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Tonal Coach performing Incline Chest Press

How to Do an Incline Bench Press

Learn where to grip, correct bench angles, and more tips to this upper-chest targeting, strength-developing bench press alternative.

Adjusting your workout bench to sit up just a notch or two higher can help break the monotony of your dedicated upper-body routine. But those seemingly small shifts in how you angle workout equipment can make dramatic differences, particularly effecting what muscles are primarily called upon for power.

Enter the incline bench press.

Some lifters describe this alternative to a regular barbell bench press as a way to "open" the chest differently. Others cite how the introduction of an incline encourages differences in core and upper body bracing. There's a lot to explore for yourself when trying and comparing both regular vs incline bench press mechanics.

To help get your started, we've compiled a setup and execution guide on how to do an incline bench press. That includes some alignment cues, extra form and mindfulness tips, and basic information on grip and angles.

By understanding how different bench angles changes the lift and how to find your personal groove, you’ll be able to use this variation as a helpful complement to your upper-body routine instead of just another abstract pressing option.

Contents
  1. Incline Bench Press: Step by Step
  2. Incline Bench Press: reps & intervals
    1. Average Duration of
    2. Estimated Calories Burned
    3. Recommended Number of exercises Per Week
    4. Warmup & Cool Down Exercises
    3.
  3. Muscle Groups Targeted
  4. Equipment Used for Incline Bench Press
  5. Who This Exercise is Best For
  6. Answers to FAQs about Incline Bench Press
  7. Concluding words on Incline Bench Press

Incline Bench Press: Step by Step

1. Set your workout bench angle.
  • Start by choosing an incline angle between 30° and 45°.

Tip: Picture dividing up a 90° right angle. That can make it easier to nail the right starting incline tilt.

2. Sit back on the bench and plant wide feet.
  • Plant your feet squarely on the ground, knees pointed outward with feet wider than shoulder-width.
  • Have your head, shoulders, and glutes as your stabilizing points of contact with the bench.
  • Your chest and spine should feel relaxed and ready for motion.


3. Securely grip the bar and "tighten" your upper body
  • Position your hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart.
  • Alternatives: Wide grip and narrow-grip incline bench press variations can be explored. Both can shift the lift's focus toward emphasizing certain muscles, such as the shoulders or triceps.
  • Pull your shoulders down and back.

Tip: One helpful cue to improving shoulder scapula activation during a bench press is to imagine having to "catch" the bar during the exercise. Envisioning having to catch the bar while setting up and on its descent helps keep a more appropriate level of "tight" engagement in this important area.

4. Unrack and hold the bar firmly above your chest
  • Guide the bar over the upper portion of your chest, but beneath your clavicle (collarbone).
  • The bar's exact starting and touch points will depend on your individual proportions.


5. Lower the bar slowly until it lightly touches your chest.
  • Bring the bar slowly down toward your upper chest in a smooth, vertical line.
  • No bouncing or jerky movements.
  • Small elbow flares outward are fairly normal for this motion, but avoid too harsh of a jutting elbow angle. Try to keep elbow angle largely perpendicular to your torso.

6. Drive the bar straight upwards.
  • Focus on powering the press back up from your chest, versus arms or shoulders.

Reset and repeat. Pause briefly at the top of the motion to regain any control needed before your next rep.

Incline Bench Press: reps & intervals

These ranges are general guidelines to offer structure, not a strict rule. Differences in your strength starting point, mobility, and your exact body's proportions all influence how many reps feel right.

  • Beginner reps: 8-10
  • Intermediate reps: 6-8
  • Beginner intervals: 2-3 working sets
  • Intermediate intervals: 3-4 working sets

Average Duration of Incline Bench Press

Timing suggestions like these are meant to support mindful lift pacing. Some people naturally lift slower, others faster. Both can be fine so long as your form and technique remain clean.

  • One incline bench press rep: ~3-5 seconds
  • One incline bench press set: ~25-40 seconds

Estimated Calories Burned

Calorie use varies widely from person to person. Load, tempo, rest time, current muscle mass ratios, and individual training efficiency all influence these numbers, so treat them as approximate educational ranges.

