 Exercise Technique |
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INCLINE BENCH PRESS
Purpose:
Develop muscles of the chest, shoulders and triceps.
|
Exercise Technique |
|
INCLINE BENCH PRESS
Purpose:
Develop muscles of the chest, shoulders and triceps.
Equipment Set-up:
Using either a power rack (full rack or half rack) or an Olympic incline press bench, position an empty bar at a height that allows a short 1-3 inch lift-off out of the bar holders. Bar position in the rack is important, you should never have to raise up, taking your upper back off the bench to get the bar off the rack, nor should you have to press out a rep to unrack a bar racked too low.
Starting Position:
Position your bench angle to approximately 30° -45° and make sure to raise your seat pad up to a similar angle (keeps your butt from sliding forward).
Lay on the bench with a natural arch in your back and your feet flat on the floor.
Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width with your thumbs around the bar.
With a spotter’s assistance, lift the bar out of the rack and hold locked out directly over your chin to upper chest region.
Procedure:
Inhale deeply and hold your breath as you lower the bar down to your upper chest region.
Using the muscles of your chest, shoulders and triceps press the weight vertically with maximum force to the locked out position above your upper chest.
Keep your core musculature tight, pushing through your feet up through your hands as you complete a rep.
Exhale after the bar travels through your sticking point at the top of the rep.
Key Points:
Do not excessively arch your back during this lift. Keep a tight natural arch in your back maintaining a rigid core throughout the exercise.
Hold your breath, so to create a tight core (increased intra-abdominal pressure) until you proceed through the sticking point and then exhale. Exhaling too early causes a loss in core stability.
CSCCa Incline Bench Press Technique from Greg Werner on Vimeo.
Push the Play button to watch the video. You can pause the video to study the notes and technique.
Produced by Master Strength & Conditioning Coach, Greg Werner from James Madison University
Athlete in the video is Strength & Conditioning Assistant, Phillip Brown, spotted by Senior Assistant, Callye Williams