Demonstration
Watch the Form Demo
Technique
How to Do the Incline Barbell Bench Press
- Set the bench to between 30 and 45 degrees under a rack.
- Lie back, grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width, and pin your shoulder blades down and back.
- Unrack the bar and hold it over your upper chest with straight arms.
- Lower under control to touch just below your collarbones.
- Press back up in a slight arc to finish over your shoulders.
- Keep your hips on the bench and your feet driving into the floor throughout.
Anatomy
Muscles Worked
Do This
Form Cues
- Set the bench between 30 and 45 degrees, no steeper.
- Keep the shoulder blades pinned back and down.
- Touch the bar to the upper chest, just below the collarbone.
- The bar touches high on the chest but the elbows stay tucked. Flaring to reach the collarbones defeats the angle.
Avoid This
Common Mistakes
- Setting the bench too steep, which turns it into a shoulder press.
- Bouncing the bar off the chest.
- Lifting the hips off the bench to grind out extra reps.
- Expecting flat bench numbers. The incline presses less, and forcing the gap closed ruins the rep quality.
More to Explore
Variations & Related Exercises
Variations of this lift
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
Barbell Bench Press
Incline Dumbbell Fly
Trains the same muscles
Alternating Dumbbell Bench Press
Assisted Machine Dip
Bench Dip
Cable Chest Press
Cable Fly
Chest Dip
Put It Into Practice
Workouts Featuring This Lift
12-Week Strength Training Program
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Advanced 5-Day Muscle Building Program
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Advanced 6-Day Powerbuilding Program
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Barbell Workout Plan
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Intermediate 3-Day Full Body Strength Program
A 3-day barbell strength program built around the squat, bench press, deadlift, and overhead press. Heavy loading on the primary…
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Intermediate 6-Day Powerbuilding
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Intermediate Upper Lower Split
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Push Day Workout
The complete push day: chest, shoulders, and triceps in one focused session. Run it three times a week or slot…
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