The incline variation engages the upper pec and front delts more than the flat bench dumbbell fly. Unlike most chest exercises which are pressing movements, chest fly variations use adduction to challenge the chest, which means the muscles work to bring the arms into the chest rather than push them away.
It can also be easier on the shoulders for some people. For overall chest development, flat bench flies are often considered better. For targeting the upper chest, inclined flies are more effective. Incorporating both variations into your routine can provide a well-rounded chest workout.
Set up the incline bench to a 15--45 degree angle. Imagine you're trying to hug a tree while you complete the exercise. Don't squeeze the dumbbell handles excessively tight as this can over recruit the forearms and biceps thereby reducing activation of the pecs.
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 flat bench press does a better job overall of developing your pecs. Many trainers agree that the incline press is safer on your pecs, shoulders, and rotator cuffs. With so many exercises to strengthen your chest, the chest press with either bench will be effective.
In addition to building muscle, this exercise can help to open the chest and improve flexibility, master scapular retraction, and improve coordination. Opening the chest muscles and strengthening those involved in scapular retraction can help to improve posture and reduce tightness in the upper body and back pain.
The incline angle typically ranges between 30 to 45 degrees, which changes the plane of motion and requires a different recruitment pattern of muscle fibers. This angle puts extra stress on the shoulders and upper pecs, making it harder to lift the same amount of weight compared to a flat or decline bench press.
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.
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.”
Dumbbell chest flies are an excellent exercise for building upper body strength and muscle mass. They help you improve your physique, posture, and overall health.
Adjust the bench to a 30 to 45-degree incline position. Sit down, straddling the bench with both feet flat on the floor. Lie back and raise the dumbbells over your chest. Your elbows are slightly bent with palms facing each other—as if hugging a barrel over your chest.
The Problems With the Dumbbell Fly
A common problem for a lot of people (particularly those new to strength training) is that they confuse a pec stretch with overextending their shoulders. That unnecessary range of motion can be all it takes for shoulder issues to develop down the road, Samuel says.
The bench press beat flys in terms of average muscle activation for all target muscle groups, including the pecs: see the data below. Flys did stimulate the biceps more. Interestingly, biceps activity was actually likely high enough to stimulate muscle growth with the flys.
“Speed walking and power walking absolutely help build glute strength,” says Matty. However, incline is a crucial factor if you want to have the greatest impact on glute recruitment. “Walking on an incline maximizes your glute activation,” he says. “The hill is your friend.”
Without a doubt, the 12-3-30 workout is an effective exercise routine that's here to stay. As the fitness landscape evolves, the 12-3-30 workout remains a practical option for a well-rounded fitness plan.
Incline bench press training is one of the best upper chest exercises for chest strength and muscle mass, but for this bench press variation you need to ensure that you're not allowing your front delts to dominate the movement.
Inclined running increases the muscular demand, especially in the calves, so consider this when deciding on incorporating inclines into your treadmill workout. Faster runners or those performing a speed workout might consider a slight incline or increase in speed when considering their workout goals/times.
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.
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 ...
On average, people are 20–30% stronger in the flat bench press compared to the incline bench press.
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.