proper form for close grip bench?

[Thompson]

whats the proper form for close grip bench, because i've seen a few variations. do you place your hands about 8-10" apart and lower the bar with your elbows in, brushing your lats as you go down. or do you have a close grip and keep the elbows out more, like a normal bench press? thanks in advance.

 

[Mudge]

How it feels comfortable, which for me is not going very far in otherwise you bend the wrist.

 

[pullinbig]

i am not a fan of these if done with a very narrow grip. elboes take a beating. for me narrow grip benching is pinkies on the ring. wide grip is index finger on the ring.

here's a clip of narrow grip for me. notice positioning of the hands. pinkies on the inside of the rings.

http://ironaddicts.com/Video/515-4lockout.avi

here's a wide grip. index fingers on the outside of the ring.

http://ironaddicts.com/Video/406-6lockout.avi

 

[Thompson]

hum....

i see what you mean now, but now im confused again... by doing them that wide, wouldn't it be like doing regular bench twice a week?

 

[Mudge]

Pinky on the ring of the bar is not wide. However if you are training triceps on a seperate day you are doing them twice a week anyway, and yes it still hits the chest.

A couple sets, no more, IMO. I cannot use this as an ever week staple otherwise I overtrain my chest.

 

[pullinbig]

i do chest shoulders and tris in one day. once per week. posterior and bis (if i do bis) another and pressing leg movements another. 3 day split.

 

[Thompson]

hum.... i might need more help than I though
this is the program i've been using for a few weeks now, and i've made some decent strength gains, but i dont want to be over training. let me know what you think:



Day 1 chest/calves
Flat bench 5x5
incline dumbell press 2x8-10
incline flyes 2x8-10
standing calve raises 5x15

Day 2 back/shoulders
military press 5x5
side laterals 3-5x8-10
deads 5x5
chins 2x8-10
shrugs 2x8-10
rows 2x8-10
bent over laterals 2x8-10

Day 3&4 rest

Day 5 bis/tris
close grip bench 5x5
standing barbell curls 5x5
weighted dips 2x8-10
incline dumbell curls 2x8-10
skull crushers 2x8-10
preacher curls 2x8-10

Day 6 legs
squats 5x5
leg press or hacks 2x8-10
stiff legged deads 2x8-10
leg curls 2x8-10
seated calve raises 5x15
abs - weighted static holds

Day 7 rest

 

[pullinbig]

for me i would overtrain on this one. but i dont have good recoup powers. some would do fine on this. only one way to find out. i will add that i am not a 5x5 fan. it works for some but i still think there is a better way to train. obviously it works for needsize.

with this routine you hittin chest twice a week, tris 2 maybe 3 times/w, shoulders 3/w, back 2/w and legs 2/w. tough routine as there is not much rest going on here. will this work? it could if you got the genetics, got you nutrition down, and you supps in order.

if it dont work we'll get ya started in a differnt direction and see what happens there. keep us posted of your progress. if you been heittin for a few weeks in the next few weeks you'll know if you overtraining or not. if you can sustain that volume with out overttraining/getting injured you will grow.

i posted a different loking routine in the deadlift sticky on page six months ago that will give ya something to look at for a lower volume routine. it is very effective for guys that dont do well on high volume.

 

[MP5]

If you want to do some close grip benches, use the EZ Curl bar, and use the closest grip points. This is nice and narrow, isolates your tris, and doesn't hurt your wrists. I do not agree with the pinky on the ring theory. Just let your elbows fall to their natural points which is usually closer to your sides.

 

[Mudge]

There is no theory, Pullinbig happens to be a certain height with a certain set of bone lengths insertion points and all that BS, so that is what works for his build.

He happens to be 6 foot and for most average people (5'10" by statistics) that is close enough to what they would see in the gym as well.

 

[Thompson]

ok, thanks guys, ill give it a try

 

[pullinbig]

If you want to do some close grip benches, use the EZ Curl bar, and use the closest grip points. This is nice and narrow, isolates your tris, and doesn't hurt your wrists. I do not agree with the pinky on the ring theory. Just let your elbows fall to their natural points which is usually closer to your sides.

uhhhh....... theory indicates speculation homie. this is a time tested proven way to increase tri strength, and you bench, which correlates to larger tris. hard to use an easy curl bar when you close grippin 405. plus the strain on the elbows/wrists is too much with a extremely narrow grip. it has exactly the opposite effect of what you stated. no way to iso tris in a pressing movement either. your way may work with a quater on each side but for heavy l poundages (which build muscle BTW) a medium grip is much more effective and less stressful on the joints involved.

now how's your squats and deads coming along? you do those wth an easy curl bar? no wait you dont do them cause you gotta bad back. hmmmm........

 

[Mudge]

I can close grip with 275 for reps although I haven't done it in awhile, but yeah I dont see me hauling that around on an EZ bar. Maybe if I wanted a few bicep tears.

 

[jcp2]

I close grip with my pointer finger right where the smooth part of the bar starts, I am 6'3 and i don' think my wrists would like it if i moved them in anymore.

 

[fr8tren]

when i flat bench, i put my ring finger on the ring

when i close grip i put my ring finger on the very beginning of the grip on the bar. not sure how else to put it.they are about 8" apart. very good for the tris.

 

[InTraining1234]

I close grip with my pointer finger right where the smooth part of the bar starts, I am 6'3 and i don' think my wrists would like it if i moved them in anymore.

This is the grip I use as well....also I try to tuck the elbows as much as possible...I'm only 5' 9" though but this grip feels most comfortable...

 

[pullinbig]

http://ironaddicts.com/Video/515-4lockout.avi

as you can my grip in this clip is not that much different than index touchingthe smopth pat of bar. a few inches tops. if i go much more narrow than I am here it causes elbow/wrist pain.

one advantage to going slightly wider is you can move more weight. i believe this leads to faster tri strength/development. i firmly beleive and know that heavier weight builds heavier muscle.

 

[MP5]

You are not doing a close grip bench if you fingers are still on the rings, even with long arms you are still using a lot of pecs. I have long arms too so don't give me that shit, I am 6' also.

 

[Mudge]

You use the pecs either way, one way to help reduce the effect however is to do slower reps. This is why I cannot use this movement as a staple, it hits my chest, same with reverse pressing.

 

[Bimmer]

Im slightly lost, ok so the top part of the pressing movement is what isolates tris, correct? But doesnt sing a wider grip also take strain off tris, what Im saying is wouldnt a slightly closer grip be more effective for tris? Im 6'0 and use a medium grip for close grip presses.