Incline Bench
How To Incline Bench For Maximum Gains
Thinking of open skill sports like football, basketball, lacrosse, field hockey, and soccer, our brains go to the importance of the lower body and speed. We think about training using squats, cleans, plyometrics and sprints to improve athletic performance.
Sometimes we neglect the role of the upper body in sports performance, especially in open skill sports, and even more often in sports where there isn’t a lot of pushing with the upper body taking place. It’s not like you won’t find an offensive or defensive lineman neglecting upper body training.
That is important. Training the upper body is impactful for sports performance. Training the upper body for strength and power needs to be a part of every athlete's strength training repertoire.
And one of the greatest upper body weightlifting exercises athletes can perform to improve strength and power is the incline bench press.
Upper Body Power
Upper body power is important for athletes. At Garage Strength, the upper body power day typically inhabits the second day of the training week, which is the day after the lower body power day.
The upper body power day often begins with a technical coordination exercise. A technical coordination exercise is a movement in which heavy weight is moved incredibly fast and is typically a movement derived from an Olympic weightlifting movement–a snatch, a clean, a jerk, or a derivative of those movements.
On an upper body power day, the technical coordination exercise is more often than not a jerk or a variation of the jerk. It is best to perform a jerk from jerk blocks. Athletes can perform a split jerk, a power jerk, a push press, a linebacker jerk, or a PA press as viable options.
The next movement in the upper body power day is an absolute strength exercise. Absolute strength exercises are more in line with powerlifting exercises. Movements that develop raw strength. On a lower body power day this movement is almost always a squat, or a variation of a squat. On a rare occasion a deadlift is acceptable in this slot but isn’t typically recommended in the Garage Strength training system.
The absolute strength exercise on the upper body power day is usually a bench press or a variation of a bench press.
Here is the spot where athletes will want to use the incline bench press in their training to improve their upper body strength before concluding the session with accessory exercises that target the muscles in the upper body through structural bodybuilding.
But why use the incline bench press?
Incline Bench Press
The incline bench press is an exercise that increases athletes upper body strength. It is incredibly similar to the bench press except for one major difference: where the bench press is done on a flat surface, the incline bench press is done on an inclined surface.
The incline of the incline bench press varies. Some people may wonder, why does that matter? Which is a great thought and question.
First, let’s talk about the usual degrees of incline. The degrees of incline are dictated by the notches on the incline bench. Many incline benches have a set incline, but some incline benches can maneuver through a range and be set after different angles: 15 degrees, 30 degrees, 37.5 degrees, 45 degrees, 60 degrees, and 85 degrees. The adjustable inclines can also serve as a flat bench, with the incline set at 0 degrees, or a military bench, with the incline set at 90 degrees.
Depending on where the incline bench is set impacts the primary muscle movers. Since it is a bench press movement, the incline bench will impact the triceps, the pecs, the delts, and a lot of other muscles in the forearms and back that aren’t quite as major movers. However, the incline impacts which muscles tend to do more of the pressing work. So where 15- and 30-degree inclines are actually quite great at developing the middle and upper pec, 37.5 degrees and higher tend to do a lot more with the delts.
Not to overstate it, but the incline bench press is great for developing the pressing muscles, particularly the delts, no matter the incline. It is a great way to add variety when bench pressing, lighten the load while still being able to go relatively heavy, the incline bench press is great.
And maybe best of all, as the weight being used on the incline bench increases, the weight used on the flat bench press increases as well.
Incline Bench Variations
Incline bench pressing is exciting.
But just sticking to the same incline bench press routine could get monotonous.
Additionally, if all you did was the standard incline bench press, your neural adaptations would eventually hit a ceiling.
That’s why incorporating variations into your incline bench routine is essential.
Incline bench pressing is phenomenal for building upper body strength, especially targeting the upper chest and shoulders. However, if your upper body day only includes the same incline bench press, you might eventually encounter a plateau that limits further progress.
Neurological gains could start to stall.
This is why athletes need variations and derivatives of the incline bench press to keep their muscles guessing and ensure continued progress.
One of the simplest ways to create derivatives of the incline bench press is by adjusting the sets and reps schemes.
- 6x4
- 5x5
- 8x3
- 5x2
- 4x4, 2x9
- 9/7/5/4/2/5/9
- 10x1
- 5x2, 1x5
- 4x1, 2x3, 1x17
While varying reps and sets can take you a long way, it’s still the same basic movement, which may not be as neurologically challenging over time.
So, what can an athlete do?
Another way to vary the incline bench press is by changing your grip or using a specialty bar.
- Close grip
- Neutral grip
- Wide grip (though not always ideal for incline)
- Reverse grip
- Duffalo bar
- Camber bar
- Swiss bar
- Football bar
This way, you’re still performing an incline press but introducing a different stimulus to your muscles.
Don’t forget that adjusting the intensity (weight on the bar) is also crucial—this might seem obvious, but it’s worth mentioning.
Of course, all of these variations can also be performed with dumbbells.
What else can be done?
The tempo can be changed as well.
- Pauses
- Unbroken
- Controlled Eccentrics
- Double Bounces
- Additionally, incorporating partial range of motions, like pin presses, can target specific areas and add another layer of variation.
That’s a lot of options for the incline bench press.
To really elevate your training, you can combine different types of variations to create even more opportunities for neurological gains.
Upper Body Power Day (Incline Bench Press Day Focused)
The Bottom Line
The incline bench press is an essential exercise for athletes looking to develop upper body strength and power. Whether you're involved in football, basketball, or any other sport where strength and explosiveness matter, incorporating the incline bench press into your training routine can make a significant difference.
Incline bench pressing not only targets the upper chest and shoulders but also provides the necessary variation to prevent plateaus in your training. By incorporating different grips, adjusting set and rep schemes, and experimenting with tempo and intensity, you can continuously challenge your muscles and enhance your performance.
So, if you’re an athlete aiming to increase your upper body strength, improve your pressing power, or simply add variety to your training routine, head over to peakstrength.app and download Peak Strength—our strength training app designed with athletes in mind. Take your athleticism to the next level and become the best version of yourself through targeted training.
Later.
EARL KUNKEL
3x World Champion Co-Author of the Year
King of the PA Press
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Yo, It's Dane
Welcome to the Garage Strength Blog, where it is my goal to provide you with the experience and knowledge I've gained in the strength and conditioning world over many years of learning from both successes and failures. I train elite-level athletes in a multitude of sports from the high school to professional levels, already producing 5 Olympics and 30+ National Champions. If you want to be the next champion I train, check out my strength programs below!
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