Barbell incline bench press

Barbell, incline bench

Also called incline barbell press, incline bench press

Lie on an incline bench set low, around 30 degrees. Lower the bar to the upper chest with control, then press it back over the shoulders.

Movement

Main movers get full credit for a set, helpers half.

Upper body

Scores 1-5 averaged over sources. Tap a rating for the claims behind it. Claims are our summaries of the linked sources, fact-checked by AI.

Muscle growth higher is better3.3
Solid; a reasonable default. 3 sources.
- 4/5 With a high touch point, elbow flare and bar passing the nose, it builds the upper chest and is easier on joints. Renaissance Periodization, Pro Bodybuilder's TOP 5 Chest Exercises For Growth @ 9:19videoExpert opinion2025checked by AI
- 4/5 Same upsides as flat bench with more upper chest; a recent study found equal mid and lower chest growth and better upper growth. Jeff Nippard, The Best And Worst Chest Exercises (Ranked By Science) @ 2:32videoStudy2024checked by AI
- 2/5 Typical bench angles are too steep; front delts take over and upper chest activation drops. Jeremy Ethier, The 3 WORST (And Best) Chest Exercises For Growth @ 0:30videoStudy2021checked by AI