Incline bench press
The incline bench press builds the chest and pressing strength about as well as the flat bench, and the little evidence available suggests it adds a bit more growth to the upper chest. Around 30° is the sweet spot: steeper angles shift the work to the front of the shoulders.
What the science says
- Strength gains similar to the flat bench Moderate evidence
Chaves et al. (2020) randomized 47 untrained men to flat bench, incline bench or both, once a week for 8 weeks with equal sets. Isometric strength rose about 10–11 kg on both the flat and the incline test in every group, with no difference between them.
- A little more upper-chest growth, in one trial Limited evidence
In the same trial, muscle thickness changed differently at only one of three chest sites: the upper pectoralis (second intercostal space) grew about 0.5–0.6 cm more in the incline group than in the flat or combined groups. It is one small trial in untrained men.
- About 30° targets the upper chest; above 45° the shoulders take over Moderate evidence
Rodríguez-Ridao et al. (2020) measured muscle activity in 30 trained adults at 60% of 1RM on benches from 0° to 60°. Upper-chest activity peaked at 30°, the middle and lower chest were most active at 0°, and the anterior deltoid was most active at 60°; above 45° chest performance dropped. Activation is not growth, so this supports the angle choice, not extra gains by itself.
How to do it
Muscles trained: pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, triceps brachii
- Set the bench to about 30°; steeper turns it into a shoulder press
- Pull your shoulder blades back and down and keep the chest up
- Lower the bar to the upper chest, just below the collarbones
- Keep the forearms roughly vertical and the elbows slightly tucked
- Press up over the shoulders without lifting the hips off the bench
How to apply it
Set the bench to about 15–30° and use it as a second chest press after the flat bench, or in place of it on some days.
Who should be careful
Kolber et al.'s review found that up to 36% of documented resistance-training injuries involve the shoulder, and pressing at steep angles loads the front of the shoulder more. Keep the bench at or below 45°, use safety arms near failure, and see a physician or physical therapist about shoulder pain that persists.
Frequently asked questions
What incline angle should I use?
About 15–30°. Rodríguez-Ridao et al. found upper-chest activity peaked at 30°, while angles above 45° shifted work to the front delts and reduced chest performance.
Does the incline bench build the upper chest better than the flat bench?
Probably a little. In Chaves et al.'s trial the upper chest grew about 0.5–0.6 cm more with incline pressing, but at only one of three sites and in a single small study of untrained men.
Should I replace the flat bench with the incline?
You can. Chaves et al. found similar strength gains with flat, incline or both, so the choice can follow preference and which part of the chest you want to emphasize.
Scientific references
- Effects of Horizontal and Incline Bench Press on Neuromuscular Adaptations in Untrained Young Men
- Effect of Five Bench Inclinations on the Electromyographic Activity of the Pectoralis Major, Anterior Deltoid, and Triceps Brachii during the Bench Press Exercise
- Shoulder injuries attributed to resistance training: a brief review
More exercises
- Back squat Strong evidence
The barbell back squat reliably builds the quadriceps, glutes and adductors and is one of the best-studied lower-body exercises in training research.
- Front squat Moderate evidence
The front squat holds the bar on the front of the shoulders, which keeps the torso more upright and loads the knees less than the back squat while recruiting the thigh muscles about as much.
- Bulgarian split squat Moderate evidence
The Bulgarian (rear-foot-elevated) split squat trains one leg at a time and builds the quads and glutes with far less load on the bar than a back squat.
- Leg press Strong evidence
The leg press builds the quadriceps about as well as free-weight squats and also grows the glutes and adductor magnus, with no balance or spinal-loading limit.
- Hack squat (machine) Moderate evidence
The machine hack squat lets you squat deep on a fixed track with your back supported, which makes it easy to push the quads close to failure.
- Romanian deadlift Moderate evidence
The Romanian deadlift is a hip hinge that loads the hamstrings and glutes at long muscle lengths, and trials of stiff-leg deadlifts and similar hip-extension exercises show real hamstring growth, mainly in the semimembranosus and biceps femoris long head.