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Dual Pumps for the Triceps and Chest with Close Grip Bench Presses |
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Written by Stephen E. Alway, PhD, FACSM
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Monday, 23 April 2007 |
Genetics may determine the upper limits of your strength, muscle mass and overall shape. Nevertheless, the person who is willing to invest in gut-busting training efforts that are coupled with correct training strategies will far surpass a "lazy" athlete with better genetics. Usually, the basic exercises consisting of bench presses, squats etc. should form the heart of your exercise strategies during the first few years of training. However, with a couple of years under your belt, you should re-evaluate your training goals, especially, if you've been doing a lot of one type of exercise.
For example, you may have utilized triceps pressdowns as the major posterior arm developer from the early days of your training career. If so, you may find that the inside, or long head, of the triceps brachii muscle is lagging a little behind the lateral head so that your arm is starting to look a little unbalanced.
If this is the case, or if one of your top five goals is to possess a balanced deep chest with superior thick and massive triceps, you should seriously consider adding or substituting the close grip bench press to your program. This exercise has a wonderful dual effect: It promotes mass building by activating the long head of the triceps brachii muscle and it acts to directly stimulate and build the sections of the pectoralis muscle that reside along your sternum.
Structure and Function
The triceps brachii muscle is comprised of three distinct heads. The lateral head begins on the head of the humerus bone (at the shoulder). Its fibers run along the outside (lateral) part of the posterior humerus bone and join with the other two triceps heads to form a thick common triceps tendon that inserts into the olecranon on the ulna bone of the forearm near the elbow joint.
The medial head lies between, and generally deep to, the other two heads of the triceps brachii. It begins along about the upper two-thirds of the humerus bone and inserts into the common triceps tendon. Thickening the medial head will push the other two heads outward, enhancing the overall triceps mass.
The third part of this trio is the long head of the triceps. This muscle begins on the scapula just inferior to (below) the head of the humerus at the shoulder joint and it attaches to the ulna bone via the common triceps tendon. All three heads function to extend the forearm (i.e., straighten the forearm from a bent position). However, because the long head attaches to the shoulder, it can help extend the arm (draw it backwards).
The pectoralis major, a large, thick, fan-shaped, two-headed muscle covers the superior part of the chest. The clavicular head attaches to the anterior surface of the clavicle (collarbone). The sternocostal head begins along the manubrium and sternum of the chest (breastbones) and the upper six costal cartilages of the ribs. The fibers from both heads converge on the head of the humerus bone near the shoulder. The pectoralis adducts the humerus (draws the arm toward the midline of the body), medially rotates the humerus at the shoulder, and flexes the arm at the shoulder joint.
Close Grip Bench Press
This is may not be the most widely used of all triceps exercises, but if performed properly, it is one of the best. The added dimension of arm flexion and extension will add to your lagging triceps by more completely activating the long head of the triceps brachii. The close grip bench press is perfect for this emphasis.
1. Lie supine on a flat bench as if you were setting up for a typical bench press. However, grasp the barbell with a pronated grip (palms facing the feet), with about six inches between your hands. Usually a "thumbless" grip is best, because with the thumb under the bar (not wrapped around the bar) your hands can move slightly as the weight is lowered; this reduces the wrist strain with a close grip. However, if you choose a thumbless grip, make sure the weight is cradled properly and firmly across the palm of your hand, otherwise it could slip out of your hand and the bar could fall on your chest (or head), causing serious injury.
2. Push upward as you remove the weight from the weight stack, or have a partner help you lift and steady the weight over your chest. Begin with your elbows straight (elbow extension) and the weight stationary over the nipple region of your chest. Keep your wrists straight throughout the exercise.
3. Slowly lower the weight to your chest, but don't bounce the bar off your chest. Your forearms should remain perpendicular to the floor as the weight is being lowered. Ensure that your arms stay close to your rib cage, otherwise your chest will assume too much of the work. Inhale as you lower the weight.
4. Straighten your arms out as you return the bar to the starting position over your chest. Do not completely lock out the elbows at the top. Exhale as the weight is traveling upward and away from your chest. Repeat the repetition.
