The close grip bench press is the best exercise
for arms and for building up triceps strength.
Using
the close grip bench press to increase triceps strength
will help you increase your bench press.
It is also
an exercise for thinner arms. So you can use the
close grip bench press in your triceps workout as
well.
Your triceps actually play a huge role in
how much you can bench.
