Barbell Incline Bench Press

Movement Breakdown:

An incline barbell bench press is ideally done with the bench set about about 45 degrees (halfway between vertical and flat). Different bench angles allows for different muscle groups to be emphasized, however, these can be labeled as completely separate exercises.

When setting up, your feet should be planted firmly into the ground. This allows you to squeeze and activate your quads and glutes throughout the movement. Think about screwing your feet into the ground, pulling your heels in towards you.

For most pressing exercises, a neutral grip is considered shoulder width. You can use the rings in the knurling on the bar to evenly space out your hands. A wider grip will put more emphasis on your shoulders and upper chest while a narrower grip puts more of the load on your triceps. Grab the bar as tight as you can, enough to make your knuckles white. In order to engage your lats, think about bending the bar in half.

Squeeze your shoulder blades together and down a bit on the bench as there is a vertical aspect to this press. This will help prevent your shoulders from moving during the set and becoming vulnerable. The fewer moving joints during the exercise, the stronger you will be and the safer your body will stay. 

When removing the bar from the rack you should think of pulling the bar over instead of pressing it up and out. This is why rack placement is extremely important and having a partner to give you a lift can be very beneficial. Pressing out of the rack can be awkward as the bar path is not something that is part of the press. If you are able to squeeze your lats and serratus, you will be able to pull the bar over into a pressing position without taking your shoulders out of alignment. A poor setup and lift off can greatly impact the safety and weight you are able to use. After taking the bar off, pause for a moment at lockout before beginning the press, this will allow you to stay tight and in control of the weight.

Once the bar is up and you are ready to press, slowly bring the bar down just below your chin. Keep your elbows tucked in at a 45 degree angle or less in order to protect your shoulders. Keep the bar in line with your forearms. Resist allowing the bar to roll back into your hands. This will put extra pressure on your wrists. Controlling the eccentric portion of the exercise will allow you to lift more weight and in a safer manner than if you were to drop the bar to your chest.