YouTube Exercise Video
How To Incline Bench Press
There are actually a lot of variations on the classic bench press, and some of them are safer to perform, while still providing good focus on chest muscles and biceps. Bench presses are always dangerous, meaning they’re something you should never perform without a spotter. They’re an advanced type of exercise, not something you can expect to do right away. They’re not a hallmark of competence, but they’re a hallmark of progress.
An interesting variation of the bench press is the incline bench press, which is somewhat safer, while providing some additional secondary exercise to your lats and shoulders. This doesn’t mean it’s not a dangerous exercise, though, so be sure to follow the directions to this very strictly.
What You Need
You need a bench at about a 45 degree recline, and a reasonably-weighted barbell. You also should have gloves for a safe grip, and of course, a spotter. The spotter cannot be emphasized enough – no matter how experienced you are, this safety measure matters critically.
Incline Bench Press Muscles Worked
Action
- Lay on the bench, feet firmly on the ground.
- Arch tour back, and retract your shoulder blades.
- Grip the bar, hands a bit more than shoulder length apart.
- Lift the weight above you (this would be a diagonal due to your angle) until your arms fully extend.
- Retract it back until it nearly touches your chest. Repeat.
Caveats
You should never bench press alone, always have a spotter. Even if you’re extremely experienced, and have been working out for years, it only takes one accident to severely injure you or worse.
Consult your doctor before attempting exercises like these if you have shoulder, joint or back trouble.
Be reasonable with the weight, it’s more about controlled motion than severe weight and strain, as is the case with most reasonable exercise routines.
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