Exercise guide · Triceps
Close-Grip Push-ups
Close-grip push-ups emphasize the triceps by keeping hands narrower than shoulder-width. They are a bodyweight pressing variation you can do anywhere with minimal setup.
- Targets: Triceps
- Equipment: Bodyweight
- Type: Compound
Step by step
How to do the Close-Grip Push-ups
- Start in a high plank with hands placed directly under your shoulders or slightly narrower, fingers pointing forward.
- Keep feet hip-width apart, core braced, and body in a straight line from head to heels.
- Lower your chest toward your hands by bending elbows straight back along your sides—not out wide.
- Push through your palms to return to the top, fully extending elbows.
- For an easier variation, elevate your hands on a bench or box; for harder, elevate your feet.
Form cues
- Hands inside shoulder width
- Elbows point toward your feet
- Chest stays over your hands
- Full body stays rigid like a moving plank
Common mistakes
- Hands too wide, turning it into a chest push-up
- Elbows flaring out to the sides
- Head dropping toward the floor
- Incomplete range at the bottom
Muscles worked
Primary
Triceps
Secondary
Chest
Safety: Elevate hands on a stable surface to reduce load on wrists and shoulders while you build strength.
Alternatives
Similar triceps exercises
Machine Assisted DipTriceps · Chest
Diamond Push-upsTriceps · Chest
Triceps DipsTriceps · Chest
Barbell Close-Grip Bench PressTriceps · Chest · Front delts
Barbell JM PressTriceps · Chest · Front delts
Cable Cross-Body Triceps ExtensionTriceps
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