10 Best Close-grip Barbell Bench Press Alternatives for Triceps
If you can’t do the close-grip barbell bench press, use movements that reproduce horizontal pressing and heavy elbow extension. Top swaps: close-grip dumbbell bench press, weighted dips, JM press, close-grip floor press, and cable pushdowns. Cue: tuck elbows to ~45° and drive through the palms to maximize lateral and long-head triceps activation.
Original Exercise: Close-grip Barbell Bench Press
How to Perform Close-grip Barbell Bench Press
- 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.
Pro Tips
- Category: Strength
- Force: Push
- Movement type: Compound
Best Close-grip Barbell Bench Press Alternatives
1. Barbell Lying Close-grip Press
99.9% 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, 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.
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. 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.
5. 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.
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. 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.
8. 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.
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 Close-grip Barbell Bench Press Alternative
You might substitute the close-grip barbell bench press for several reasons: wrist or elbow pain from a fixed bar path, lack of a barbell, shoulder impingement with certain grip widths, or a desire for greater unilateral control. Alternatives change joint angles and grip mechanics to offload the shoulder and shift torque to the triceps. For example, switching to dumbbells allows neutral wrist alignment and individual arm arc, reducing valgus stress while maintaining elbow-extension demand. Use cues such as retracting the scapula and keeping elbows tucked to preserve triceps emphasis and safe force transfer through the chest and shoulders.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Choose a substitute based on equipment, joint tolerance, and desired muscle stress. If you have no barbell, pick close-grip dumbbell presses or dips; if shoulders bother you, use floor press or cable pushdowns to limit shoulder extension. Consider biomechanics: grip width and elbow path change moment arms and which triceps head works hardest. Prioritize exercises that let you load progressively and maintain a consistent elbow tuck; cue a controlled 2–3 second eccentric and finish with full elbow lockout to maximize hypertrophy and neural drive.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Close-grip Barbell Bench Press work?
The close-grip bench press primarily targets the triceps brachii (lateral and long heads) while also engaging the pecs and anterior deltoids as stabilizers. The narrow grip increases elbow-extension moment and shifts peak torque from the chest to the triceps; cue a tight scapular retraction to protect the shoulders.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Close-grip Barbell Bench Press?
Weighted or bodyweight dips are the top bodyweight substitute because they load elbow extension under a horizontal/vertical press combination. To bias the triceps, keep your torso more upright, tuck elbows slightly, and drive through the palms to emphasize the long head and lateral head contraction.
Can I build muscle without doing Close-grip Barbell Bench Press?
Yes — you can build triceps mass using a mix of compound and isolation substitutes such as close-grip dumbbell presses, JM presses, floor presses, and heavy pushdowns. Focus on progressive overload, full elbow lockout, and tempo control (2–3s eccentrics) to replicate the mechanical tension produced by the barbell movement.
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