Muscles worked
The incline bench press trains your chest with the emphasis on the upper part, near your collarbones. The front of your shoulders works harder than on a flat bench, and your triceps help straighten your arms. The bench angle sets the balance: the steeper the backrest, the more of the work goes to your shoulders. A low to moderate incline, around 30 to 45 degrees, is the usual choice when the chest is the target.
Common mistakes
- The backrest is too steep. With the bench almost upright, the lift turns into more of a shoulder press. If you mostly feel it in your shoulders, lower the backrest a notch or two.
- Your bum lifts off the seat. With your hips up and a big arch, the incline becomes almost flat and the point of the exercise is lost. Keep your bum on the pad and drive through your feet without lifting your hips.
- Your elbows flare straight out. Just as on a flat bench, your shoulders then take more of the load. Bring your elbows in a little on the way down, so your forearms stay roughly vertical under the bar.
Variations and alternatives
- The incline dumbbell press when you want your arms to work separately, so you can find a path that suits your shoulders.
- The incline machine chest press if you train alone and want to push close to your limit without a spotter.
- The flat bench press when you want to lift heavier and train the whole chest.
- Decline push-ups, with your feet on a chair, give a similar angle at home.
Sets and reps
Most people lift less on the incline than on a flat bench, so do not expect the same weights. For strength, 3 to 6 reps works, and to build muscle 6 to 12 reps over 3 to 4 sets. For endurance, 12 to 20 reps with a lighter weight is fine. If you do flat and incline pressing in the same session, whichever comes first usually gets your best sets, so order them by priority. The guide to sets and reps has more.
Use a spotter or safety arms for heavy sets, since a stalled bar ends up over your face and neck. Progress in small steps, reps first and weight second, following the principle of progressive overload. Use the same bench notch every time and note which one, or your sessions will be hard to compare.