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Barbell Incline Close Grip Bench Press animation

How to do the Barbell Incline Close Grip Bench Press

TricepsBarbellIntermediate

The barbell incline close grip bench press is a precision tool for building thick, powerful triceps by combining an angled press with a narrow grip that maximally loads the long head. Master this movement and you will develop upper arm strength that carries over to every pressing pattern you train.

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Muscles worked

Primary
Triceps
Secondary
Front deltsChest

Step-by-step

  1. Set the bench to 30 to 45 degrees, lie back and unrack the barbell with hands placed 8 to 12 inches apart, wrists stacked directly over your elbows.
  2. Lower the bar under control to your upper chest, keeping elbows tucked at roughly 45 degrees rather than flaring wide.
  3. Press the bar back up in a straight vertical path, fully extending your elbows at the top without locking them violently.
  4. Re-rack only after completing your final rep with the same controlled bar path you used throughout the set.

Common mistakes

  • Gripping too narrow and letting the wrists collapse outward — keep your wrists neutral and straight throughout every rep to protect the joint and maintain force transfer.
  • Letting the elbows flare out to the sides — actively cue your elbows to stay close to your torso so the triceps remain the primary driver rather than shifting load to the shoulders.
  • Bouncing the bar off the chest to generate momentum — pause briefly at the chest on difficult reps to ensure every inch of the press is earned by triceps strength.

Pro tip — As you press, consciously think about pushing the bar apart as if trying to bend it outward — this subtle cue increases triceps activation and keeps the elbows in the optimal groove without having to think about elbow position directly.

Sets & reps by goal

Build muscle3–4 sets × 10–15 reps
Get stronger3–4 sets × 6–8 reps
Lose fat / tone3 sets × 12–20 reps

Rest: 60–90 sec between sets.

More Triceps exercises

Barbell Close Grip Bench PressBarbell Close Grip Bench PressBarbell Decline Close Grip To Skull PressBarbell Decline Close Grip To Skull PressBarbell Incline Reverse Grip PressBarbell Incline Reverse Grip PressBarbell Lying Close Grip PressBarbell Lying Close Grip PressBarbell Lying Close Grip Triceps ExtensionBarbell Lying Close Grip Triceps ExtensionBarbell Lying ExtensionBarbell Lying Extension
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