The incline barbell press is a bench press on a bench set to about 30 to 45 degrees, which points the bar path up across the collarbones and puts the upper chest in charge. It is the standard answer to a chest that is thick at the bottom and flat up top, and it costs you weight compared to a flat bench — expect roughly 20 percent less on the bar.
How to do it
- Set the bench to about 30°. Steeper and your front delts take over from your chest.
- Lower the bar to your upper chest, just below the collarbone.
- Keep your shoulder blades pinned so the bench takes the load, not your shoulders.
Common mistakes
- Setting the bench too steep — above 45° this is a shoulder press with extra steps.
What it trains
- Upper chest
- drives the bar up and slightly back over the shoulders — the reason the exercise exists
- Front delts
- take a much larger share than on a flat bench, and more again the steeper you set it
- Triceps
- finish the press near lockout
- Upper back
- holds the shoulder blades down and back against the pad so the press has a base
Variations and alternatives
Common questions
What angle should the incline bench be?
Thirty degrees hits the upper chest with the least shoulder takeover, and 45 is the practical upper limit. Many gym benches have no 30-degree notch, in which case the shallowest incline setting is the one you want, not the middle of the rack.
Where should the bar touch on an incline press?
On the upper chest, around the collarbone, not on the sternum. Touching low forces the elbows to flare and the shoulder to open further than the angle wants. Let the bar travel a shallow arc from over the shoulders down to just below the collarbone.
Why is my incline press so much weaker than my flat bench?
Because the front delts are weaker than the chest, and the incline hands them a bigger share of the work. Fifteen to twenty-five percent below your flat bench is normal, and it does not close much even with years of training.
Should I incline press instead of flat benching?
Only if the upper chest is your priority and you are happy to give up some flat-bench strength. Most people do better running both in the same week — flat first when you want the numbers, incline first when you want the upper chest.
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