How to Do Close-Grip Feet-Up Bench Press: Muscles Worked & Proper Form

Muscles Worked in Close-Grip Feet-Up Bench Press

Primary muscles worked:

• Triceps

Secondary muscles worked:

• Chest
• Front Deltoid

How to Close-Grip Feet-Up Bench Press

1. Lie on the bench, pull your shoulderblades together and down, and raise your chest up.
2. Grip the bar narrower than in a regular bench press, so that your hands are directly above your shoulders or even closer.
3. Lift your feet up and hold them in the air.
4. Take a breath and hold it, and unrack the bar.
5. Lower the bar with control, until it touches your chest somewhere where the ribs end.
6. Take another breath in the top position, and repeat for reps.

Commentary

Close-grip bench press is a variant of the bench press where you transfer more of the work to the triceps, and away from the chest and front deltoid. This means that most people will have to use less weight in the close-grip bench press than in the regular bench press. Many use close-grip bench press as an assitance lift for the bench press in order to strengthen their triceps. For certain shoulder issues, the close-grip bench press might serve as a viable substitute for regular bench presses.

By raising your feet you will get to practice creating stability in your upper body instead, and you will generally also have less of an arch, which might contribute to a longer range of motion.