Exercise Comparison
Body-Up vs Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
Side-by-Side
Muscle Analysis
Shared
Only in Body-Up
Only in Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
Instructions
Body-Up
Assume a plank position on the ground. You should be supporting your bodyweight on your toes and forearms, keeping your torso straight. Your forearms should be shoulder-width apart. This will be your starting position.
Pressing your palms firmly into the ground, extend through the elbows to raise your body from the ground. Keep your torso rigid as you perform the movement.
Slowly lower your forearms back to the ground by allowing the elbows to flex.
Repeat.
Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
Lie back on a flat bench. Using a close grip (around shoulder width), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position.
As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your middle chest. Tip: Make sure that - as opposed to a regular bench press - you keep the elbows close to the torso at all times in order to maximize triceps involvement.
After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your triceps muscles. Lock your arms in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up.
Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.
Verdict
Both exercises target the triceps. Body-Up is a intermediate exercise using bodyweight, while Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press is beginner and uses barbell. Choose Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press if you're looking for a more accessible option, or Body-Up for a greater challenge. Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press is a compound movement working multiple joints, making it better for overall strength. Body-Up isolates the target muscle for focused development.