Close Grip Incline Bench Press

The close grip incline bench press combines two variations that work well together. The incline changes the pressing angle so the clavicular fibres of the pectoral, the upper chest, take a larger share of the load, while the narrow grip pulls the elbows in toward the ribs and brings the triceps in as a major contributor rather than a supporting one. The result is a press that builds the upper chest and the triceps in the same movement, which makes it an efficient choice when training time is limited. Set the hands slightly inside shoulder width rather than touching, since a grip narrower than that puts the wrists in an awkward position without adding any triceps work. Lower to the upper chest and keep the elbows tracking close to the body. Loads will be lower than on a conventional incline press because the triceps become the limiting factor, and that is the exercise doing exactly what it was chosen for.