Incline Close Grip Bench!

[Hacksquater]

Incline Close Grip Bench!

Almost no one does this kick tail compound exercise!!!!!!

For upper/inner pecs (which almost every bodybuilder could use more of) you just can not beat it! It also works as an amazing compound movement for Triceps.

I think I have figured out why it has never gotten popular, even though when done right is a total winner for targeting these areas (especially the pecs)...

DANGEROUS!!!!!!

When doing the movement you have to be ULTRA careful not to use too much weight and mainly, NOT TO GO DOWN TOO FAR!!! With a substantially close grip, you can NOT do "FULL RANGE OF MOTION" (bring it all the way down to the chest)! This can very easily damage/tear the elbow tendons!!!
If you ever try out the exercise, start out ridiculously light, to see what I am talking about. One great way to overcome the danger is to use a smith machine that has those little range of motion stoppers/blockers (?whatever they are called?). That way you can limit the range of motion to the safe zone, and still go totally heavy.

Even with the potentially high level of danger to the elbows, I believe a competent very careful lifter can benefit tremendously from this exercise, maybe even like no other for the above mentioned areas, particularly upper/inner pecs.

 

[intrinsic1]

I agree, it's too risky for me I prefer to do pushups hands in and extended inbetween bench sets... I will rock some close grip, flat bench on tri days though, but only on the smith.

 

[rebelbodybuilder]

i love the close grip. my tris have become so massive only becasue of this exercise and skull crushers... i love close grip! good post

 

[Hacksquater]

i love the close grip. my tris have become so massive only becasue of this exercise and skull crushers... i love close grip! good post

Yes, but on an incline?

 

[Lethalius]

Hacksquatter,

I will have to try the close grip incline benches. Do you use a spotter for them?

BTW, I couldn't find the other thread where you were talking about the benefits of pullups. I did them tonight just as you indicated and loved the feeling. Very intense when you hold contraction at top! I also did rack pulls for 1st time tonight, hoping they add to my deads off the floor. I fucking love them too! I set the pins below the knee about 1 to 2 inches.

 

[HeHateMe]

What degree incline is recommended when performing this exercise?

 

[Lucky13]

I agree, it's too risky for me I prefer to do pushups hands in and extended inbetween bench sets... I will rock some close grip, flat bench on tri days though, but only on the smith.

Dito! I find with push ups I can really concentrate on my upper chest and a good warm up for triceps...

 

[NXG+]

could you explain exactly how using a narrow grip in this movement would facilitate more pectoral recruitment than a 'normal' or wide grip?

 

[Lucky13]

could you explain exactly how using a narrow grip in this movement would facilitate more pectoral recruitment than a 'normal' or wide grip?

It's not "more pectorial recruitment" as you put it but just as a wide grip would hit the outer edge of the pec muscle a close grip would help u concentrate on the upper and inner movement of the muscle....try a wide armed push up now for 20 reps wait 10mins and then try again with ur hands close together and fingers pointing up also concentrate in ur mind about only using the upper portion of your pec to lift ur body....after 20 reps which feels like it it's the upper portion better ?

 

[NXG+]

Im sorry, I simply cant agree. There are a few facts that (to my mind) make your answer impossible to prove correct. The body is unable to contract 2 "edges" of a muscle to different degrees. Chemical signals are sent to the motor neuron circuits of a muscle. The motor neurons contract the muscle fibres. Unless you know of some research i dont, its inconceivable that one "edge" of the muscle will contract harder than another.

The pec are made up of just 2 muscles pec major and pec minor, there are no heads. Now it may be fair to say that some excersises recruit different perecentages of these two muscles, but it is also true that for the most part the pec min lies underneath the pec maj and certainly the "inner and upper pec" as you put it, is purely pectoralis major.

