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Dumbbell Close Grip Press animation

How to do the Dumbbell Close Grip Press

TricepsDumbbellIntermediate

The dumbbell close grip press is one of the most effective ways to overload the triceps through a full pressing range of motion, building the thick, powerful arms that translate directly to stronger bench and overhead work. Mastering this movement means mastering tension, and that discipline pays dividends across every upper body lift you do.

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Muscles worked

Primary
Triceps
Secondary
Front deltsChest

Step-by-step

  1. Lie flat on a bench, hold both dumbbells directly above your chest with palms facing each other and weights pressed together or nearly touching.
  2. Lower the dumbbells under control toward your lower chest, keeping your elbows tucked close to your ribs throughout the descent.
  3. Pause briefly at the bottom when the dumbbells reach chest level, feeling the full stretch across the triceps long head.
  4. Drive the dumbbells back up explosively by straightening your arms, squeezing the triceps hard at the top without locking out aggressively.

Common mistakes

  • Letting elbows flare wide during the press, which shifts load onto the chest and shoulders and defeats the purpose of the close grip variation, so actively think about keeping elbows within two inches of your torso throughout the entire rep.
  • Using dumbbells that are too heavy and sacrificing the close grip position, causing the weights to drift apart and turning it into a neutral grip press, so select a weight that lets you keep the dumbbells in contact or nearly touching for every rep.
  • Rushing through the lowering phase and losing tension, which reduces time under load on the triceps, so take at least two full seconds to lower the weights and own every inch of the movement.

Pro tip — At the top of each rep, instead of simply locking out, actively try to push the two dumbbells together as if crushing them toward each other while you extend, this isometric squeeze dramatically increases triceps activation without adding any external load.

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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