The close grip EZ bar bench press is a compound pressing exercise performed lying on a flat bench with a narrow grip on an EZ curl bar that trains the triceps with the chest assisting. The angled inner grips of theEZ barfix your hands at a narrow width and turn the wrists slightly inward, which removes the wrist strain of a close grip straight-bar press and keeps the elbows tucked. The shorter bar also caps the load, so it works as a moderate-weight triceps builder. Lifters program it as the first accessory after the main press.
What Muscles Does the Close Grip EZ Bar Bench Press Work?
- Primary: Triceps brachii (all three heads)
- Secondary: Pectoralis major (sternal and clavicular heads), anterior deltoids
- Tertiary: Serratus anterior, rotator cuff, forearm flexors
How Do You Set Up for the Close Grip EZ Bar Bench Press?
Lie on a flat bench with your feet flat on the floor and the loaded EZ bar racked above your eyes, or have a partner hand it to you. Set your shoulder blades back and down against the pad and keep a slight arch in your lower back. Grip the inner angled sections with palms facing your feet, wrists stacked over the forearms. Lock out the bar over your lower chest.
How Do You Perform the Close Grip EZ Bar Bench Press?
- Set the bar over your lower chest with arms locked, elbows pointing toward your feet and wrists straight.
- Lower the bar under control by bending the elbows, keeping them tucked within a hand's width of your ribs.
- Touch the bar to your lower chest or sternum, with the forearms vertical when viewed from the side.
- Pause for a count on the chest without letting the bar sink or the elbows flare.
- Press the bar straight up by extending the elbows until the arms lock out over the lower chest.
- Reset your shoulder blades against the bench and take a breath before the next rep.
What Are the Key Form Cues?
- Keep your elbows tucked: aim them at your hips through the descent so the triceps, not the chest, carry the load.
- Drive your feet into the floor: leg pressure keeps the upper back tight and stops the bar from wobbling on the narrow grip.
- Squeeze the bar hard so the angled grips lock your wrists straight over the forearms.
- Think of pushing yourself away from the bar into the bench rather than pushing the bar up.
- Lock out fully at the top and feel the long head of the triceps finish the rep.
What Are the Most Common Mistakes?
- Loading the bar as heavy as a wide-grip bench press: the narrow grip cannot handle it, the elbows flare and the chest takes over, so drop the weight until you can touch the chest with tucked elbows.
- Flaring the elbows out to the sides at the bottom: the front of the shoulder gets pinched and the triceps unload, so keep the elbows inside a hand's width of the torso.
- Bouncing the bar off the sternum: momentum does the work of the bottom third, so pause on the chest for a count.
- Lowering the bar to the upper chest or neck: the elbows flare and the shoulder joint is loaded in a poor position, so touch the lower chest.
- Letting the wrists bend back on the angled grips: the bar rolls and the forearms take the strain, so stack the wrists.
What Are the Best Close Grip EZ Bar Bench Press Variations?
- Close grip dumbbell bench press: two dumbbells held palms in, letting each arm move independently and lightening the load.
- Close grip barbell bench press: a straight bar with heavier loads, the standard strength version.
- Decline bench close grip dumbbell press: a decline angle that shortens the range and shifts work toward the lower chest.
- Single-arm dumbbell floor press: one arm at a time from the floor, exposing side-to-side pressing gaps.
- Smith machine close grip press: a fixed bar path that removes balance for beginners or for training near failure.
How Do You Progress the Close Grip EZ Bar Bench Press?
- Add 5 pounds to the bar once you complete all sets at the top of the rep range with tucked elbows.
- Work from 8 to 12 reps per set before adding weight.
- Add a fourth set once three sets at 12 reps are clean.
- Slow the lowering phase to three seconds and add a one-count pause on the chest.
How Should You Program the Close Grip EZ Bar Bench Press?
Program the close grip EZ bar bench press as the first accessory after your main bench or overhead press on a push or arm day. Train it 1 to 2 times per week for 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps, resting 60 to 90 seconds between sets. Pair it with a skull crusher or an overhead extension so the triceps get both a pressing and an isolated stimulus.
