Incline Close Grip Push-up
- Synergistenmuskeln
- Deltoid Anterior
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Körperregion
- Upper Arms
- Typ
- Strength
The incline close grip push-up is a bodyweight pressing exercise that targets the pectoralis major (both clavicular and sternal heads) and triceps brachii, with the anterior deltoid providing assistance. Elevating your hands on a surface reduces the load compared to a flat push-up, while the narrow hand position shifts more demand onto the triceps and inner chest.
Incline Close Grip Push-up: So führst du sie aus
- 1Stand facing a stable elevated surface — a bench, box, or step — and place both hands on it slightly narrower than shoulder-width, fingers pointing forward.
- 2Step your feet back until your body forms a straight line from your head to your heels. Brace your core and squeeze your glutes to maintain this rigid plank position.
- 3Keep your elbows close to your torso — not flared out — as you prepare to descend.
- 4Lower your chest toward the surface by bending your elbows, maintaining the close-grip alignment and keeping your hips level throughout.
- 5Descend until your chest nearly touches the surface or your elbows reach roughly a 90° angle.
- 6Press through your palms to extend your arms and return to the starting position, fully locking out your elbows at the top.
- 7Repeat for the desired number of repetitions without letting your hips sag or pike.
Technik-Tipps
- The higher the surface, the easier the movement — beginners can start with a counter height and progress to a lower bench as strength improves.
- Keep your elbows tracking back along your sides rather than flaring outward to protect your shoulder joints and better engage the triceps.
- Maintain a neutral neck by keeping your gaze slightly ahead of your hands rather than looking straight down.
- Actively squeeze your core and glutes on every rep to prevent your lower back from sagging, which can shift stress away from the target muscles.
Häufige Fehler
- Allowing the hips to sag toward the floor, which breaks the plank position and reduces tension on the chest and triceps.
- Flaring the elbows out wide instead of keeping them close to the body, which diminishes triceps involvement and stresses the shoulder joints.
- Placing hands too wide, which negates the close-grip stimulus and turns the movement into a standard push-up.
- Only performing partial reps — failing to descend until the chest nears the surface reduces the range of motion and limits muscle development.
- Letting the head drop forward or jutting the chin out, which strains the neck and signals a breakdown in full-body tension.
Häufig gestellte Fragen
What muscles does the incline close grip push-up work?
It primarily works the pectoralis major (both the clavicular head at the upper chest and the sternal head) and the triceps brachii, with the anterior deltoid acting as a synergist.
How is the incline close grip push-up different from a standard push-up?
The inclined hand position reduces the percentage of your bodyweight you are pressing, making it more accessible for beginners. The close hand placement shifts additional demand onto the triceps brachii compared to a standard shoulder-width grip.
How close should my hands be?
Place your hands slightly narrower than shoulder-width. Hands too close together — directly under your sternum — can place excessive stress on the wrists; slightly narrower than shoulder-width is generally more comfortable and still effectively targets the triceps.
Can the incline close grip push-up replace triceps isolation exercises?
It trains the triceps brachii as part of a compound pressing pattern rather than in isolation. It is a useful addition to a bodyweight program but does not replicate the isolated loading that exercises targeting only elbow extension provide.
How do I make the incline close grip push-up harder over time?
Progressively lower the surface height to increase the load. Once you can perform the exercise with a low bench or step, you can transition to a flat close grip push-up on the floor to further increase difficulty.
