10 Best Barbell Lying Close-grip Press Alternatives for Triceps
If you can't perform the barbell lying close‑grip press, choose movements that load elbow extension under a horizontal pressing plane. Effective swaps include weighted dips, neutral‑grip dumbbell close‑grip press, JM press, skull crushers, and cable pushdowns. Cue: keep elbows tucked (~45°) and drive through the forearms to extend the elbow.
Original Exercise: Barbell Lying Close-grip Press
How to Perform Barbell Lying Close-grip Press
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Grasp the barbell with a close grip, hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing towards your feet.
- Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
- Slowly lower the barbell towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest, then push it back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Best Barbell Lying Close-grip Press Alternatives
1. Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
99.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie back on a flat bench. Using a close grip (around shoulder width), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position.
- As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your middle chest. Tip: Make sure that - as opposed to a regular bench press - you keep the elbows close to the torso at all times in order to maximize triceps involvement.
- After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your triceps muscles. Lock your arms in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up.
- Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
- When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.
2. Ez Barbell Jm Bench Press
99.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Grasp the ez barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lower the barbell to your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in close to your body.
- Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
3. Close-Grip EZ-Bar Press
99.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie on a flat bench with an EZ bar loaded to an appropriate weight.
- Using a narrow grip lift the bar and hold it straight over your torso with your elbows in. The arms should be perpendicular to the floor. This will be your starting position.
- Now lower the bar down to your lower chest as you breathe in. Keep the elbows in as you perform this movement.
- Using the triceps to push the bar back up, press it back to the starting position by extending the elbows as you exhale.
- Repeat.
4. Ez-bar Close-grip Bench Press
99.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Grasp the ez barbell with a close grip, hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing forward.
- Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
- Slowly lower the barbell towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest.
5. Barbell Close-grip Bench Press
99.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Grasp the barbell with a close grip, slightly narrower than shoulder-width apart.
- Unrack the barbell and lower it slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest.
- Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
6. Barbell Reverse Close-grip Bench Press
96.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Grasp the barbell with a reverse grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
- Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
- Slowly lower the barbell down towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Pause for a moment when the barbell is just above your chest.
7. Ez Bar Lying Close Grip Triceps Extension Behind Head
95% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your head at the end of the bench.
- Hold the ez barbell with a close grip, palms facing up, and extend your arms straight up over your chest.
- Keeping your upper arms stationary, slowly lower the barbell behind your head by bending your elbows.
- Pause for a moment, then extend your arms back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
8. Barbell Lying Extension
95% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your head at the end of the bench.
- Hold the barbell with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart, and extend your arms straight up over your chest.
- Keeping your upper arms stationary, slowly lower the barbell towards your forehead by bending your elbows.
- Pause for a moment, then extend your arms back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
9. Barbell Lying Close-grip Triceps Extension
95% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your head at the end of the bench.
- Grasp the barbell with a close grip, hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing up.
- Extend your arms fully, lifting the barbell above your chest.
- Keeping your upper arms stationary, slowly lower the barbell towards your forehead by bending your elbows.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then extend your arms back to the starting position.
10. Board Press
92% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Begin by lying on the bench, getting your head beyond the bar if possible. One to five boards, made out of 2x6's, can be screwed together and held in place by a training partner, bands, or just tucked under your shirt.
- Tuck your feet underneath you and arch your back. Using the bar to help support your weight, lift your shoulder off the bench and retract them, squeezing the shoulder blades together. Use your feet to drive your traps into the bench. Maintain this tight body position throughout the movement.
- You can take a standard bench grip, or shoulder width to focus on the triceps. Pull the bar out of the rack without protracting your shoulders. The bar, wrist, and elbow should stay in line at all times. Focus on squeezing the bar and trying to pull it apart.
- Lower the bar to the boards, and then drive the bar up with as much force as possible. The elbows should be tucked in until lockout.
Why You Might Need a Barbell Lying Close-grip Press Alternative
You may substitute the barbell close‑grip press for several practical reasons: shoulder or wrist pain with a straight bar, lack of a barbell, or a need for better triceps isolation. Biomechanically, the barbell version stresses elbow extension with some horizontal adduction; alternatives let you change grip, range of motion, or elbow angle to shift load between the triceps' long, lateral, and medial heads. For example, a neutral‑grip dumbbell press reduces rotational torque on the wrist—cue: retract the scapula and keep wrists neutral to offload the shoulder. Dips and JM presses allow heavier vertical and angled loading while maintaining high triceps activation.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Select a substitute based on equipment, pain profile, and your goal (strength vs hypertrophy). If you lack a barbell, pick weighted dips or dumbbell close‑grip presses to preserve heavy loading—cue: tuck elbows and control a 2–3 second eccentric. For joint pain, use cables or neutral grips to maintain constant tension and reduce end‑range shear; cables emphasize peak contraction of the lateral head. For isolation, choose skull crushers or pushdowns and focus on full elbow extension and a slow eccentric to maximize time under tension.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Barbell Lying Close-grip Press work?
The lift primarily targets the triceps—especially the lateral and medial heads through elbow extension—while the long head assists depending on shoulder position. Secondary muscles include the pectoralis major and anterior deltoid because of horizontal pressing; keep elbows tucked to bias triceps over the chest.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Barbell Lying Close-grip Press?
Parallel‑bar dips are the top bodyweight substitute because they allow progressive overload and high triceps recruitment. Cue: keep elbows close to the torso, descend until elbows approach 90° flexion, then drive through the forearms to lockout; lean minimally to maintain triceps emphasis.
Can I build muscle without doing Barbell Lying Close-grip Press?
Yes—you can achieve comparable triceps growth with other compound and isolation exercises if you follow progressive overload and proper technique. Use weighted dips, neutral‑grip dumbbell presses, skull crushers, and cable pushdowns while controlling eccentrics and increasing load or volume over time to stimulate hypertrophy.
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