Incline bench press form

**cinch** · 06-10-2006 12:42 PM

For proper arm movement and technique your arms should be in a 45-degree angle tucked to the sides. This technique places more emphasis on the pec and triceps muscles rather then the shoulder joint. Place your arms in the same manner when doing bar or dumbbell incline presses. At first, your strength will be a little down that's only because you changed your technique and you are not used to the proper movement yet. Keep working at this technique.

Implementation:

Lean back on an incline bench at about 30 to 45 degrees. Your feet need flat on the floor giving yourself a good sturdy base. Lower back is flat against the bench. Arch your back slightly during this lift. Take hold of the bar with a medium-wide grip. When you have the bar off the rack, do not start down immediately with it. Raise the bar off the rack and hold it right above your head arms locked. Like with the bench press, hold it at the top for just a second and get oriented.

Start down with the weight slowly, touch the muscles directly underneath the point that the clavicles meet; basically the upper chest or top of the chin. Pause for a brief moment so you don't bounce the weight off your chest, then press it back up to the top position, exhaling on the way up. Do not touch the nipple area, this is way too low.
Bar placement should be as stated, either touch your chin, or just below your clavical. Even going an inch too low takes the emphasis off the target area. Keep your wrists straight and your elbows beneath your wrists with your arms tucked at a 45-degree angle. Do not keep your elbows back this puts maximum stretch on the pecs and serious stress on the shoulder joint. STAY FOCUSED.

I always thought you performed incline bench the same as flat bench press. Anyone else use this technique?

Ollie · 06-10-2006 01:08 PM

Interesting about the height of the bar. I tend to use DBs anyway but will be concentrating on keeping them up from now on

**cinch** · 06-10-2006 01:15 PM

It was the elbows beneath your wrists. I would normally stretch my chest out as much as poss but then again I get alot of stress in my shoulders so maybe I shouldnt.

**TheGreatGatsby** · 06-10-2006 01:43 PM

same here - as Ollie I use dumbbells and tend to stretch my elbows out and back to stretch the chest.

Not sure the 45 degree close to body tuck would work? But what do I know!

gats

**cinch** · 07-10-2006 03:19 PM

Think I might try it like this:

http://ast-ss.com/training/exercises...?bp=Chest&pn=3

might take the stress of the shoulders.

AlexTemper · 13-10-2006 02:32 PM

I generally tend to take a slightly wider grip on incline than flat bench so in a way thats forces your elbows to be tucked in. I tend to roll my wrists forward a little too keeping the bar inline with arms and elbows. When lowering I also aim for throat/collarbone territory and if you're raising your chest slightly to meet theb bar on the way down then your back would naturally arch slightly anyway.