The close grip bench press activates all three heads of the triceps during the phases when the elbows are straightened (elbow extension). However, the long head is activated most strongly as the arm moves forward into shoulder flexion during the press, because this stretches the long head and improves its mechanical contribution for elbow extension. In addition, as the weight is lowered, your arms move into extension; this is controlled in part by the long head of the triceps, which puts an eccentric load on the muscle, doubling its stimulus for muscle growth. However, this also means the long head of the triceps can become quickly tired during the set and very sore in the next two days after the workout, so use extra caution during the set and allow proper rest following the workout. As a secondary benefit, the clavicular head and the medial-most fibers of the sternocostal head of the pectoralis major muscle help flex the humerus (draws the arm anteriorly) during the upward pressing motion against the resistance.
Important Training Tips
The closer your hands are together, the greater will be the concentration on your triceps muscles. Still, a grip that is too close will be too uncomfortable on your wrists, especially as the weight is being lowered. This is because your forearms will be forced to move out laterally as the weight is lowered to your chest so that they'd end in a position almost parallel to the floor, rather than keeping perpendicular to it. The lateral movement of the forearms with the very close grip (e.g., hands that are only two or three inches apart) forces your wrists into extreme lateral deviation and this can injure ligaments and tendons running through the wrist. Thus, the increased risk for wrist injury is not worth the additional effect the triceps would receive by placing your hands closer than about six inches apart.
Instead, if you want to try a little variety in your close grip bench presses while turning up the intensity level, you can use a reverse close grip bench press. In this position, the palms are supinated- your palms face your head. This is a little tougher than a normal bench press hand position (hands pronated) because this hand position largely inactivates the work of two forearm muscles that would otherwise assist the triceps. Even though the weights will be lighter than your normal bench press weight, your triceps will fatigue rapidly and therefore it is always a good idea to use a spotter when doing close grip benches (with either supinated or pronated grips).
Generally, if a light weight is being used, the triceps muscles will recruit its smaller and weaker muscle fibers first. As the muscle begins to fatigue, the larger and stronger muscle fibers are recruited to help continue the exercise. Conversely, heavy weights for approximately six repetitions are thought to recruit both the large and small muscle fibers. A different recruitment pattern occurs in a muscle when you change your hand or shoulder position. In addition, the load also affects the way muscle fibers are recruited. For example, muscle fibers that are the strongest and can perform the exercise with the least amount of energy are preferentially recruited. However, the fibers in the long head of the triceps are not recruited in any substantial manner until heavy weights are used. Thus, it will be important to consider that light or medium loads will pre-select the medial and lateral heads of the triceps to hypertrophy, but this doesn't do much for the long head of the triceps.
Although the primary purpose of the close grip bench press is to increase the mass of the long head of the triceps brachii, the nature of the pectoralis contributions to the pressing movements will provide part of the secondary dual pump. Even if you're comfortable with normal bench presses, you'll find that you must concentrate strongly to get through these sets. Expect your triceps to feel as if they are exploding through your skin by the time you are partway into your second set. Not only will your posterior arms be burning, but you should also feel your medial pectoralis fibers swelling under the pump with each passing repetition. With a balanced approach, and by using heavy weights in good form, the close grip bench press will begin your triceps metamorphosis that will not stop until the transformation in your chest is also complete.
References
1. Brechue WF and Abe T. The role of FFM accumulation and skeletal muscle architecture in powerlifting performance. Eur J Appl Physiol 86: 327-336, 2002.
2. Eiserloh H, Drez D, Jr. and Guanche CA. The long head of the triceps: a detailed analysis of its capsular origin. J Shoulder Elbow Surg 9: 332-335, 2000.
3. Kanehisa H, Nagareda H, Kawakami Y, Akima H, Masani K, Kouzaki M and Fukunaga T. Effects of equivolume isometric training programs comprising medium or high resistance on muscle size and strength. Eur J Appl Physiol 87: 112-119, 2002.
4. Moore, K.L. and A.F. Dalley. Clinically orientated Anatomy, Fourth Edition. 1999, Lippinot, Williams & Wilkins, pp. 720-781
5. Newton RU, Murphy AJ, Humphries BJ, Wilson GJ, Kraemer WJ and Hakkinen K. Influence of load and stretch shortening cycle on the kinematics, kinetics and muscle activation that occurs during explosive upper-body movements. Eur J Appl Physiol 75: 333-342, 1997.
6. Oda S and Kida N. Neuromuscular fatigue during maximal concurrent hand grip and elbow flexion or extension. J Electromyogr Kinesiol 11: 281-289, 2001.
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