Barbell Incline Close Grip Bench Press

Set up an incline bench at a 45-degree angle.

Lie down on the bench with your feet flat on the ground.

Grasp the barbell with a close grip, slightly narrower than shoulder-width apart.

Unrack the barbell and lower it slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.

Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest.

Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.

Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Losing tension in the core or lower back partway through the movement — because Barbell Incline Close Grip Bench Press loads multiple joints at once, a small breakdown in bracing at the hips or spine compounds through the whole chain.

Locking out too fast or letting the elbows drift outward under load — controlling the eccentric (lowering) phase is where most of the muscle-building stimulus happens.

Using an asymmetric grip or uneven bar path, which can quietly overload one side of the body over repeated sets.

Progressing the load or reps too quickly before technique is consistent across every rep of every set.