10 Best Ez-bar Close-grip Bench Press Alternatives for Triceps Growth
If you can’t perform the Ez-bar close-grip bench press, use other compound presses and bodyweight moves that load elbow extension. Top options: close-grip barbell bench, close-grip dumbbell bench, weighted dips, diamond push-ups, and floor presses. Cue: keep elbows tucked 30–45° to maximize triceps activation and protect shoulders.
Original Exercise: Ez-bar Close-grip Bench Press
How to Perform Ez-bar Close-grip Bench Press
- 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.
- Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Best Ez-bar Close-grip Bench 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. Close-Grip EZ-Bar Press
99.9% 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.
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 Ez-bar Close-grip Bench Press Alternative
You might substitute the Ez-bar close-grip bench for several reasons: no EZ-bar access, wrist discomfort from the bar angle, shoulder or elbow irritation, or a need for unilateral work to fix imbalances. Alternatives replicate the same movement pattern—horizontal pressing with a narrow grip—to emphasize triceps long and lateral heads. For example, close-grip dumbbell presses let you use a neutral wrist to reduce stress, while dips offer a larger overload stimulus. Use technique cues like keeping scapulae retracted and elbows close to the torso to preserve triceps emphasis and limit pectoral dominance.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Select a substitute based on equipment, pain history, and training goal. For raw strength and heavy loading pick weighted dips or a close-grip barbell bench—cue a controlled descent and drive through the palms. For hypertrophy with less wrist torque choose close-grip dumbbell presses or floor presses, which shorten ROM and reduce shoulder strain. If you lack equipment, diamond push-ups give sufficient triceps stimulus; keep elbows tucked and spine neutral to maximize triceps recruitment. Consider grip width and torso angle since they shift load between triceps, pecs, and anterior deltoid.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Ez-bar Close-grip Bench Press work?
The primary mover is the triceps brachii (long, lateral, and medial heads). Secondary muscles include the sternal head of the pectoralis major and anterior deltoid. The movement’s narrow grip increases elbow-extension demand, raising triceps EMG relative to a wide bench press.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Ez-bar Close-grip Bench Press?
Parallel-bar dips are the best bodyweight compound alternative for triceps and pressing strength; cue a more vertical torso to bias triceps. If dips are unavailable, perform diamond push-ups with elbows tucked and hands under the sternum to maximize triceps activation.
Can I build muscle without doing Ez-bar Close-grip Bench Press?
Yes. You can build comparable triceps mass using weighted dips, close-grip dumbbell presses, floor presses, and targeted isolation work like skull crushers and pushdowns. Prioritize progressive overload, full tension on elbow extension, and consistent volume while maintaining proper technique (controlled tempo, elbows tucked).
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