INCLINE
BENCH PRESS
CORRECT FORM
1) In order to
determine where your hands should be placed, lie down and have someone
place an Olympic bar in your hands while your arms are exactly perpendicular
to your torso, and your forearms perpendicular to the floor. That’s
where your hands should be when you are back on the bench.
2) Place your
feet flat on the floor or up on a stool/platform. It is a matter
of choice.
3) Have a spotter
assist you in lifting the weight off of the bench.
 4)
Lower the weight slowly to a point about 1 inch above the nipple
line.
5) As you raise
the bar back up, do it in an arcing
motion .
This follows the natural path of the arms and pecs.
6) Inhale as you lower the weight, exhale as you lift the weight.
7) Do not lock
your elbows completely at the top of the movement, but stop just barely
short of locking the elbows.
MUSCLES USED
SAFETY
CONSIDERATIONS/PRECAUTIONS
Because of the
awkward starting angle of the bar, a spotter should assist in handing
the barbell to you, especially as you begin to lift heavier weights.
The rotator cuff and shoulder joint incurs an enormous amount of stress
when attempting to pick the bar off the rack from behind your head.
Be sure that your spotter
stands behind the bench and follows along with the path of the bar
the entire time.
Grip the bar
with an over-hand thumb grip. Do not place your thumbs on the same
side of the bar as your fingers as some people might suggest. GRIP
the bar, or it could slip off of your hands.
If you experience
shoulder pain, you can shorten the range-of-motion or distance the
bar travels toward your chest. Stopping 2-4 inches above your chest
puts less strain on the anterior capsule of the shoulder and may be
necessary for people who strain this area easily. You should only
feel fatigue in the pectoral muscles, with some possibly in the triceps.
Those with previous shoulder
injuries should be careful in doing an incline bench press.
This exercise puts the shoulders in an awkward angle that can cause
strain of the rotator cuff or impingement syndrome. For some with
a diagnosis like thoracic outlet/inlet syndrome, the incline press
can put pressure on the arm nerves as they exit the neck and into
the arms.
EFFECTIVENESS
The incline bench
press is a very misunderstood exercise. It has long been believed
that the incline bench press was the key to building up the upper
portion of the pectorals (the clavicular head). The truth is that
research shows the incline press does not work the upper chest anymore
than a flat bench press does.
So what is the point of the incline press? For bodybuilders,
it can be vital, since each muscle needs to be worked from every
conceivable angle to achieve as full a look as possible.
For
most athletes however, the incline press probably has little benefit
or carryover into their sports. A multi-set flat bench press routine
should give an athlete the pec strength he or she needs to accentuate
his/her strength, size or performance.
IMPORTANT
IN TRAINING FOR
Bodybuilding, recreational
weight-lifting. Possibly football if trained under a competent strength
trainer. |
