Chest

Incline Bench Press

The bench press on a 30-45 degree bench: it shifts more work to your upper chest and front delts.

Also known as: incline barbell press, incline bench

Level: Intermediate
Equipment: Barbell
Type: Compound

Movement

Muscles worked

Incline Bench Press muscle map: chest, front delts and triceps highlighted on the front and back of the body

How to do it

Set the bench to 30-45 degrees and lie back with the bar above your eyes.
Squeeze your shoulder blades, plant your feet and grip slightly wider than shoulder width.
Lower the bar under control to your upper chest, just below the collarbones.
Press straight up until your arms are locked out over your shoulders.

Form cues

More incline isn't more chest: above 45 degrees it's mostly a shoulder press.
The bar touches higher than on a flat bench, near your collarbones.
Keep your glutes down; if you slide, raise the seat part of the bench.

Common mistakes

Setting the bench too upright: it turns into a shoulder press. Stay between 30 and 45 degrees.
Lowering the bar to your lower chest like a flat bench: the path gets awkward and you lose strength. Lower it to your upper chest.
Arching so much that it becomes a flat press: it cancels the incline. Moderate arch, glutes down.

Sets and reps

3-4 sets of 6-12 reps leaving 1-2 in reserve, with 2-3 minutes of rest. It fits after flat pressing or as the main press on an upper-chest day.

Variations

Same movement, different equipment. Pick based on what you have and what you want from the incline bench press.

Paused incline bench
A pause on the chest builds strength where the lift is hardest.
Barbell · Advanced
How to do it
1. Lie on an incline bench and grip the barbell slightly wider than shoulder-width.
2. Unrack the bar and lower it to your upper chest.
3. Pause on your chest for 1-2 seconds.
4. Press the bar back up until your arms are fully extended.
5. Keep your shoulder blades retracted throughout.
Primary
Front Delts, Chest
Secondary
Triceps
Smith machine incline press
A guided path that's easier to learn and safer to push close to failure.
Smith Machine · Beginner
How to do it
1. Set an incline bench at 30-45 degrees inside a Smith machine.
2. Lie back and grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width.
3. Unrack and lower the bar to your upper chest.
4. Pause briefly at the bottom.
5. Press the bar back up until your arms are extended.
Primary
Front Delts, Chest
Secondary
Triceps
EZ-bar incline press
The angled grip takes pressure off your wrists.
EZ Curl Bar · Intermediate
How to do it
1. Set bench to 30–45 degrees. Grip the EZ-bar with hands on the angled sections.
2. Lower the bar to your upper chest.
3. Press back up to full extension.
Primary
Chest
Secondary
Front Delts, Triceps
Close-grip incline bench
More triceps and front delts, less chest.
Barbell · Intermediate
How to do it
1. Set bench to an incline. Grip the barbell with hands shoulder-width or closer.
2. Lower the bar to your upper chest.
3. Press back up.
Primary
Triceps
Secondary
Front Delts, Chest

Alternatives

Other exercises from the Nuvana library for the same muscle.

FAQ

What's the best angle for the incline bench press?

Between 30 and 45 degrees. Lower is close to a flat bench; higher turns it into a shoulder press.

Does the incline press work the upper chest?

Yes: the clavicular (upper) part of the pecs works harder than on a flat bench, along with the front delts.

Why is my incline weaker than my flat bench?

That's normal: the angle gives less leverage and the shoulder does more. Many lifters manage 70-85% of their flat bench.

What muscles do the incline bench press work?

They mainly work the chest, with help from the front delts and the triceps.

Train with Nuvana

Add the incline bench press to your next workout

Log your sets and weights, and see how each muscle progresses in the app.