Arms · Bodyweight
Close Grip Push-up
How to do the close grip push-up, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- HorizontalPush
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Set up in a push-up position with your hands close together, directly under your chest, fingers near each other. Lower your chest to your hands while keeping your elbows tucked tight to your sides, then press back up. The narrow hand position shifts load onto the triceps.
- 1Feel your triceps drive the press with elbows tucked in
- 2Keep your core tight and body straight from head to heels
- 3Lower until your chest nearly touches your hands
Common mistakes
- Do not flare your elbows out to the sides
- Avoid letting your hips sag or pike up
- Do not shorten the rep; press to full lockout
Muscles worked
The close grip push-up mainly works the triceps and mid chest, with the upper chest, lower chest, upper abs, and front delts assisting.
- TricepsPrimary
- Mid ChestPrimary
- Upper ChestSupport
- Lower ChestSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
Kovo programs the close grip push-up 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 triceps exercises
- How to do the bent-over tricep extension
- How to do the crossbody tricep extension
- How to do the cable katana tricep extension
- How to do the cable single arm tricep extension
- How to do the kickback
- How to do the lying tricep extension
Last reviewed June 2026.