Exercise guide

How to do incline barbell press

Upper chest · front delts · triceps

Incline barbell press starting position — correct set-up before the first rep
Start
Incline barbell press finished position — the end of one repetition
End of rep

Step by step

  1. Set the bench to 30° under the bar, eyes roughly below it.
  2. Shoulder blades back and down, feet planted, grip slightly wider than your shoulders.
  3. Unrack and lower for 2 seconds to just below the collarbone, elbows at about 45°.
  4. Press back up and slightly back, so the bar finishes over the shoulders rather than the face.

The cue that matters

CueTouch high on the chest. A low touch just turns it into a flat press on a tilted bench.
AvoidBouncing off the chest to disguise the fact that the weight is too heavy.

Where this sits in the split

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