The incline bench press is a bodybuilding favorite as those in bodybuilding circles have claimed it to be the most effective exercise in building an upper chest.
While there’s been debate throughout the years of whether it actually targets the upper portion of the chest or not, there’s no debate about the fact that it is an effective exercise to include in your workout routines.
The incline bench press is a variation of the bench press and performed on a bench that is set at an angle between 45 and 60 degrees.
In this article we’re going to describe how to perform the exercise, what muscles it targets, how to incorporate them into your workout routines, and list several variations that you can further explore to find which one best fits your body and your goals.
How to Perform Incline Bench Press
Most gyms have a specific incline bench press station where you can perform the exercise, but if your gym doesn’t, you can grab an adjustable bench and perform it in the power rack.
- Load the barbell with the desired weight you would like to use during the exercise.
- Take a seated position on the incline bench with your back against the bench and your feet firmly pressed into the ground.
- Feel the bar for the smooth groove and play around with which finger to align on it. Generally, it is recommended that you use a wider grip when performing the incline bench press. Placing your index finger on the smooth groove may feel right depending on your shoulder width. Experiment with grip placement to determine what feels most comfortable to you during the press.
- Take an overhand grip on the barbell with the bar.
- Take a deep breath in and exhale as you dismount the bar from its racked position. Having a spotter is recommended.
- Once the bar is over your clavicle, inhale and lower the weight to your sternum.
- Using the force in your chest, shoulders, and triceps, press the bar away from you and back up to the starting position exhaling at the top of the movement.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
What Muscles Does the Incline Bench Press Work?
The primary muscles worked during an incline bench press are the pec muscles. This includes the pec major and minor. And, as the bodybuilders for decades have suggested, you’ll feel it heavily in the chest muscles attached to the upper clavicle.
Due to the bar positioning, you’ll also get a lot of front deltoids during the exercise. So, for those looking to build broader shoulders and a wider chest, the incline bench press can be an excellent choice.
The incline will also stimulate your serratus muscle along your rib cage as well as your triceps making the incline bench press a great push exercise to include in your push workouts when performing a push/pull/legs split.
Very indirectly, you’ll also work the muscles of the core and even the quads as you stabilize your body and press through your feet on the floor.
How to Add Incline Bench Press to Your Workouts
The incline bench press can be used as either your first movement or your second movement depending on your goals. For those with a physique goal of building a wider chest and shoulders, it may be the first movement performed. For those looking to add it as an accessory exercise to improve their pressing performance, it will likely be a secondary exercise.
The exercise can be incorporated into full body workouts, upper body workouts, push workouts and chest day workouts.
For the workout styles that require training chest multiple times per week (such as full body, upper/lower workouts and push/pull/legs workouts), you may incorporate the incline bench press into multiple workouts throughout the week.
In some instances, it may be the first chest exercise of the workout. In others, it may be the secondary chest exercise.
For those performing bro-splits, you will need to determine what your physique goal is and place the exercise in your workout wherever you deem it most appropriate for that training block.
The recommended sets and reps for the incline bench press are 2-5 sets of 6-12 repetitions. For those who use it as a secondary exercise, sticking to the lower set range will benefit you. For those who are prioritizing the exercise in their workouts, go for the upper set range.
The rep range will depend heavily on your goals for training. And some may determine that using a mix of ranges with this exercise helps them achieve their goals with this exercise (for example 4 sets with a set of 12, 10, 8, 6 each).
Rest for 2-3 minutes between sets of incline bench press. For those who use it as a secondary exercise, I would still suggest at least a 90 second rest period.
Incline Bench Press Variations
Listed below are several variations of the incline bench press that you can perform. All of them utilize different equipment to perform the press. Feel free to explore the variations on your own and I will link to their exercise guides once I have written them.
- Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
- Hammer Strength Incline Press
- Incline Machine Press
- Neutral Grip Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
- Rotating Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
Conclusion
The incline bench press is an awesome chest exercise for those looking to build a bigger chest.
You should now know how to perform the exercise and have confidence in adding it into your own workout routines.
Experiment with the press and find which exercise variation works best for you.
And if you have any questions about the incline bench press or any variations listed, please feel free to drop a comment below.