drtbear1967
Musclechemistry Board Certified Member
During an incline bench press, the application of the load runs in line with the upper muscle fibers of the chest, which results in increased upper chest (clavicular head of the pec major) activation [1, 2]. But how high should you set your bench?
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A 2016 study investigated the effects of pressing at several bench press angles and found that pressing at a 30-45 degree angle was most effective for stimulating the upper region of your chest [3].
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I personally prefer a bench angle of around 30-degrees. This probably is a "sweet spot" for chest training while focusing mostly on the upper chest. If you set your bench higher, you tend to put more focus on the front deltoids, as a result of increased shoulder flexion (swipe left for visuals).
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But feel free to experiment with your bench angle to see whether a slightly higher or lower incline angle suits you best, use the angles given in this post as a general guideline.
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References:
1. ResearchGate
2. An electromyography analysis of 3 muscles surrounding the shoulder joint during the performance of a chest press exercise at several angles. - PubMed - NCBI
3. Influence of bench angle on upper extremity muscular activation during bench press exercise. - PubMed - NCBI
-
A 2016 study investigated the effects of pressing at several bench press angles and found that pressing at a 30-45 degree angle was most effective for stimulating the upper region of your chest [3].
-
I personally prefer a bench angle of around 30-degrees. This probably is a "sweet spot" for chest training while focusing mostly on the upper chest. If you set your bench higher, you tend to put more focus on the front deltoids, as a result of increased shoulder flexion (swipe left for visuals).
-
But feel free to experiment with your bench angle to see whether a slightly higher or lower incline angle suits you best, use the angles given in this post as a general guideline.
-
References:
1. ResearchGate
2. An electromyography analysis of 3 muscles surrounding the shoulder joint during the performance of a chest press exercise at several angles. - PubMed - NCBI
3. Influence of bench angle on upper extremity muscular activation during bench press exercise. - PubMed - NCBI
