Incline Push-Up Close-Grip
Incline Push-Up Close-Grip is a push-up done with your hands elevated on a bench or step and placed close together under your chest, instead of at the standard shoulder-width position. Narrowing the hand position shifts more of the work onto the triceps while the chest and shoulders help out. Doing it on an incline lowers the amount of bodyweight your arms have to press compared to a floor push-up, which makes it a solid entry point before moving the same close grip down to the ground.
Why it works
Bringing your hands close together under your chest changes the angle your elbows bend through as you lower and press. A wide hand position lets the elbows flare out to the sides, which recruits more of the chest. A close hand position keeps the elbows traveling closer to your ribs, which asks the triceps to do more of the pressing work to extend the elbow through that narrower path. Elevating your hands on a bench or step also reduces how much of your bodyweight presses through your arms, since some of that load transfers to your legs and feet, making the close-grip pattern manageable for lifters who aren't ready for a full close-grip push-up on the floor.
Set up
- Place your hands on a bench, step, or sturdy elevated surface, close together with your thumbs and index fingers nearly touching.
- Walk your feet back until your body forms a straight line from head to heels.
- Set your hands roughly under your chest rather than under your shoulders.
How to do it
- Lower your chest toward your hands by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your ribs.
- Stop just before your chest touches the surface.
- Press back up to full arm extension, driving through your palms.
- Keep your core braced so your hips don't sag or pike up.
- Repeat for the target number of reps.
Form cues
- Keep your elbows close to your ribs on the way down.
- Keep your body in one straight line from head to heels.
- Lower until your chest is just above the surface, not partway.
- Press evenly through both palms.
Breathing: Inhale as you lower your chest down, exhale as you press back up.
Common mistakes
Letting the elbows flare out wide like a standard push-up.
Fix: Keep your elbows tracking close to your ribs through the whole rep; flaring them shifts the work back onto the chest and away from the triceps.
Letting the hips sag toward the surface or pike up toward the ceiling.
Fix: Brace your core and squeeze your glutes so your body stays in one straight line from head to heels.
Placing the hands too low on the elevated surface, so the angle barely differs from a floor push-up.
Fix: Choose an elevation that lets you complete full reps with good elbow position; lower the surface height as you get stronger.
How to program it
- Two or three sets of 8 to 15 reps works well, depending on the elevation and how many clean reps you can complete with elbows tracking close.
- Two or three times a week is fine for this bodyweight triceps exercise, since lighter loading recovers faster than a heavy weighted press.
- Lower the elevation over time as the close-grip position gets easier, working toward the same movement at floor height.
- Pair it with a wider-grip push-up or chest press on the same day to balance triceps and chest work.
Safety notes
- Use a stable, non-sliding surface for your hands; a wobbling bench or box turns a triceps exercise into a balance risk.
- Stop if you feel sharp pain in the wrists or elbows rather than normal muscle fatigue in the triceps.
Exercise profile
- Force
- Push
- Mechanics
- Compound
- Category
- Strength
Frequently asked questions
How many reps should I do for the incline close-grip push-up?
Two or three sets of 8 to 15 reps is a good range, depending on how challenging your chosen elevation feels.
How is this different from a regular incline push-up?
Placing your hands close together under your chest instead of shoulder-width apart shifts more of the work from the chest onto the triceps.
What's the next step once this gets easy?
Close-Grip Push-Up Off Of A Dumbbell moves the same hand position down to the floor, loading more of your bodyweight onto your arms.
Why do my wrists bother me during this exercise?
A narrow hand position asks more of wrist stability than a wider stance. Try a slightly wider close grip or push up from fists or handles if flat-wrist pressure bothers you.