Incline Bench Form

[Synpax]

Something I have noticed and you may have too is the significant differnence in effort required to do an incline bench press depending on how far down you go.

I notice many guys in the gym doing inclines with the bar going down only to the top of their heads. Sometimes it goes almost down to their chin with their upper and lower arms making right angles (and making a straight line with their chest.)

However, I've noticed a huge inflection point if you go down just a little further and allow your upperarms to bend back a little so your elbows are behind your chest. The effort required to get the weight up and down just those few inches is more than the effort required to get the entire bar back up, and is also the part of the exercise that best targets the pectorals.

I've noticed also that on the flat bench you can't let your elbows fall behind your chest because the bar gets in the way and this position is only really possible on an incline bench.

Just a few thoughts to throw out there and wondering if anyone had any comments or corrections.

 

[ironcheif1984]

Something I have noticed and you may have too is the significant differnence in effort required to do an incline bench press depending on how far down you go.

I notice many guys in the gym doing inclines with the bar going down only to the top of their heads. Sometimes it goes almost down to their chin with their upper and lower arms making right angles (and making a straight line with their chest.)

However, I've noticed a huge inflection point if you go down just a little further and allow your upperarms to bend back a little so your elbows are behind your chest. The effort required to get the weight up and down just those few inches is more than the effort required to get the entire bar back up, and is also the part of the exercise that best targets the pectorals.

I've noticed also that on the flat bench you can't let your elbows fall behind your chest because the bar gets in the way and this position is only really possible on an incline bench.

Just a few thoughts to throw out there and wondering if anyone had any comments or corrections.

I love doing incline i feel that they work your chest better then flat bench. You can tell how much of a man you are by doing incline with heavy weight rather then flat bench. I like bringing the bar pretty much to my chest on incline, flat, and decline bench. I do also bring my elbow slightly behing the chest like you said its works well.

 

[OMEGA]

I prefer DB's

 

[Synpax]

I prefer DB's

True - and with DBs you can do down further in even the flat position to hit that little extra 2-3 inches that require so much more effort.

 

[hardrock]

Incline db's at a 30 deg angle are great. I just switched up and only do 1 flat excercise, but 2 incline.

 

[chaos13]

starting off with incline chest is something i started a few weeks ago. and am loving it.

 

[smtimelevi]

I love seeing some idiot doing incline half way like it was partials or something.

Then when he's done going adding weight to whatever he was doing. Then proceding to complete FULL reps with that higher weight and text book form while he watches in awe.

I very rarely see anyone doing incline barbell press in a full range of motion unless they are warming up. I think is kinda sad

 

[SouthernLord]

Incline db's at a 30 deg angle are great. I just switched up and only do 1 flat excercise, but 2 incline.

That is about the perfect angle to nail the chest. Incline and weighted dips hit my chest really hard compared to the flat bench.

 

[Synpax]

I alternate my incline and flat BP as the primary progressive chest exercise in my 5x5 program. So on each chest day, I am either doing flats or inclines first.

After doing this benchwork, I have more trouble doing flat dumbell presses after doing the inclines, HOWEVER, I have a harder time doing weighted dips after the flat work. This leads me to believe that the inclines hit my chest a little harder.

 

[searay]

when you drop the bar all the way to your chest in both incline and flat bb benches, the last 2-3 inches actually do more damage than good. notice what your shoulders do when the bar gets about 2-3 inches from your chest and you let the bar go from that postion to your chest. your shoulders will rotate back and your chest really doesnt expand any further. that is the part of the bb bench that does the most damage to your shoulders. i used to have pain in my shoulders until i started doing very strict bench meaning leting the bar down very slowly making sure i have complete control and stoping 2-3 inches from my chest and driving up. my shoulder pain has gone away and i havnt had problems since. stopping at that point is actually harder than dropping to your chest and making that bounce, however slight, that all people do especialy with heavyer weights. if you have shoulder problems give it a try..........

 

[Daran]

when you drop the bar all the way to your chest in both incline and flat bb benches, the last 2-3 inches actually do more damage than good. notice what your shoulders do when the bar gets about 2-3 inches from your chest and you let the bar go from that postion to your chest. your shoulders will rotate back and your chest really doesnt expand any further. that is the part of the bb bench that does the most damage to your shoulders. i used to have pain in my shoulders until i started doing very strict bench meaning leting the bar down very slowly making sure i have complete control and stoping 2-3 inches from my chest and driving up. my shoulder pain has gone away and i havnt had problems since. stopping at that point is actually harder than dropping to your chest and making that bounce, however slight, that all people do especialy with heavyer weights. if you have shoulder problems give it a try..........

I totally agree with this.
This is how I learned to bench, and when I see guys who smash the bar on their chest so they can gain momentum by bouncing it, they aren't getting the full benefit of the exercise.

It is alot harder to stop it just before it hits your chest, but yeah, i'm sure most of you know this anyway.

 

[swole]

ever since i switched to dumbbell incline and put it first in my chest workout, my pecs have exploded

 

[OMEGA]

whats your chest routine swole?

 

[silver_shadow]

why would you bench with a partial ROM unless you are doing floor presses, rack lockouts or board presses????!!! that's just retarded!

 

[Synpax]

Who said anything about bouncing?

If you incremented the weights up properly, your shoulder will become stronger, not break.

 

[silver_shadow]

are you refering to my reply? i'm not talking about bouncing either. i'm talking about doing a full rep as opposed to the half reps i see alot of retards do. unless you are doing something specific like the lifts i mentioned in my previous post, you MUST touch the bar to your chest.

 

[swole]

whats your chest routine swole?

so simple yet it's working wonders for me

4 sets incline dumbbell bench
3 sets decline dumbbell bench
3 sets of cable flyes

go home, it's my shortest day of the week

anything you want me to try? of course i can always add flat dumbbell bench but the first two exercises kill me, i go heavy for 8-10 reps and i feel incline hits me very well

 

[needtogetaas]

Something I have noticed and you may have too is the significant differnence in effort required to do an incline bench press depending on how far down you go.

I notice many guys in the gym doing inclines with the bar going down only to the top of their heads. Sometimes it goes almost down to their chin with their upper and lower arms making right angles (and making a straight line with their chest.)

However, I've noticed a huge inflection point if you go down just a little further and allow your upperarms to bend back a little so your elbows are behind your chest. The effort required to get the weight up and down just those few inches is more than the effort required to get the entire bar back up, and is also the part of the exercise that best targets the pectorals.

I've noticed also that on the flat bench you can't let your elbows fall behind your chest because the bar gets in the way and this position is only really possible on an incline bench.

Just a few thoughts to throw out there and wondering if anyone had any comments or corrections.

thats funny. I find that part of the lift to be the easy part. I go deep with all my lifts though.

 

[needtogetaas]

so simple yet it's working wonders for me

4 sets incline dumbbell bench
3 sets decline dumbbell bench
3 sets of cable flyes

go home, it's my shortest day of the week

anything you want me to try? of course i can always add flat dumbbell bench but the first two exercises kill me, i go heavy for 8-10 reps and i feel incline hits me very well

Thats it? Fuck a destroy my chest on chest day.

barbell flat 5x5
barbell incline 5x5
peck deck dips 5x5
flies 5x10-15
some times I will add decline barbell 3x5

It is also my trie's day so I add in
pull downs
skull crushers
and something else but different ew