  • Women (140-180 lbs): ~25-45 calories
  • Men (170-210 lbs): ~30-55 calories
  • Adults above 210 lbs: ~40-60 calories

Recommended Number of exercises Per Week

The incline bench press fits into a balanced and intentional upper-body routine done 1x/week.

For most people, that amount of training is a good starting point before working up to 2x/week, whether regular bench pressing or trying incline variations.

Many lifters, as they progress with their personal fitness goals, may alternate between incline vs. flat bench press variations across the week to support consistent pressing practice without overwhelming body parts like the shoulders.

Warmup & Cool Down Exercises


Warm-Up (choose 1-2):

  • Banded chest opener (30 sec)
  • Moderate-intensity incline push-ups (30 sec)
  • Shoulder activation with light bands (60 sec)

Cool-Down (choose 1-3, done at the end of your full workout)

  • Pec doorway stretch (30 sec)
  • Upper-back stretch (30 sec)
  • Behind-the-back hand clasps (30 secs each side)

Muscle Groups Targeted

The incline bench press is designed to emphasize the upper portion of the chest while still involving the front delts and triceps.

Because you’re pressing from its signature angled position, the work shifts more onto that upper portion of the body, and especially the pectoralis minor and the anterior delts. Many lifters find this helps improve control and body composition development over time in these muscles.

Your upper back during this press also assists with stabilizing the movement, keeping your shoulders anchored so the bar path remains smooth and consistent. When performed with practice and proper technique, the incline variation offers a natural blend of strength training and coordination.

Equipment Used for Incline Bench Press

An incline bench press exercise requires:

  • Adjustable workout bench
  • Barbell
  • Weighted plates
  • Rack or bar supports

Optional: dumbbells as an alternative to using a bar.

More at-home-friendly alternatives:

  • Resistance bands anchored low and pressed upward

Who This Workout is Most Effective For
  • Lifters aiming to refine upper-chest muscle mass or body composition development.
  • Beginners practicing overhead-adjacent pressing patterns.
  • Anyone exploring differences between regular bench press vs incline bench press variations.
  • People who simply prefer a slightly more upright torso when doing pressing exercises.
  • Anyone working to develop well-rounded horizontal and diagonal pressing power or strength.

Answers to FAQs about Incline Bench Press

Both can work well! Part of the appeal with incline bench presses is how starting angles can be adjusted based on your body's proportions, of if you have certain specific muscles you're looking to emphasize.


A 30-degree incline generally emphasizes the upper chest with a comfortable shoulder angle, making it a popular starting point. A 45-degree incline shifts more effort toward the shoulders. Many people try both and choose the one that feels smoother and more stable for their bodies.

Alongside playing around with a starting bench angle, you'll also want to explore varying grip widths. Again, these all come together during your press to engage some muscles more strongly than others.

It doesn't necessarily have to in order to be a "good" incline bench press. Instead, focus on how smoothly and in control you feel during this entire exercise, from starting grip and body setup through pushing the bar up back up vertically.

It’s generally safe to lower the bar and make light contact with the top portion of your chest as long as the movement still feels smooth and your shoulders stay anchored. Some people reach and tap their chest comfortably. Others stop slightly above it due to mobility, individual body proportion constraints, or other factors. The point is more controlled, pain-free depth.

Yes, pairing both in the same workout is an option. It’s common to do both exercises in the same upper-body workout, especially when mindful of good form, load, and rep schemes.

While not a black-and-white rule, many lifters start with the bench press variation that requires more stability or feels most technically demanding to them. Then they'll move onto the other as more of a follow-up accessory pattern.

This will depend on your individual body and load amount. A slightly narrower grip for some individuals is more comfortable because it leads to less shoulder strain and can help keep the elbows better aligned with both the bar and your torso.

Wider angles, meanwhile, can better challenge the shoulders. Always adjust gradually, and do what feels both powerful but controlled.

Concluding words on Incline Bench Press

The incline bench press offers a mix of strength, stability, and mind-body control. Even small changes to the bench angle or grip can shift how the lift feels, making it a great variation for noticing how your upper body organizes under resistance.

When you approach it with calm pacing and attention to your body's details, the incline press becomes a helpful piece for understanding your pressing mechanics, not just another "gym bro" lift to check off.

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