Done correctly, dumbbell incline bench presses are one of the best exercises for upper body strength gains and muscle growth, and preventing strength imbalances (differences in strength from one side of the pecs to the other).
If you're new to weightlifting, it's recommended to start with the normal bench press. This is because it's a more natural movement and it's easier to learn proper form. Once you've mastered the normal bench press, you can then incorporate the incline bench press into your routine.
Incline bench press, never skip may be sometimes you skip flat bench but still you must do incline bench press. Also focus on increasing load & intensity with the same efforts you are always putting on flat bench, you can't take it a casual movement.
Incline bench press primarily targets the upper chest and triceps, while the overhead press (or military press) is a more direct shoulder exercise that focuses on the deltoids. While the incline bench press can indirectly work the front deltoids, ...
Try the incline press as it is more effective for targeting the upper chest muscles due to the bench's angle, which emphasizes the clavicular head of the pectoralis major.
The incline of the bench means that it targets the upper chest and deltoids more, specifically hitting the clavicular head of the pec major. This variation requires more stability and single arm strength compared to the barbell version.
Flat bench presses aren't the only strength-training exercise that builds the chest muscle. There are also incline and decline bench presses. Switching up the angle of benching and adding some secondary chest exercises to your regimen will create a well-rounded strength-training workout.
The ideal incline bench angle for upper chest that I recommend is 30 degrees (two notches above flat). Universally it's a catch all angle for the upper chest regardless if you arch or not on your bench.
Retract your shoulders to make your back stronger during the descending motion. Touch the bar to your chest, then push the weight back up, keeping your elbows under the bar. Repeat for the desired number of reps.
The angle of the bench significantly affects the difficulty of the press. An incline between 30 to 45 degrees shifts the workload to the upper chest and shoulders, areas that are generally less worked compared to the lower chest. This often makes the incline bench press feel harder.
For any isolation exercises, you could do just 1-2 sets per exercise and get the job done well. There's no harm in spending more time in the gym, though. If you have the time and ambition, you could start with 4 to 8 sets per muscle per week, and work your way up to 8 to 12 sets.
Decline bench pressing increases tricep engagement by increasing the angle of the elbows and stretching the triceps muscles. This stretch causes the triceps to work harder to lift the weight!
Should I Do Incline or Flat Bench First? If you're starting out in strength training, it's probably better to start with a flat bench. That's just because it works the pecs more evenly, so you can build more overall gains in chest size and strength, early on.
Include the incline bench press as part of an upper body or chest-focused workout. Aim for 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps, with a weight that challenges you while maintaining proper form. Allow 48-72 hours of rest between workouts to ensure adequate recovery and muscle growth.
Sure, you could do a full-focused chest day every week, but there are a few reasons why we wouldn't recommend this. Firstly, we know that the sweet spot for gains is training each muscle group twice a week. If you're only doing one chest workout a week, that's some serious gains you're missing out on.
The current world record (equipped, with shirt) is held by American Jimmy Kolb established on July 29th, 2023, at the 2023 IPA Tristar Bash meet, when he successfully locked out 635 kg (1,401 lb), beating the previous record by 23 kg (51 lb).
Some common chest exercises for upper chest would be an incline barbell bench press, overhead presses, an upper chest dip or a jammer press. Other exercises might require a cable machine, or an adjustable bench with bench angles.
For targeting all of the chest, the flat bench is best. This study found it activates the middle and lower pecs more effectively. It's also a good choice for beginners. If you want to focus on your upper chest, an incline bench can help.
The overhead press involves a vertical or near-vertical pushing movement that predominantly strengthens the shoulder muscles and triceps. On the other hand, when performing an incline bench press at an angle of about 45 degrees, there's increased recruitment of the upper chest as well as the front deltoids.
Within a training session, we recommend including between 1 and 3 different chest exercises, but no more than that in most cases, as doing more than 3 chest movements in one session is likely just a needless burning of potential exercise variations you can save for later mesocycles.