Study Finds 8 Best Close Grip Bench Press Alternatives (Most Muscle Growth)

A close grip bench press alternative is what some lifters may be looking for when looking to replace or supplement the close grip bench press to effectively grow their triceps and achieve the ever sought after horseshoe look.¹

Studies conducted and sports journals have found the 8 best alternatives to close grip bench press for the most muscle growth for lifters struggling to benefit from the close grip bench press for various reasons.

Whether it’s having different training goals, lack of equipment and pain that arises when doing the close grip bench press due to joint stress, these alternatives will leave your triceps on fire and bigger than before.

Why Choose a Close Grip Bench Alternative Exercise

The close grip bench press is a variant of the conventional bench press which has the lifter modify the position of their elbows due to a narrower grip to target the triceps more—however, very often this change does not suit many lifters who may have challenges due to the odd position that the elbows and wrists are placed in.

Alternation of the Biomechanics —The change that results in an alternation of the biomechanics and an increased muscular activation of the triceps often results in a change of the angle of resistance. This becomes very apparent at the eccentric phase (when the muscle is lengthened under load when returning to the starting position) of the movement resulting in an increased chance of injury.

Increased Range of Motion—Another consequence of the modification is the distinctly longer range of motion (the range in which a muscle and/or joint can be extended in a plane of motion) which is a result of the lifter extending the arms further from the body. The result means that the lifter is naturally not able to lift heavy on this movement as they would on the bench press due to a superior mechanical advantage that the lifters gains from using a preferred grip width.²

Lack of Equipment—To some extent, some fitness enthusiasts may not have access to a bench to perform the exercise. However, it should be noted that the majority of the exercises in this list do require a bench, but the section below has some exercises that can employ the use of body weight to achieve the same target—building the triceps.

Some using barbells and dumbbells may also not require the use of a bench.

Exercise Variation & Training Goals—Many lifters who do the close grip bench press for a long time can get a plateauing effect where they are no longer making any real gains; they may also become bored with exercises and are seeking some kind of change.

Variation to Focus on the Triceps—Benching with a narrow grip is believed to hit the triceps more although studies don’t indicate the triceps are more engaged. However, anecdotes, or people’s personal experience suggest that the triceps can be felt more in the close grip bench press.

Which goes to say, narrow grip along with medium and wide grip presses should be used in various training cycles to see where you feel it most.

Source: Drazen_ via Canva.com³

Disadvantages of the Closed Grip Bench Press

The popularity of the closed grip bench press as a staple of powerlifting training and bodybuilding to develop the triceps and upper body is undeniable; however this exercise does have some drawbacks including potential shoulder impingement and a limited weight that can be lifted.

Shoulder Impingement—Shoulder impingement occurs (when the rotator cuff scrubs on the outer edge of the scapular) due to the angle of the lifter’s arms and shoulders results in a mild strain on the elbows, shoulders and wrists. For individuals with previous injuries, poor shoulder genetics, or limited mobility and flexibility, the risk of injury increases significantly.

Increased ROM—The increased range of motion (ROM) compared to the traditional bench press will increase the time the muscles spend under tension. Increased time under tension is actually beneficial to hypertrophy rates (muscle growth)—however, this can also be a drawback because it makes this exercise much more challenging to perform and place additional stress on connective tissues and joints.⁴

Limited Weight—As a result of the increased ROM, and to prevent injury, lifters will naturally use lower weight to uphold good form and to prevent themselves from getting injured. Typically lifters are able to lift about 80%-90% of their 1RM (maximum weight lifted over one rep) of the traditional bench on the closed grip bench press.

Close Grip Bench Press Alternative Exercises

Lifters looking to supplement the closed grip bench will typically lean towards movements that are looking to target the triceps for mass and/or strength—the alternative will satisfy two criteria:

• Targets the same muscle group which in this case is the triceps muscle, and other supporting muscles such as the shoulders and pecs with lats, rotator cuff and erectors acting to stabilize the movement.
• The alternative exercise typically involves a movement pattern similar to pushing the weight away from the body, engaging multiple muscle groups such as the most challenging muscles to grow: triceps, shoulders, and chest.

With that being said, there are a number of exercises that fit these conditions and will provide the most muscle growth— these include close grip pin press, close grip smith machine press and the close grip dumbbell press.

#1.Close Grip Pin Press

The close grip pin press is a variant of the bench press that has the lifter make adjustments to the sides of the bench press that will result in a press that commences from a dead stop. There is flexibility on where to place the pins meaning someone can press from any part of the ROM.

