Smith Close Grip Bench Press

1. Set the Smith machine bar at chest height and lie back on a flat bench positioned underneath it.
2. Grip the bar with hands just inside shoulder-width, palms facing away from you.
3. Unrack the bar and hold it directly above your chest with arms extended.
4. Brace your core and lower the bar under control toward your lower chest, keeping your elbows tucked close to your torso.
5. Pause briefly once the bar lightly touches your chest.
6. Press the bar back up by driving through your palms and extending your elbows.
7. Stop just short of locking out completely at the top before starting the next rep.
8. Re-rack the bar safely once the set is finished.

Common Mistakes

• Flaring the elbows out wide: Letting your elbows drift away from your torso shifts stress onto the shoulders and reduces triceps involvement. Keep your elbows tucked close throughout the press.
• Gripping too narrow: Placing your hands too close together overloads the wrists and limits how much weight you can control. Keep your grip just inside shoulder-width for a balance of triceps focus and joint safety.
• Bouncing the bar off the chest: Using a quick bounce to help drive the weight up removes control and increases injury risk. Pause briefly at the chest and press with a deliberate motion.
• Arching the lower back excessively: Overarching to help move heavier loads takes tension off the triceps and strains the spine. Keep your hips and shoulders pressed into the bench throughout the set.

Programming Tips

Program the Smith close grip bench press right after your main pressing movement, or as the first exercise on a triceps day, using 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps with 2 minutes rest. It builds triceps strength and lockout power with a fixed, safe bar path, which makes it a reliable place to overload the triceps without a spotter.

Slide the bench so the bar touches your lower sternum when your elbows are tucked, then set the safety stops just below chest height. Start with 30 to 40 kg including the bar and add 2.5 kg per session while you can still pause each rep briefly on the chest. The most common fault is the elbows flaring as the set gets heavy, which turns it into a narrow chest press and strains the shoulders, so keep the forearms vertical, aim the bar at the lower chest and reduce the load until the elbows stay close for every rep.

Common Questions

Smith close grip bench vs barbell close grip bench, which is better?

The barbell version trains stabilising muscles and lets the bar drift back naturally over the shoulders, so it carries over better to a competition bench. The Smith version removes balance, which lets you focus on the triceps and push closer to failure safely.

How close should my hands be on a close grip bench press?

Shoulder width or just inside it, roughly 30 to 40 cm between the index fingers. Anything narrower overloads the wrists and shortens the range without adding triceps work.

Does the close grip bench press work the chest?

Yes, the inner chest and front delts still contribute heavily, which is why you can use more weight than on isolated triceps work. The narrower grip and tucked elbows simply shift the balance toward the triceps.