10 Best Close-grip Ez-bar Press Alternatives for Triceps Growth
If you can't perform the Close-grip EZ-bar Press, use other pressing and extension patterns that preserve horizontal pressing and heavy elbow extension. Try close-grip barbell bench press, weighted dips, JM presses, close-grip dumbbell presses, or close-grip push-ups. Tuck your elbows 30-45 degrees and control the descent to maximize triceps activation.
Original Exercise: Close-grip Ez-bar Press
How to Perform Close-grip Ez-bar Press
- 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.
Pro Tips
- Category: Strength
- Force: Push
- Movement type: Compound
Best Close-grip Ez-bar Press Alternatives
1. Barbell Close-grip Bench 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, 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.
2. Ez-bar Close-grip Bench 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 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.
3. Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
99.2% 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.
4. Barbell Lying Close-grip 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, 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.
5. Ez Barbell Jm Bench Press
98.7% 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 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.
6. Barbell Reverse Close-grip Bench Press
95.9% 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 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. Dumbbell Close-grip Press
95.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand, resting on your thighs.
- Using your thighs to help raise the dumbbells, lift the dumbbells one at a time so that you can hold them in front of you at shoulder width.
- Once at shoulder width, rotate your wrists forward so that the palms of your hands are facing away from you. This will be your starting position.
- As you breathe in, slowly lower the dumbbells to your side until they are about level with your chest.
- As you exhale, use your triceps to lift the dumbbells back to the starting position.
8. Dumbbell Neutral Grip Bench Press
95.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip (palms facing each other) and your arms extended straight up over your chest.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells down towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push the dumbbells back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
9. Dumbbell Twisting Bench Press
94.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip, palms facing away from you.
- Extend your arms straight up over your chest, keeping a slight bend in your elbows.
- Lower the dumbbells down towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- As you lower the dumbbells, twist your wrists so that your palms face towards you at the bottom of the movement.
10. Close-Grip Dumbbell Press
94.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Place a dumbbell standing up on a flat bench.
- Ensuring that the dumbbell stays securely placed at the top of the bench, lie perpendicular to the bench with only your shoulders lying on the surface. Hips should be below the bench and your legs bent with your feet firmly on the floor.
- Grasp the dumbbell with both hands and hold it straight over your chest at arm's length. Both palms should be pressing against the underside of the sides of the dumbbell. This will be your starting position.
- Initiate the movement by lowering the dumbbell to your chest.
- Return to the starting position by extending the elbows.
Why You Might Need a Close-grip Ez-bar Press Alternative
You may need substitutes for joint pain, lack of an EZ-bar, or programming variety. The EZ-bar angle can reduce wrist strain but still load elbows, so wrist or elbow irritation may force a swap. Alternatives let you change load distribution: dips increase long-head activation through greater shoulder extension, close-grip barbell shifts load to the lateral and medial heads, and JM presses blend pressing with elbow extension to isolate triceps. Use technique cues—keep scapulae retracted and elbows tucked 30-45 degrees—to maintain triceps emphasis and protect the shoulder. Substitutes also let you progress with different implements or single-arm work to fix imbalances.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Pick a substitute based on equipment, joint tolerance, and which triceps head you want to target. If you have no EZ-bar, use a straight-bar close-grip bench or neutral-grip dumbbells to preserve horizontal pressing mechanics; cue a tight grip and elbows close to the torso. If wrists or elbows limit you, choose dips or cable pushdowns that allow neutral wrist positions and variable resistance. For unilateral imbalance, select single-arm dumbbell presses or extensions. Prioritize movements where elbow extension is primary and you can progressively overload with sets, reps, or added weight while keeping a controlled eccentric.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Close-grip Ez-bar Press work?
The Close-grip EZ-bar Press primarily loads the triceps (lateral, medial, and some long-head). It also recruits the sternocostal pec major and anterior deltoid as synergists. Because the grip narrows the bar path and reduces shoulder abduction, elbow extension torque increases, biasing triceps activation.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Close-grip Ez-bar Press?
A close-grip push-up is the top bodyweight substitute—hands placed under the sternum, elbows tucked 20-30 degrees, and a controlled 2-3 second descent to increase time under tension. If you have parallel bars, weighted dips provide greater overload and more long-head recruitment through increased shoulder extension.
Can I build muscle without doing Close-grip Ez-bar Press?
Yes. You can develop triceps size and strength using other compound presses, dips, JM presses, and targeted extensions as long as you apply progressive overload. Track load, reps, and eccentric control; ensure elbow extension remains the primary movement to drive triceps hypertrophy.
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