Works at the beginning and the end of the bench press and incline press to lock the elbow. She is an American Council on Exercise-certified personal trainer, RYT-200 and has degrees from Princeton and Columbia University. The pectoralis major attaches near the shoulder joint and at the breastbone. Utilizing incline bar, smith machine incline bar, and incline dumbbell presses should be used for bodybuilding prep. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. It puts less strain on your rotator cuff muscles, helping in preventing injury. Use a spotter so that he can help you lift the bar off the rack and maintain tension through your upper back. All rights reserved. The incline bench and military press target the fronts of the shoulders, but to a different degree. This exercise is a variation of the traditional flat barbell bench press. When you exercise with free weights – dumbbells or barbells – you activate more than just the primary muscles you seek to target. However, the angle of the press shifts the work to your upper chest and shoulders. Hold the bar with a medium-width, pronated grip and remove it from the rack. It’s basically the same muscles that are targeted in a flat bench, but it may have an increased impact. With more than 20 years of experience in the fitness industry, she coaches cycling and running and teaches Pilates and yoga. Incline bench presses. The incline bench press focuses on the upper chest, and part of your shoulders. The incline bench press is considered a compound exercise because multiple joints are involved. Its variations, which include the incline and decline bench presses are also used widely in the strength & conditioning world. You then grasp dumbbells or a barbell in an overhand position, and extend and bend your elbows to elevate the weight over your chest. Powerlifters should do incline bench press if they have a shoulder and upper pec weakness that prevents them from getting stronger in the competition bench press. Incline bench press is a popular bodybuilding exercise that helps you develop a broad, muscular chest, which is the hallmark of a champion bodybuilder. On the other hand, the decline bench press is performed by lowering the bench to an angle of about 15-30 degrees. Andrea Cespedes is a professionally trained chef who has focused studies in nutrition. Incline chest press machines that simulate the movement in a fixed plane are another way to perform the move. The incline bench press can also target the upper pectorals, triceps, and shoulders in a slightly different way to stimulate new muscle hypertrophy and strength gains. Muscles Worked The incline version allows you to work on the anterior deltoid… This is because of the angle and the increased range of motion. The pectoral muscles lie against the front of the rib cage and consist of the pectoralis major and the pectoralis minor. These exercises are key to upper pec thickness. In fact, the incline bench press puts more strain on the upper muscles which give your pecs a … Bring the barbell down to your sternum by bending your elbows. The Incline Bench Press targets many of the same large upper-body muscles as the flat version. As a variation of the traditional flat Bench Press, it’s regarded as one of the best exercises to build a stronger and larger upper body. The traditional flat bench press involves lying on your back with the bench parallel to the floor. For the upper part of the pectoral muscle, the stimulation was optimal at an angle of 30 degrees. The incline bench press is a variation of the well known flat bench press. 30 Or 45 Degree Incline Bench. Incline presses are a very popular exercise in bodybuilding circles. These are the muscles that contribute to pressing the bar in the vertical plane of motion. Olympic Weightlifters The incline dumbbell bench press is one of the best exercises for the chest muscle groups. The 1995 study in the “Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research” concluded that a closer hand grip on an incline or flat bench press creates more activation in the upper head of the pectoralis major. During the incline press, the rhomboids at the upper back, the rotator cuff at the shoulder, the posterior deltoids at the back of the shoulders, the triceps at the back of the arm, the extensors at the forearm and the serratus anterior at the upper ribs all act as synergists, or assistors, to help you execute the move. Dumbbells, this exercise can be done using free weights – dumbbells or barbells you! Exercise, meaning that multiple joints are involved is used when performing a press... 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