close grip bench

[Timguyperson]

hey I really like this exercise, except when I lower it down to put it back on the rack of the bench press, it really puts my arms in a bad position and I get a bad twinge in my triceps. Any idea how to avoid this?

Should I just do skull crushers instead? I do dips and those behind your head extensions for triceps already, but like to add a third exercise.

cheers

 

[Shrek]

Try wideneing your grip slightly, I found this helped me.

 

[Zarkov]

Put another bench behind the bench press and slide along it so your torso is under the bar and you don`t need to put your arms in that position to putt it back.

 

[trofius]

Try wideneing your grip slightly, I found this helped me.

I agree a lot of people think your hands need to be touching,

keep your hands about shoulder width apart,(Edit ie above shoulders, not outside)
...this allows you to lower the bar further,
...takes lots of stress off the wrist an shoulder joints.

 

[kindred]

I agree a lot of people think your hands need to be touching, rubbish...

keep your hands about shoulder width apart,
...this allows you to lower the bar further,
...takes lots of stress off the wrist an shoulder joints.

I might be mis reading but arent u describing a normal bench press? This thread is about close grip bench press.

 

[Morgan]

I would consider directly above my shoulders to be a narrow-ish grip, normal grip for me might be 1.5 hand spans wider than above my shoulders, wide would be WIDE

 

[Zarkov]

It is a close grip press which works the triceps and not a chest press.

 

[trofius]

With a normal bench I place my hands about 3-4 inches each side of my shoulders, elbows forward about 30-45 degrees to my body, body braced back arched.

With a close grip as i described your elbows touch the side of your body, isolating the triceps, and anterior deltoid more while using much less pectoral muscle., with my body flat against the bench.


Having your hands at shoulder width also give you much more control and stability, making it a safer exercise

I could be wrong and am always looking for better techniques.

But I feel that by having your hands really close the advantages would be negligable compared to the risks involved to your joints, and personal safety.

 

[Zarkov]

Shoulder width would make it a chest press.Using a little more tricep action but not enough to be a tricep exercise.

 

[trofius]

Ok, I re-read my post and edited it, As Morgan described if I do close grip it is with my hands above my shoulders, ie my arms are parallel to my body, it does originally read as though i mean much like a chest press.

 

[Shrek]

I think trofius is on the money. If you have you hands too close together it places your wrists in a vulnerable position. SHoulder width is about right, you can never isolate the tri's completely but they will work more than if you have a wider than shoulder width grip.

 

[trofius]

As a more on topic comment for TIM

Tricep exercises I find really good are:

dips - you do
pushdowns with a rope handle
french press
kickbacks are a great isolation exercise either with a db or cable stack.

standing db french press is great, ie hold one db loosly in both hands (at one end, thumb and index finger either side of handle, plate part on palms) and lower behind your head, then extend up wards.. can also be done lying down, or with a db in each hand. If lying down ensure your upper arms are kept vertical and dont swing. - i think you may be doing these.

You can still do a close grip bench type of exercise, by useing a db in each hand, this allows your wrists to move freely, also they are pronated 90degrees so much less wrist strain, you can also just use the one db held by both hands, keep weight above upper chest and push strait up. (while lying down)

And if going to a gym they shoul dhave some kind of tricep isolation machine, i like to do one set of these last to really push you as their is no risk of a weight falling on you, and you can focus on straitening your arm, rather than holding the weight.

 

[poopoohead]

Try wideneing your grip slightly, I found this helped me.

Ditto, do this

 

[poopoohead]

Tri's

I find for me are best.

weighted Dips for size

skull crushes for size and power

bar and rope pull downs for pump and shape

 

[Timguyperson]

thanks for all the good advice. I'll try widening my grip next workout, and if that doesn't work I'll try some of the other suggestions. Unfortunately I don't have a rope pull down setup at home, but I do french press and dips already. I might give tricep kick backs another shot, did them ages ago but found it to be a pretty uncomfortable exercise, but now I've got an extra 2 inches on my arms they might work better.

For triceps if I did the following would it be a good combination of exercises?

Close grip bench, dips, french press...(would it be worth throwing in those skull crushers as well?)

Thanks

 

[trofius]

Tim,

kick backs are agood isolation execise for a good pump, and for toning/shaping, but they are allways awkward feeling.

I allways do 3 exercises for triceps

allways weighted dips
allways standing french press with db

for a third exercise I rotate each week between, close grip presses, push downs, lying skull crushers, and kickbacks, machine tricep extensions. Some days i add 2 of these if feeling good. But i dont do tris on chest days so they are fresher, and can cope with a 3rd /4th exercise.

 

[azza]

Try a E-Z bar, this will give you a better wrist position and 4-6 inch gap, you will have to do this on just a flat bench unless you have narrow stands on your bench.
My fave tri exercise are
Weighted upright dips.
Skull crushers.
Above E-Z bar close grip bench.
Straight bar pushdowns.
Rope pushdowns.
I do these and mix up one arm pushdowns and overhead extensions.
I use the Straight bar pushdowns as a power move rather than a burn/pump. Do the stack for as many reps as possible. Yates did this in the Bood and Guts DVD, use the rope for more of a isolation lower weight exercise. Just my take.
AZZA