Chest · Barbell
Close-grip Bench Press
How to do the close-grip bench press, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Horizontal Press
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Lie on a bench holding a barbell with hands closer than shoulder-width apart. Lower the bar to your chest, then press it back up, keeping elbows close to your body.
- 1Grip the barbell narrower than shoulder width and lower it to your lower chest; you should feel your triceps taking on more of the workload while your chest still engages
- 2Keep your elbows close to your body and press up, squeezing your triceps at the top
- 3Maintain a tight core and stable shoulders throughout
Common mistakes
- Don't flare your elbows or let your wrists bend backward
- Avoid bouncing the bar off your chest or arching your back excessively
- Don't allow your shoulders to roll forward during the press
Muscles worked
The close-grip bench press mainly works the mid chest and triceps, with the upper chest, lower chest, and front delts assisting.
- Mid ChestPrimary
- TricepsPrimary
- Upper ChestSupport
- Lower ChestSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
Close-grip Bench Press strength standards
See how your close-grip bench press ranks, from Bronze to Champion. These are the same standards the Kovo app uses to rank your lifts.
Bronzee1RM115 lb
Silvere1RM162.5 lb
Golde1RM220 lb
Platinume1RM280 lb
Diamonde1RM312.5 lb
Champione1RM342.5 lb
Find your rank
Enter your best set. We estimate your 1RM and match it to a tier.
Kovo tracks this rank automatically as you train, across every lift, and levels you up as you get stronger.
Kovo programs the close-grip bench press for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More chest exercises
- How to do the archer push-up
- How to do the assisted dip
- How to do the resistance band chest flyes
- How to do the resistance band push-up
- How to do the barbell bench press
- How to do the paused bench press
Last reviewed April 2026.