Incline Bench Press
Barbell pressing on an incline to target the upper chest (clavicular) fibres. A staple for balanced chest development and building fullness in the upper pec...
Difficulty
intermediate
Category
strength
Primary Muscles
Chest
Equipment
Barbell, Bench
Secondary Muscles
Shoulders, Triceps
How to Perform
- Set bench to 30-45 degrees
- Grip bar slightly wider than shoulder-width
- Retract your shoulder blades and set your arch
- Lower to your upper chest/collarbone area with control
- Press up to full extension
Tips
- Retract your shoulder blades and keep them pinned to the bench — this protects your shoulders and improves pressing power
- No barbell? Incline dumbbell press gives a greater range of motion, or use the Smith machine for a fixed path
- Use a 2-3 second descent and touch your upper chest on every rep — bouncing kills gains and risks injury
- Bridging up off the bench to lift more weight is the most common cheat — keep your butt on the seat
- Feel the load across your upper chest and front delts — if it is all in your shoulders, lower the incline angle
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