What part of the chest does incline press hit?

Author: Dr. Clementina Nienow  |  Last update: Wednesday, October 29, 2025

The incline of the bench means that it targets the upper chest and deltoids more, specifically hitting the clavicular head of the pec major.

What does incline chest press target?

The incline bench press is a variation that targets the upper part of the pectoral muscles. The incline bench press angle can be varied to work the deltoid muscles, too. This exercise needs only a bench, a barbell, and some weights.

What part of the chest does incline push up?

Benefits of regularly performing incline push-ups include: Incline push-ups build upper-body strength. Incline push-ups activate multiple muscle groups throughout your upper body, including your anterior deltoids, pectoralis major, and triceps. Incline push-ups target your lower chest muscles.

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 ...

Which exercises target the lower chest?

Best lower chest exercises
  • Dip Plus.
  • Straight Bar Dip.
  • Jackhammer Pushdown.
  • Standing Cable LC Press.
  • Kneeling x Press.
  • D2 Flexion Crossover.
  • Incline Twisting Pushup.
  • Decline Cable Dip.

Quick Tips: Incline Bench Press for better chest activation and less risk of a shoulder injury.

Does incline press hit lower chest?

Primarily targeting the chest muscles, the dumbbell incline press will activate the pectorals, triceps, and deltoids. The incline of the bench means that it targets the upper chest and deltoids more, specifically hitting the clavicular head of the pec major.

What pushups target the lower chest?

If you elevate your hand placement and peroform incline pushups, you'll emphasize the lower chest fibers. If you place your hands on the floor and perform regular pushups, you'll work the middle and lower fibers of your chest.

Is incline chest press worth it?

The incline bench press can help improve shoulder strength and stability by engaging the anterior deltoids and rotator cuff muscles, which help to raise the arms forward and stabilize the shoulder joint, respectively.

Does incline bench hit mid chest?

The incline bench press will preferably hit the upper chest whereas the flat barbell bench press hits the mid-pecs.

What part of the chest does pec fly work?

The chest fly is an isolation exercise which targets the pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, deltoids, triceps, and biceps, although the focus is mainly on the pectorals.

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.

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.

Do you touch your chest on incline press?

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.

Where should you feel incline bench press?

The main muscles worked in the incline bench press are:
  1. Pectoralis major and minor.
  2. Deltoids.
  3. Triceps.

Which type of spotting is best for heavy lifts?

There are two approaches here: The spotter puts their arms under the lifters armpits and supports them in that way, or they place one hand on the back and the other around the body on the chest (which will be the way to go for unilateral moves like split squats).

What is a 60 degree incline press?

As a compound exercise, the high incline press entails pressing a weight upwards while reclining on a bench set at an elevated angle, typically between 30 to 60 degrees. This positioning makes it a superior exercise for honing in on the upper chest and boosting overall upper body strength.

Why does no one do decline bench?

Like a flat bench, a decline bench press has the potential to build both upper body power and muscle, but it doesn't recruit key shoulder muscles and it may even cause shoulder strain.

How often should you do incline bench press?

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.

What exercises target each part of the chest?

The best exercises for chest muscle growth are the standard Bench Press for the middle pecs, the Incline Bench Press for the upper chest muscles and the Weighted Dip using heavy barbell plates for the lower chest.

How do you aim your lower chest?

To target this portion of the lower chest and achieve muscle growth, we need to choose exercises that take our arm down and across the chest. This can include bench press variants, dips, cable chest exercises or even bodyweight movements.

Is hitting chest once a week enough?

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.

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