Barbell Incline Bench Press
A pressing exercise on an incline bench using a barbell to train the upper chest, shoulders, and triceps.
Secondary muscles
How to do it
- Set an incline bench and lie back with your eyes under the bar and your feet flat on the floor.
- Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width with straight wrists and pull your shoulder blades down and back.
- Unrack the bar and hold it above your upper chest with your arms straight.
- Lower the bar under control to your upper chest, keeping your elbows slightly tucked from straight out.
- Press the bar upward until your arms are straight again, keeping the bar path over your shoulders.
- Rack the bar back onto the supports with control after your final rep.
Form cues
- Drive feet into floor
- Keep chest up
- Wrists stacked over elbows
- Press straight up
Common mistakes
- Flaring the elbows straight out to the sides
- Bouncing the bar off the chest
- Lifting the feet or shifting on the bench
- Lowering the bar to the neck or stomach
Breathing
Inhale as you lower the bar to your chest, and exhale as you press it back up.





