Beauty

About the benefits exercises

The incline bench press is a variation of the classic bench press and therefore uses the same muscle mass. The main difference is that the bottom of the pectoral muscles work with great effort, which stimulates their growth and development. In fact, just like the 30-degree bench press, this variation of the barbell press is used to accentuate the load on a certain part of the chest muscles for their fuller development.

Note that there is a category of people in whom genetically the lower chest does not have a characteristic “cut” that separates the pectoral muscles from the abdomen. For them, doing the incline bench press as a basic chest exercise is practically the only way out of the “position”.

In bodybuilding and fitness, this version of the barbell press is used to purposefully work on the lower chest: to give the pectoral muscle sharper shapes and separate it from the chest.

Performing this exercise contributes to the improvement in many other sports. The main movement in the exercise is typical for boxing, golf, wrestling, American football, and is also found in exercises on rings by gymnasts.

Incline Bench Bench Press Technique

In this version of the barbell press, you will work with large weights (the weight lifted in this version of the bench press is often more than in the classic version), which means that you need to perfectly master the correct technique for performing the exercise:

1. Lower the long back of the bench 30 degrees below horizontal. Lie on the bench, be sure to touch it with your buttocks, shoulders and head, do not arch your lower back, and place your feet under the support rollers. Take the bar with a standard grip (slightly wider than your shoulders) and squeeze it to the top point. This is the starting position.

2. Inhale, hold your breath and slowly lower the bar until it touches your chest. And then with a powerful effort, but just as smoothly squeeze it up to the starting position. After passing the «dead point» (the most difficult part of the path), exhale.

3. In the starting position, pause briefly and immediately perform the next rep.

It is important:

At the bottom point, the elbows should be spread apart. Thus, the load on the pectoral muscles will be maximum, and the risk of injury will be minimized.

Holding the breath helps to keep the body in a stable position, as well as to develop a more powerful muscular effort. But remember that a long delay leads to an increase in blood pressure, and in this exercise it is already so high (the head is lower than the legs) that it is unsafe. Therefore, if you have any problems with pressure — do not do this exercise! And in between sets, be sure to take an upright position to normalize the pressure.

Perform the exercise with maximum range of motion. Fully straighten your arms and lower the bar until it touches your chest, so the load on the muscles will be maximum.

Pick up the weight of the bar in such a way that you do not pause when lifting the barbell from the bottom point, otherwise the load will shift to the triceps.

Implementation options exercises

Classic bench press.

Incline bench press. This option will be good in the case when, due to the characteristics of the physique, the lower part of the pectoral muscles disproportionately increases from the bench press.

Working muscles of the barbell bench press on a bench with an inclination down

The following muscle groups receive the greatest load:

• pectoral muscles (especially their bottom)
• deltoid muscles
• triceps

Alternative exercises

• Incline dumbbell bench press

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