Should you do incline or flat chest press first?

Author: Janiya Bailey DDS  |  Last update: Sunday, March 23, 2025

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.

Should I do incline or flat chest first?

Always do flat before incline press. Flat worked lower half and incline worked upper half. You wouldn't be able to lower the bar to lower half if you did upper first.

Should I do chest press and incline chest press?

Yes, you can do both on the same day. If you are at the intermediate and above levels, you can add both to your workout routine. Normal or flat bench press gives overall shape for chest, especially if you have a flat chest, then a flat press bench helps develop mass in the chest.

Should you bench press or chest press first?

You should do bench presses at the beginning of your workout. You can do chest presses and bench presses together, but it's more beneficial to do bench presses first. Bench presses are a more demanding exercise and you don't want to waste your energy doing less-challenging movements.

Should you do incline after a flat bench?

Doing both normal and incline bench press on the same day has several benefits. First, it allows you to work out all areas of your chest in one workout session. This can lead to a more balanced and symmetrical chest development. Second, it can save you time.

Incline VS Flat Bench Press (BIGGER & WIDER CHEST!)

Should you do pec flys first or last?

There's also good research demonstrating that the muscle group you train first in a workout grows the most – direct 100% of this effect towards the pecs with heavy, high quality sets of Flyes.

Is 135 bench good for a beginner?

The average male beginner might aim to bench press 135 lbs. A beginner female, on the other hand, might start with a 65 lbs lift. Remember, these are just averages—individual capabilities vary significantly.

Is incline harder than flat?

Range of Motion. Another reason why the incline bench press is harder is due to the increased range of motion. Because of the angle, the barbell travels a longer distance before it touches your chest. This extended range of motion requires more strength and endurance, making the exercise more challenging.

Why don't I feel my chest on the incline bench?

If you can't feel your chest when you're doing an incline press, it could be because you are tucking your elbows too far in on the way down, which over-activates your triceps, and doesn't allow you to get a full range of motion ❌ To fix this, bring the dumbbells outs and let them clear your chest, or when you begin to ...

Should I do incline chest press or overhead press?

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.

Is a decline bench harder than a flat bench?

The decline bench press is easier than the flat bench because it involves your lower pectoral muscles more and your shoulder muscles less. As you lower the barbell towards your lower chest, the angle of the bench targets your lower pecs, giving it a good ol' dose of attention.

Is it better to run flat or incline?

Walking or running on a flat treadmill primarily works your lower body muscles. But, including incline training may benefit endurance and muscle-building because, as Harvard Health reports, it “generates more muscle activity than walking or running on a flat surface, since you work against gravity.”

Can I skip incline bench press?

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.

Should I train upper chest first?

The simplest and most obvious solution to emphasize your upper pecs is to target them first on chest day. So, instead of starting your workout on the flat bench, start with the incline bench press.

Should you do incline or flat first?

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.

Is 20 degrees good for an incline bench?

The ideal bench angle for incline bench press is a range: 15-45 degrees. But here's why 15 degrees might not always be ideal depending on one significant factor. The greater you naturally arch, the higher the incline l'd recommend.

What type of bench press is the hardest?

While the flat bench press is a great exercise for building your chest, it is also one of the most challenging to do properly.

How rare is a 225 bench?

I've been consistent by several years and I'm still lifting around 190-200 lbs. Giuseppe Dedomenico he asked how rare it was, not how hard is it. Studies say only about 0.4% of the population can bench 225. So the answer is very rare.

Can an untrained man bench 135?

For men, a good starting point is to bench press your own bodyweight. The average American male weighs about 200 pounds. An untrained 198-pound man can usually lift around 135 pounds. Women should aim to bench press 50-75% of their bodyweight.

What should I do after a chest press?

The solution? Superset your bench press with a light chest flyes. This move will targets the pectoral muscles in a way the bench press can't, and it's a great way to feel the muscle working. You're able to really get a stretch at the bottom portion of the movement and squeeze the pecs hard at the top.

Should chest flys be flat or incline?

Is Incline Or Flat Dumbbell Flys Better? Both the incline and flat dumbbell fly are effective chest exercises, but they do have some differences which can make one more suitable depending on your goal. The incline version works the upper chest more, while the flat fly works the pectorals more evenly.

How many sets of chest per week?

How much is enough is highly individual. Research suggests 10-20 hard sets per week per muscle group is the range to shoot for if you're unsure. If you can do more than this, you're probably not training hard enough.

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