To activate the triceps, the pins can be set roughly between 1-4 inches above the touch point as opposed to the bottom phase where pec activation is at its highest.

Close grip pin press is a viable alternative because the momentum that many lifters garner from the shoulders and pecs when the bar is lifted is taken out of the equation. As a result, the triceps bear the primary responsibility for moving the bar, leading to significantly higher activation of these muscles—individuals with bad triceps genetics can benefit greatly from this exercise due to its potential for superior results.

The pin press is an effective alternative that can replace a bench press workout in a 6-week powerlifting program to target specific weaknesses in the movement.

How to Perform Close Grip Pin Press:

1. Make an adjustment to either the safety pins, bars and/or face savers if they are available and that are located on the side of the bench to prevent the bar from touching the chest; anywhere between 1 and 4 inches is fine.
2. The lifter should then lie on the bench as they would for a regular bench press by ensuring shoulder blades are retracted and driven into the bench as well as maintaining tightness in the back.
3. Grip the bar using a wider than shoulder width grip and unrack the bar.
4. Proceed to lower the bar to the pins and relax the muscles for a second allowing the bar to rest on the pins.
5. Activate the muscles and press the bar back and complete the desired reps.

Cue When Performing the Close Grip Pin Press:

• Always stay relaxed during the pause unlike a paused bench press where the lifter stays fully engaged and activated at this phase. The pin press requires the lifter to disengage the muscles when the bar is rested on the pins for a moment, and then re-engage them to get the bar moving from its resting position.
• Strive to ensure the wrists are stacked above the elbows and
• Never to use a weight that is too heavy such that it compromises technique and form.

#2.Close Grip Smith Machine Press

This alternative to the close grip uses smith machines to target the triceps. Smith machines often get a bad rapport in the gym with many lifters opting not to use them and preferring free weights.

Nowadays, many lifters are questioning whether smith machines are detrimental.

The reality is that they can help lifters build muscle mass and strength because they do well to isolate the target muscle by taking out the need for balance out of the question, since the bar is attached to a rail system that moves up and down in a fixed bar path.

Because the bar is on a guided system on rails and the presence of weight catchers which can be set by the lifter, there is no risk of the bar falling down on the chest when technical failure has been attained. This presents an added benefit—someone is now free to train to failure in a safe manner and can input all their energy into the movement and not to balance the barbell.

How to Perform the Close Grip Smith Machine Press:

1. To begin, the lifter should make an adjustment to the machine such that the barbell is at waist height and the safety weight catchers are set to restrict the bar to stop at slightly above the chest.
2. Lay down a bench on the back and ensure that the lower chest is beneath the barbell.
3. Grip the barbell with an overhand grip narrower than shoulder width and unrack.
4. Get into the starting position by extending the arms straight up.
5. With a controlled and slow movement, lower the bar until it catches the weight catchers while maintaining tucked upper arms.
6. Press the bar to the starting position and repeat for desired reps.

Cue When Performing the Close Grip Smith Machine Press:

• To maximize triceps engagement, rotate the hands outwards a tad to allow the elbows to be closer to the sides, someone could use a suicide grip (thumb less grip). This is when the thumbs are positioned next to the index fingers instead of wrapping them around the barbell.
• Maintain tension in triceps during the entire ROM; this is accomplished by not locking out the elbows at the top phase.
• Establish a mind muscle connection with the triceps as they can easily get complacent in the exercise. Focus on feeling the triceps flex and stretch by implementing slow rep timing to increase the muscle’s time under tension.

In addition to the close grip smith machine, there is another variation known as the neutral grip smith machine press. The lifter uses a neutral grip handle holding with it both hands, but does the exercise with a full ROM rather than using weight catchers.

It is an unusual exercise but is effective at building the triceps, inner chest and shoulders.

#3.Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press

The barbell can be completely done away by employing dumbbells to replace the close grip bench press where the dumbbells are held closer together in the same way the hands would be placed with a barbell in the close grip bench press and the dumbbell bench press. The narrower grip in the close grip bench press and subsequently in the closed grip dumbbell press results in an increased activation of the triceps muscle.⁵

Also known as a crush press, it is an effective workout that activates the pec muscles since they are squeezed when the dumbbells are being pressed together. In addition, this movement is an excellent tool for increasing the mind muscle connection with the chest.

