Bench press
Incline machine chest press
Works
Also works
Equipment
How to do it
- Select the weight on the stack and set the seat so the handles sit at upper-chest level.
- Sit with your back against the inclined pad and your feet firm on the floor.
- Grip the handles with a pronated grip and your elbows about 45 degrees from your torso.
- Press the handles up and forward until your arms extend without locking your elbows.
- Return under control until you feel the stretch across your upper chest.
- Keep your back against the pad and avoid lifting your glutes off the seat.
Common mistakes
- Setting the seat too low and turning it into a flat press
- Shrugging the shoulders while pressing
- Arching the back away from the pad
What the evidence says
Over the same 10-week program, full-range bench press produced greater strength gains than two-thirds or one-third range, even when strength was tested in the partial ranges themselves.
Martínez-Cava A, Hernández-Belmonte A, Courel-Ibáñez J, Morán-Navarro R, González-Badillo JJ, Pallarés JG. «Bench Press at Full Range of Motion Produces Greater Neuromuscular Adaptations Than Partial Executions After Prolonged Resistance Training». Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2022;36(1):10-15. View the study
If you're after the upper chest, 30° of incline is where it's most activated; past 45° the work shifts to the front delt, while the mid and lower chest do more on a flat bench.
Rodríguez-Ridao D, Antequera-Vique JA, Martín-Fuentes I, Muyor JM. «Effect of Five Bench Inclinations on the Electromyographic Activity of the Pectoralis Major, Anterior Deltoid, and Triceps Brachii during the Bench Press Exercise». International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020;17(19):7339. View the study
Between free barbell, Smith machine and machines, no differences in hypertrophy show up; what is specific is strength — training with free weights pays off when you test with free weights.
Haugen ME, Vårvik FT, Larsen S, Haugen AS, van den Tillaar R, Bjørnsen T. «Effect of free-weight vs. machine-based strength training on maximal strength, hypertrophy and jump performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis». BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2023;15(1):103. View the study
What isn't settled: Grip width isn't settled. What exists is single-session electromyography, not growth measured over weeks, and it doesn't even back the usual belief: a wide grip doesn't activate the pec more, it mainly lowers triceps and raises biceps involvement.
Other variations
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