Do close grip bench presses help increase regular bench presses?!
Question: As in medium grip?
Answers: As in medium grip?
definetly..
the more you can close grip the more efficient you will be at flat benching. close grip bp is probably the best strength builder for the triceps. you can't have a big bench and weak triceps it's physiologically impossible.
* used to bench a 570 raw bench at 229 when I competed in PL comps. back then I could close grip 405 for 8 easy reps
In general if you close the grip you work your inner pecs and triceps more, and as your spread your grip you shift the load to your shoulders, like your deltoids, and if you incline it up you work out your upper pecs more
Medium grip doesn't really focus on anything in particular, it kind of works everything out a little bit, so certainly it wouldn't be a waste of time to target the specific parts and strengthen them
it helps increase your regular brench a little because in general a close grip bench press helps your triceps and chest muscles become stronger. With your triceps becoming stonger it helps you drive the bar up on your regular press.
To answer your question No they do not.
they will help to streghten the tri's more then anything.
witch will add little to your over all prgress. You want to get your over all bench up then you need to stick with the core movements. IE. incline/decline/flat bench I recomend dumbells over barbell for building over all stregnth, Dead Lifts, Clens and heavy squats. All of these core/power lifing compound movements will add to over all streghth in all of your lifts. You can bench press until the cow's fly home and never have a big bench number, Its over all stregnth and using all muscles as one that will get you the big numbers.
P.S.
Never sacrifice weight for form.
proper form will build more stregnth and msucle moving less weight then Loading weight with poor form. You will end up with injury and no real gains. Leave the ego's home when at the gym. If your dedicated and serious about making large gains with stregnth and muscle then do a search on DC training witch is short for Dog crap style training. This gentleman is what I would consider todays formost leader in powerlifting/strong man and body building period and has helped me time and time again with nothing but results.
Good Luck