Source: leezsnow via Canva.com⁶

Mind muscle connection is paying mind and attention to the target muscle as it contracts which has been shown to increase hypertrophy rates.⁷ It also ensures the disengagement of any muscles that are not supposed to be aiding the primary movers in the exercise.

Many lifters frequently ponder whether bench press works the triceps, and indeed it does.

However this exercise will also aid those who are looking to strengthen their triceps to enhance their performance in the bench press to help them overcome sticking points and improve their lockouts.

Sticking point is any point within the ROM where a lifter has difficulty continuing the lift.

How to Perform the Close Grip Dumbbell Press:

1. The lifter should commence by laying on a bench and grab a pair of dumbbells.
2. Hold the dumbbells over the chest shoulder width apart and/or crash the dumbbells together.
3. Lower the weight down with control to the chest.
4. Upon touching the chest, press the dumbbells back to lock out and complete the desired reps.

Cue When Performing the Close Grip Dumbbell Press:

• Lifters should imagine the movement to be a combination of a press and a fly.
• The lifter should squeeze the dumbbells tightly to promote irradiation that improves the stability of the shoulders.
• Shoulder pain can be alleviated by squeezing and retracting the shoulder blades.
• Tension can be maintained in the pecs by preventing complete elbow lockout.
• Grip width may shift through the ROM due to holding separate dumbbells, the lifter should do their best to keep a consistently narrow arm position.

#4.Close Grip Ez Bar Press

The close grip Ez bar is a triceps focused exercise and a variant of the closed grip bench press serving as a viable alternative that also works the pec as well and to some extent the shoulders that work as stabilizers to the movement. Close grip Ez bar press is often used as an alternative to the close grip bench press because the subtle change in hand placement implies that a lifter can have some relief from elbow and wrist pain.

How to Perform the Close Grip Ez Bar Press:

1. After selecting the desired weight, the lifter should first sit on the edge of a bench and lay back, maintaining the bar in close proximity to the chest with a neutral grip.
2. They should then proceed to press the weight to lockout.
3. To initiate the movement, unlock the elbows and lower the weight by extending the shoulders to the chest.
4. Upon touching the chest, the lifter should then reverse the maneuver by again extending the elbows and contracting the triceps to lockout once again. Repeat to complete desired reps.

Cue When Performing the Close Grip Ez Bar Press:

• The abdominals should have some tension to prevent the lumbar spine from over extending when the weight is being lowered.
• Breathing should be controlled, and someone should exhale as they extend the elbows to the lockout position.
• Sometimes some lifters may experience elbow pain; to counter this, a slight angle to incline or decline and/or adjust the elbow position to face in as opposed to out.

Close Grip Bench (CGBP) Workout Alternatives Using Calisthenics

In addition to using tools such as barbells, dumbbell, kettlebells and machines, lifters can employ calisthenics exercises to have as a close grip bench press alternative—calisthenics are a type of exercise that utilize the body weight of the lifter as the source of resistance.

Close grip bench alternatives using calisthenics include close grip pushups, triceps dips and diamond pushups.

#5. Close Grip Pushups

Close grip pushups are the most closely related of the calisthenic exercises to mirror the close grip bench press. These pushups are essentially the equivalent of the closed grip bench press as they engage the target muscles the same way, particularly the triceps.

Similar to the close grip bench press, this movement engages the front deltoids and pecs, providing a beneficial carryover to other pressing exercises like the bench press and overhead press. Close grip push ups are able to build mass and strength and lifters can always utilize weighted vests to increase resistance.

How to Perform Close Grip Pushups:

1. To set up this movement, place palms on the floor with thumbs touching.
2. The lifter should then proceed to extend the legs back such that only the toes are touching the ground and the body remains straight.
3. Keep tension in the triceps and have a slight bend at the elbows.
4. While keeping the body straight, begin to lower the body as far as possible taking care not to hit the floor.
5. Pause for a brief moment before pushing back up to the start position taking care not to lock out the elbows. Repeat the desired reps.

Cues When Performing Close Grip Pushups:

• Elbows should always remain tucked in throughout the movement.
• The elbows should not be locked out as this eliminates the tension from the triceps reducing the efficiency of the exercise.

#6. Triceps Dips

Triceps dips are an old school movement that can be done virtually anywhere using only body weight. They are a versatile exercise and can be performed on chairs, rings, beds, sofas and dips bar stations found in the gym—as long as the surface is stable to place the hands.

