Incline Bench Press (How To, Muscles Worked, Benefits)

The Incline Bench Press is a barbell pressing variation performed on an incline bench, targeting the upper portion of the chest. By pressing at an angle, you shift emphasis from the mid-chest to the clavicular head of the pecs, while also engaging the shoulders and triceps.

It’s a key accessory lift for building a full, well-rounded chest.

Primary Muscles Worked: Pectoralis Major (upper chest)
Secondary Muscles Worked: Anterior Deltoids, Triceps
Equipment Needed: Incline Bench, Barbell, Weight Plates, Rack

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How To Do Incline Bench Press

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Set-Up:
   • Adjust a bench to about a 30–45° incline.
   • Lie back on the bench with feet flat on the floor.
   • Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width and unrack it, holding it above your upper chest with arms extended.
2. Execution:
   • Lower the bar slowly to your upper chest, keeping elbows at about a 45° angle from your torso.
   • Press the bar upward until your arms are fully extended, maintaining control.
   • Repeat for the desired reps, keeping bar path consistent.
3. Tips for Proper Form:
   • Don’t flare elbows excessively (keep them slightly tucked).
   • Keep your shoulder blades pulled back and pressed into the bench.
   • Avoid bouncing the bar off your chest.

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Key Benefits

• Builds upper chest strength and size.
• Improves pressing performance and shoulder stability.
• Complements flat and decline pressing for balanced chest development.

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Modifications and Variations

• Easier Option:
  • Use dumbbells instead of a barbell for more freedom of movement.
  • Reduce incline angle to decrease shoulder demand.
• Harder Option:
  • Add bands or chains for variable resistance.
  • Pause reps at the chest to eliminate momentum.
  • Perform tempo work (slow lowering).

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Common Mistakes

• Bench Too Steep: Angles above 45° turn the lift into more of a shoulder press.
• Flaring Elbows: Keep elbows in a safe position (around 45°).
• Feet Lifting Off Floor: Keep feet flat and stable for support.
• Losing Upper Back Tightness: Keep shoulder blades retracted throughout.

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Reps and Sets Recommendations

• For Strength: 4–6 sets of 3–6 reps with heavier loads.
• For Hypertrophy: 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps.
• As Accessory Work: 2–3 sets of 10–15 lighter reps after main pressing.

Incline Bench Press Alternatives

Don’t have a barbell, or maybe a bench? Whatever the reason, if you need an alternative for Incline Bench here are a few exercises you might be able to use as a replacement.

Need more options? Here are my 11 favorite alternatives for Incline Bench Press.

Alternating Med Ball Push-Ups

Grab a med ball that is firm. Perform a push-up with one hand on the med ball and the other on the ground. Stabilizing your shoulders, roll the med ball to the other hand between reps.

Barbell Push-Ups

Set the barbell on the lifting rack at a low setting. Perform push-ups with your bench press grip. This is a great movement for lifters to get some volume with the same implement but now the scapula can freely rotate and is a little more shoulder-friendly.

Don’t have a barbell? Regular old-school pushups are still a super effective alternative for any chest exercise.

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press

Grab some dumbbells, set your bench at 45 degrees, and perform the same incline bench press movement as with the bar. Dumbbell Incline Bench Press is a great secondary movement to perform after the main pressing work for the day is done.

It is important to start light (like other exercises) until you feel comfortable with this variation.

Exercises to Superset with Incline Bench

Looking to turn your Incline Bench sets into a superset? Here are a couple of my favorite exercises to pair up with Incline:

(Need more options? Here are 10 Incline Bench superset pairs you can choose from.)

Pull-Ups

Why: Pull-Ups (Chin-Ups work just fine too) work the opposing muscles (back vs chest) to those used with Incline Bench Press, helping to create a balanced upper body training session.

Bent Over Barbell Row

Why: Back exercises, which are antagonist to the muscles worked in the Incline Bench Press, are most often going to be your best bet when supersetting with Incline Bench.

Bent Over Rows is another excellent option that fits this description.

Risks

I would be doing the reader a disservice without discussing the potential risks of Incline Barbell Benching.

This lift is highly technical and requires a tremendous amount of attention to detail, practice, and a slow gradual increase in weight. An athlete who does not consistently set up the right way and sacrifices form to lift more weight will get hurt.

It is also important to consider rest, recovery, and balancing other life activities.

Because the Incline Bench Press stresses the upper body and is very hard on the smaller and more delicate tissues of the shoulder, it takes time to recover from a serious bench press session.  Field and court athletes should consider what days of the week they are benching.

As an athlete, it is important to make sure the lifting in the weight room is correlating and in conjunction with your sport. Rest and recovery are absolutely critical to reap the benefits of any lift and should be taken seriously by all athletes.

More Links and Info

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Looking to increase your bench press? Or just looking to improve your overall athletic ability?

Head over to our Upper Body Exercise Library with a growing collection of lifts with step-by-step instructions that have proven to help athletes increase their strength and power.

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