Now we must also consider the factor of the weight arm. With a straighter arm (i.e. closer grip) the weight arm is a small angle (by that i mean the load is only ever supported by a stabiliser [in this case the arms] that is a small, accute angle away from the base of support - the body - throughout the range of movement). Increasing the width of the grip increases the angle of the weight arm, meaning less intrinsic suppport comes from the structure supporting the load. Obviously this means support will be required from other areas in order to make up the defecit (or the bar will go through your face!). In the case of widening the grip, this support is gained from (primarily) the anterior delts and pectorals.

What im trying to get at, is the following:

a) using a wider grip HAS to facilitate more pectoral recruitment. Conversely, using a narrow grip HAS to activate LESS pectoral fibres (or more correctly, requires less force output from the pectoral fibres).

b) using a narrower grip CANNOT stimulate more growth of "inner" edges of pectoralis major as the muscle in question doesnt have the ability to contract unevenly, especially when being placed in a situation of reduced recruitment (a narrow grip).

Im sure the excersise would work fine if it were simply incline wide/normal grip.

 

[DocJ]

The best way to use this exercise is as a part of a drop set after initial sets of regular grip inclines. This way you're forced to use less weight and you're pressing with pre-exhausted pecs.

 

[Button Buck]

Luck13 = pwnd.

 

[DocJ]

Im sorry, I simply cant agree. There are a few facts that (to my mind) make your answer impossible to prove correct. The body is unable to contract 2 "edges" of a muscle to different degrees. Chemical signals are sent to the motor neuron circuits of a muscle. The motor neurons contract the muscle fibres. Unless you know of some research i dont, its inconceivable that one "edge" of the muscle will contract harder than another.

The pec are made up of just 2 muscles pec major and pec minor, there are no heads. Now it may be fair to say that some excersises recruit different perecentages of these two muscles, but it is also true that for the most part the pec min lies underneath the pec maj and certainly the "inner and upper pec" as you put it, is purely pectoralis major.

Now we must also consider the factor of the weight arm. With a straighter arm (i.e. closer grip) the weight arm is a small angle (by that i mean the load is only ever supported by a stabiliser [in this case the arms] that is a small, accute angle away from the base of support - the body - throughout the range of movement). Increasing the width of the grip increases the angle of the weight arm, meaning less intrinsic suppport comes from the structure supporting the load. Obviously this means support will be required from other areas in order to make up the defecit (or the bar will go through your face!). In the case of widening the grip, this support is gained from (primarily) the anterior delts and pectorals.

What im trying to get at, is the following:

a) using a wider grip HAS to facilitate more pectoral recruitment. Conversely, using a narrow grip HAS to activate LESS pectoral fibres (or more correctly, requires less force output from the pectoral fibres).

b) using a narrower grip CANNOT stimulate more growth of "inner" edges of pectoralis major as the muscle in question doesnt have the ability to contract unevenly, especially when being placed in a situation of reduced recruitment (a narrow grip).

Im sure the excersise would work fine if it were simply incline wide/normal grip.

...or simply put, a muscle with a load under stretch contracts more.

 

[NXG+]

...or simply put, a muscle with a load under stretch contracts more.

well, not necessarily. Consider the example of a simple bicep curl. The muscle is most stretched when the arm is in extension (where the arm is hanging down by the side of the hip). This is not the range where the bicep will be maximally contracted.

In this example the bicep contracts maximally (in this movement) when the weight arm is greatest, in this case when the forearm is apporximately 90degrees to the torso.

 

[ManOfMuscle]

100 % agree with NXG. You can't work your "inner' pecs specifically.

 

[inked1]

good post NXG, you can't specifcally target the inner pecs.
experimenting with the bar position or incline, can assist with training the upper pecs ( or recruiting pec minor) though

 

[simpllyhuge]

i do weighted dips. flat bench, incline dumbells and sometimes hamerstrenght incline.

my chest gets tottally developed when i do them. Honestly weighted dips are great for your chest, they wont target the upper inner part but youll love them for a huge chest and tris.

ive up to 90 pounds plus my body weight before, i think i might hurt my self going heavier than that.