Source: Syda Productions via Canva.com⁸

Dips are a triceps dominated movement especially when done leaning back on the dip bar, and are among the most effective exercises for targeting these muscles of the back of the arm.⁹

While these are calisthenics exercises at the core, lifers can always add weights by attaching a weight belt and plates to increase intensity once they are advanced and strong enough. Weighted dips are highly effective and play a crucial role in a 4-day workout split regimen.

How to Perform Triceps Dips:

1. Grab the bars of a dip bar station with palms facing towards the torso and inwards with arms straight.
2. With a controlled and slow motion, lower the body until the elbows are roughly at 90 degrees and keep them tucked against the body and not flared out.
3. Drive backup and complete for desired reps.

Cues When Performing Triceps Dips:

• Always keep the elbows tucked at the sides and don’t flare them out; do not lock them out at the top of movement to ensure tension remains on the triceps.
• Dips can place excessive strain on the shoulder joint, lifters should not dip too low as to cause discomfort as this may place them at risk for injury.
• By leaning forward on a dip bar, the pecs can receive an increased activation.

#7. Diamond Pushups

The diamond pushup is one of the most effective triceps exercises employing body weight that lifters have in their arsenal. They require no equipment and can be performed anywhere, but they are a very challenging exercise to do and place excessive stress on the wrists, shoulders and elbows.

Lifters should slowly ease into this exercise to allow their connective tissues and joints to adapt and get stronger at this close grip bench press alternative. Because this exercise is demanding, some gym machines for arms like seated triceps extensions can help develop the triceps effectively.

How to Perform the Diamond Pushups:

1. To set up for this movement, the lifter will need to kneel down and place the hands flat on the ground forming a triangle shape using the thumb and first fingers.
2. Extend the arms and move the feet back until the torso is straight. Lengthen the neck, brace the core and tuck the chin in, retract shoulders and back in preparation for commencing the exercise.
3. While keeping the body straight, bend the arms as the chest is lowered to the back of the hands. The elbows should stay close to the sides.
4. Press back up and complete desired reps.

Cues When Performing the Diamond Pushups:

• Beginners new to the exercise may bend the legs and rest on the knees to make the exercise easier.
• As lifters advance and get stronger, they may raise their feet by placing them on a chair and/or bench. They could also wear a weighted vest to increase intensity.

#8. Neutral Close Grip Dumbbell Pushups

This exercise does use dumbbells for the set up but not as sources for resistance; this still comes from the body weight. They have less stress placed on the wrists than diamond pushups because the hands are placed on parallel dumbbells which does away with joint stress.

Source: Ibrakovic via Canva.com¹⁰

Rather than using conventional dumbbells, the best to use on this exercise are hex dumbbells as they are less prone to rolling.

How to Perform the Neutral Close Grip Dumbbell Pushups:

1. Place a set of hex dumbbells on the ground parallel and close to each other.
2. Extend the arms and grip the dumbbells and move both the feet and back out until the body is straight. Again, brace the core, lengthen the neck and tuck the chin in.
3. While keeping the body straight, bend the arms and lower the chest towards the dumbbells as low as possible. Elbows should remain as close to the sides as possible.
4. Press back up and repeat for desired reps.

Cues When Performing Neutral Close Grip Dumbbell Pushups:

These exercises can also be done using push up handles and push up boards.

How To Perform Close Grip Bench Substitutes With Good Technique

These close grip bench alternatives are an effective way of reaping the same benefits that lifters would have when they perform the CGBP—however, to efficiently perform these exercises with good technique, some measures need to be taken to preserve good form. These include ensuring the full ROM is done, ensures joints are stacked and having comfortable joint positioning.

Full ROM

Lifters will need to make sure that they are doing the exercises with the full ROM to ensure the muscles are properly activated for muscle growth. As a case in point, when doing triceps dips, there must be every effort made to have the elbow be at 90 degrees at the bottom of the movement and they should be done upright.

Diamond push ups should be done with the chest nearly touching the floor; they can also be done with a slight lean forward for increased tricep engagement.

Stacked Joints

The wrist joints should always be stacked above the elbow joint in the barbell, dumbbell and calisthenics exercises. When the joints are stacked, they are aligned one above the other, which will allow them to work efficiently since the maximum amount of force can now be applied when pressing.

Misalignments of the joints will lead to inefficiency in the pressing and also set up for injury.

Grip Width

These close grip variations that call for a close grip such as the close grip pin press should not be performed with too narrow a grip where the hands are touching or less than 6 inches form each other as this may lead to internal rotation of the shoulders and a sure set up for injury down the line.

