Bench press angle. Setup on the bench grab the bar unrack it lower it to your mid chest and press it back up. You can expect your incline bench to be anywhere from 65 85 of your bench press weight. I like to use a variety of angles for incline presses but what i usually land on the most is the 30 degree angle. During a decline bench press your torso and head are placed at a downward slope from the rest of your body and the weight youre holding.
And although the bench press in all of its angles doesnt exactly excel at lat engagement a declined angle does make for more activity in the latissimus dorsi mid back than an inclined angle. Whats the best incline bench press angle how high should the incline be. Any higher can risk targeting the wrong muscles and strain your shoulders though there are people who swear by 45 degrees. The lower the incline the more the movement resembles the traditional bench press while the higher the incline the more it resembles an overhead press.
In order to get the front shoulder to do less of the work and allow the pecs to do more you have to first get the angle of the incline bench press correct when you do the exercise. Research shows that the correct angle of the incline bench press should be 30 degrees from flat to target the upper chest. Getting the right incline bench press angle. Set the safety pins at the proper height so they catch the weight if you fail to lift it.
If youre looking to focus on the sternal pecs though youll be better off with a flat bench or an decline of up to 18 degrees. You dont need a spotter if you bench press inside the power rack as i do. In the first session participants completed a one rep max bench press. What angle do i use for incline presses.
How to bench press with proper form. For a barbell bench press youll need a squat rack with an adjustable bench in it. Bench press in the power rack for maximum safety. 30 degrees may seem like a very small angle but it is optimal for placing the strain on your upper pecs and minimizing the effect on the front delts.
The bench press is an upper body weight training exercise in which the trainee presses a weight upwards while lying on a weight training benchthe exercise uses the pectoralis major the anterior deltoids and the triceps among other stabilizing musclesa barbell is generally used to hold the weight but a pair of dumbbells can also be used.