Barbell Incline Close Grip Bench Press

Setup

1. 01Set the bench to a 30 to 45 degree incline inside a rack.
2. 02Grip the bar at about shoulder width, wrists stacked over forearms.
3. 03Pin the shoulder blades back and down and plant the feet.
4. 04Unrack the bar and settle it above the upper chest.

Execution

1. 01Lower the bar to the upper chest with elbows tucked near the ribs.
2. 02Touch lightly just below the collarbones.
3. 03Press up and slightly back toward the face until the elbows lock.
4. 04Keep the wrists straight through the entire rep.

Checkpoints

• -Elbows track close to the torso, roughly 30 to 45 degrees out.
• -Bar touches high on the chest without bouncing.
• -Full lockout finishes each rep.
• -Glutes and upper back stay on the bench.

Common mistakes

• -Gripping so narrow the wrists cave inward.
• -Flaring the elbows and turning it into a standard incline press.
• -Bouncing the bar off the chest.
• -Cutting lockout short, which skips the triceps' main job.