Incline Barbell Bench Press
Incline Barbell Bench Press is ready for real load and honest reps, using heavy bilateral barbell loading to deliver a chest that grows from tension.
How to do Incline Barbell Bench Press
- Lie back on an incline bench. Using a medium-width grip (a grip that creates a 90-degree angle in the middle of the movement between the forearms and the upper arms), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position.
- As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on you upper chest.
- After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your chest muscles. Lock your arms in the contracted position, squeeze your chest, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: it should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up.
- Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
- When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.
Incline Barbell Bench Press Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
4 sets of 4-6 reps with 3 minutes of rest. Reset the bar between reps rather than bouncing.
Hypertrophy
4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Take the smallest plate jump available once the reps are clean.
Endurance
3 sets of 15-20 reps with 45 seconds of rest. Keep a rep or two in reserve on the heaviest sets.
Common Incline Barbell Bench Press Mistakes
Gripping off-centre so one side carries more load
Set both hands on matching knurl marks before each set.
Cutting the range short so the chest never lengthens
Lower under control to a real stretch before pressing back.
Easier and Harder Than Incline Barbell Bench Press
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Incline Barbell Bench Press — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Incline Barbell Bench Press?
Lie back on an incline bench. Using a medium-width grip (a grip that creates a 90-degree angle in the middle of the movement between the forearms and the upper arms), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position. As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on you upper chest. After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your chest muscles. Lock your arms in the contracted position, squeeze your chest, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: it should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up. Use a barbell and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Incline Barbell Bench Press work?
The Incline Barbell Bench Press primarily targets the pectorals. It is classified as a chest exercise and is performed with a barbell.
How many sets and reps of the Incline Barbell Bench Press should I do?
For muscle growth: 4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Take the smallest plate jump available once the reps are clean. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Incline Barbell Bench Press good for beginners?
It is an intermediate movement. You will get more out of it once you can already perform the basic chest patterns with controlled form. Beginners can still use it with light load and close attention to technique.
What can I do instead of the Incline Barbell Bench Press?
Try the Dumbbell One Arm Decline Chest Press, Chest Dip or the Cable Standing Up Straight Crossovers. Each trains the pectorals with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
