Incline Push-Up Close-Grip

A beginner compound strength exercise that works the triceps, needing no equipment.

Incline Push-Up Close-Grip — Starting position Starting position
Incline Push-Up Close-Grip — End position End position
Difficulty Beginner
Type Strength
Equipment No Equipment
Primary Muscle Triceps
AI Rep Counting Log manually

How to Do Incline Push-Up Close-Grip

  1. Stand facing a Smith machine bar or sturdy elevated platform at an appropriate height.
  2. Place your hands next to one another on the bar.
  3. Position your feet back from the bar with arms and body straight. This will be your starting position.
  4. Keeping your body straight, lower your chest to the bar by bending the arms.
  5. Return to the starting position by extending the elbows, pressing yourself back up.

Muscles Worked

Front
Back

Primary

Where Incline Push-Up Close-Grip does most of its work.

Secondary

Assisting and stabilising muscles.

Alternatives to Incline Push-Up Close-Grip

10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.

  1. 1 Push-Ups

    Push-Ups

    The push-up is a fundamental bodyweight exercise that targets the chest, triceps, and shoulders while engaging the core. It's one of the most effective exercises for building upper body strength without equipment.

    beginner No Equipment AI tracked
  2. 2 Cable Incline Triceps Extension

    Cable Incline Triceps Extension

    A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the triceps, using a cable machine.

    beginner Cable Machine
  3. 3 Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press

    Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the triceps, using a barbell.

    beginner Barbell
  4. 4 Close-Grip Dumbbell Press

    Close-Grip Dumbbell Press

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the triceps, using dumbbells.

    beginner Dumbbells
  5. 5 Close-Grip EZ-Bar Press

    Close-Grip EZ-Bar Press

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the triceps, using an E-Z curl bar.

    beginner E-Z Curl Bar
  6. 6 Close-Grip Push-Up off of a Dumbbell

    Close-Grip Push-Up off of a Dumbbell

    An intermediate compound strength exercise that works the triceps, needing no equipment.

    intermediate No Equipment
  7. 7 Dip Machine

    Dip Machine

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the triceps, using a machine.

    beginner Machines
  8. 8 Incline Barbell Triceps Extension

    Incline Barbell Triceps Extension

    An intermediate isolation strength exercise that works the triceps, using a barbell.

    intermediate Barbell
  9. 9 JM Press

    JM Press

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the triceps, using a barbell.

    beginner Barbell
  10. 10 Parallel Bar Dip

    Parallel Bar Dip

    A beginner compound strength exercise that works the triceps.

    beginner Not specified

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles do incline push-up close-grip work?

Incline Push-Up Close-Grip primarily works the triceps. The chest and shoulders assist as secondary muscles.

What equipment do I need for incline push-up close-grip?

None. Incline Push-Up Close-Grip is a bodyweight movement you can do anywhere you have floor space.

Incline Push-Up Close-Grip: is it suitable for beginners?

Yes. Incline Push-Up Close-Grip is rated beginner. Movements you can learn in a session, with a low skill floor and a forgiving failure mode.

What can I do instead of incline push-up close-grip?

Push-Ups, Cable Incline Triceps Extension, Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.

Can Fitnit count my incline push-up close-grip reps automatically?

Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; incline push-up close-grip can be logged manually in the app, and tracked movements are added over time.

Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.

Track Your Incline Push-Up Close-Grip with AI

Fitnit automatically tracks push-ups, crunches, squats, pull-ups, and curls with advanced body tracking technology — and you can manually input any other workout too. Start free — Pro is $8.99/month.