To fix this, lifters need to make sure that hands are above or slightly inside the shoulder joint which happens to be the most comfortable position for many lifters. This efficient position has its range between 95%-100% of the biacromial distance (distance between shoulder blades) for the closed grip bench alternative.¹¹

As a second example, the grip width may change in the close grip dumbbell press, lifters should always strive to maintain a consistently narrow arm position.

Correct Bar Path

In close grip bench press alternatives, whether using barbells or dumbbells, maintaining the correct bar path is crucial, similar to the importance of the bench press bar path in traditional bench pressing. Dumbbell presses should have a fairly vertical bar path to properly engage the triceps.

The same goes for the close grip pin press which has the bar travel in a vertical line.

Correct Elbow Position

Elbows that are overly tucked to a point where they are almost touching the body and/ or flaring them extremely out thus transferring all the weight onto the shoulders is the incorrect way of performing these variations.

Instead, the lifter should strive to keep the elbows at about 30 degrees from the body. Close grip pushups can provide someone with a mental note of where the elbows should be at each phase of an ROM. Adjustments should always be made to allow for a comfortable joint positioning such that there is no discomfort and/or pain when doing the exercise.

Maintaining Tension

Increasing the time a muscle spends under tension will go a long way to increase hypertrophy rates. Not fully locking out the elbow in the close grip machine press, close grip dumbbell press and close grip push ups will ensure that the triceps are always fully engaged throughout the entire set.

Benefits of Close Grip Bench Press Substitutes

The alternatives to close grip bench press can do the same for lifters as the close grip bench press when done with correct form. These benefits include building and strengthening triceps, being less stressful on the shoulders and improving overall bench lockout.

Triceps Builder— CG bench press is a triceps builder at its core as it elicits increased triceps engagement which leads to incremental hypertrophy rates for those looking to grow and strengthen their triceps.¹² The alternatives serve the same purpose as the CG bench press, with a case in point being the close grip pin press that magnifies the focus on the triceps by taking the pecs and shoulders out of the equation during the initial lift.

This maneuver allows for superior triceps strength development. This naturally improves both the lifter’s performance in the bench press and decline bench press, as the triceps are crucial muscles worked in both bench press and decline bench press exercises.

Source: privetik via Canva.com¹³

Less Stressful on the Shoulders— Narrow grip press places less stress on the shoulder joint in comparison to the wider grip bench press as it does not demand much recruitment from the shoulder muscles. Powerlifters and bodybuilders who are struggling with shoulder pain during the bench press and CG press may switch up to alternatives such as close grip dumbbell press and neutral close grip dumbbell push ups since these allow for a more natural ROM instead of the restrictive nature of a barbell.

Enhances Bench Press Lockout—The lockout phase of the bench press is heavily dependent on the triceps for elbow extension. Stronger triceps will improve the overall bench press lockout, particularly for powerlifters.

Helps Correct Elbow Flaring—Many lifters tend to struggle with elbow flaring in their bench press due to a failure to engage their triceps, and rather focus on their shoulders. Close grip smith machine press and close grip pin press remedies teach lifters to recruit more of their triceps than shoulders in the bench press—a main cause of elbow flaring.

Activates the Upper Chest—A little known benefit of the CG bench press and alternatives such as the close grip dumbbell bench press is that they activate the upper chest muscles. Studies have shown that the clavicular head of the pecs which is located by the shoulders and collar bone, receive an increased engagement in these movements.¹²

Convenient and Time Saving Exercise—The alternatives to the close grip bench press such as the close grip pin press and conventional bench press share the same equipment and it is therefore easy and efficient to transition between the two. Those looking to save time at the gym can take advantage of this.

Can Carry Over to Other Athletic Sports—Athletes who have a demand for an explosive upper body force while keeping elbows close to the body such as boxers, basketball players and rugby players stand to benefit from the alternatives of close grip bench press.¹¹

Only a small fraction of individuals worldwide, about 0.75 in 1000, can bench press 225 pounds.

However, including both the close grip bench press and these alternatives into a workout routine can help any lifter get into this elite club by building triceps that are critical to a successful bench press.

For any lifter, whether experiencing pain, discomfort, seeking variation in the bench press, or aiming to enhance their overall strength and muscle growth, utilizing effective close grip bench press alternatives is key. These four alternatives are particularly effective in achieving superior triceps strength and muscle development.

Frequently Asked Questions