Incline Bench Press

Incline Bench Press

  • Primary Muscle
    Pec
  • Secondary Muscle
    Triceps, Front Delt
  • Equipment
    Barbell
  • Level
    Average

Why Should You do Incline Bench Press?

The incline bench press is one of the best exercises to train the upper part of your chest muscles. The inclination on the bench means that the load on the bar ends up higher up on the chest, but there must not be too much inclination because then the front part of our shoulder muscles is engaged, and we do not want that. We recommend that you run about 30 to 45 degrees angle on the inclined bench. Put both feet firmly in the ground, have your butt pressed against the bench, but it is okay to sway slightly. A significant detail is to pinch the shoulder blades together and press them slightly obliquely downwards. This means that our shoulders are pulled back, and the load on them becomes less when we do the lift, which means that the chest can work more, which we want that!

Performance

Lift the bar from the stand and slowly lower it towards the upper part of the chest, a little higher than a regular bench press but not too high. It should take about 2-3 seconds to lower the bar entirely down to the chest so that the eccentric phase of the lift is as effective as possible. Then push up the bar more explosively so that the arms are outstretched; it should take about 1 second to push up the bar. Do not rest with outstretched arms, but turn immediately and slowly move the bar down again.

Guide for Incline Bench Press

  • Press your whole feet into the ground for stability
  • Pinch your shoulder blades
  • The more inclined the bench is the more the shoulders come into the picture. If you run at a 45 degree angle, you must pay extra attention to the shoulders being pulled back before lifting. Optimal bench angle is somewhere between 30 and 56 degrees.  
  • Bend the bar with your hands. 
  • Your arms should be parallely towards the body. Maintain a 70 degree angle between your body and upper arms otherwise the joint is overloaded
  • Keep your shoulders pulled back throughout the exercise
  • Narrower grips allow you to exercise the inner part of the chest and triceps.
  • Do not move the bar to the chin but let it land on the upper part of the chest. Higher than regular bench press but not too high.

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Related Exercises

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Seated Leg Curl

Hyperextension

Hyperextension in a 45-degree angled bench is an excellent exercise for the lower back, your erector spine. You will also train your buttocks and hamstrings. The exercise is easy to perform and suitable for you who are relatively new to the gym and experienced back lifting practitioners because it provides a pump in the lower back.

Deficit Deadlift

Deficit Deadlifts is a deeper version of your traditional deadift. To make it “deep,” you must stand on an elevation so that you lift the bar from a lower starting position. During a normal ground lift, you can do the right thing and start the movement with your legs, but you can also incorrectly straighten your back directly. In deficit deadlifts, the opportunity to lift directly with the back disappears, so you have to work with the legs so-called “leg drive” at the start. Therefore, the exercise is good for learning the first phase of deadlifting.