Degree of Incline Debate

[Gaspari1255]

What degree do you use for Incline?

I used to use the standard incline BB set up (probably around 45 degrees) for a while but my damn delts were taking such a beating.

I am now doing 30 degree incline DB presses and it takes most of the stress off of the delts. However, do you guys feel that 30 degrees is steep enough to target the upper chest?

[bigboomer]

I use 30 degree as well. I'll put it this way I feel it more in my upper chest at a 30 degree than I ever felt it before at a 45 degree angle. I for the first time 2 weeks ago moved the incline and I love it. My delts were the talking a beating on your standard incline bench.

[HawaiianPride.]

30 here. Prioritizing w/ Incline first. Be sure your incline is no greater than 30 degrees with the floor. Anything greater recruits excess shoulder.

[sprinter911]

30 here. Agreed. Too much incline brings in delts too much. Unless you're training chest and delts the same day it's not worth it IMO. Good debate though. So far everyone seems to be on the same page.

--Sprint

[Gaspari1255]

Yeah I love BB incline but i refuse to do it on the pre set angel bench. That leaves DB as the only option, or some half-assed 30 degree powerrack set up, which is probably dangerous.

[BigBuck6]

Agreed that the standard barbell setup is a bit stressful on the shoulders. I do use it often though because it is more challenging than a 30 degree angle which generally means less weight and strict form. Also, I see my overhead pressing really decline if I don't include the incline bench into my routine here and there. My old boss wrote an article about overhead pressing and how it related to the bench press and how important it is.

http://www.elitefts.com/documents/be...or_dummies.htm

[Noles12]

Agreed that the standard barbell setup is a bit stressful on the shoulders. I do use it often though because it is more challenging than a 30 degree angle which generally means less weight and strict form. Also, I see my overhead pressing really decline if I don't include the incline bench into my routine here and there. My old boss wrote an article about overhead pressing and how it related to the bench press and how important it is.

http://www.elitefts.com/documents/be...or_dummies.htm

I think you find it more challenging because you are using a lot more delts. Challenging does not mean you are hitting the target muscle

[Archangel.]

What degree do you use for Incline?

I used to use the standard incline BB set up (probably around 45 degrees) for a while but my damn delts were taking such a beating.

I am now doing 30 degree incline DB presses and it takes most of the stress off of the delts. However, do you guys feel that 30 degrees is steep enough to target the upper chest?

15 degrees, honestly. Since I've started doing this, I've noticed a difference in my chest. This was recommended to me by Ronnie Rowland, quite an experienced dude indeed

[Gaspari1255]

^That is interesting. I have a friend who does 20 degree incline smith presses. However, he avoids flat bench at all cost. He sticks to 20 degree inclines and standard decline bench. Are you neglecting flat bench, whether it be DBs or BB?

[stevey_6t9]

Take a look at one of my saved articles regarding various angles of the infamous Bench. Discuss if you wish.

"Effects of Variations of the Bench Press Exercise on the EMG Activity of Five Shoulder Muscles
Barnett, Chris; Kippers, Vaughan; Turner, Peter
The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research November 1995 - Volume 9 - Issue 4

Abstract
This experiment investigated the effects of varying bench inclination and hand spacing on the EMG activity of five muscles acting at the shoulder joint. Six male weight trainers performed presses under four conditions of trunk inclination and two of hand spacing at 80% of their predetermined max. Preamplified surface EMG electrodes were placed over the five muscles in question. The EMG signals during the 2-sec lift indicated some significant effects of trunk inclination and hand spacing. The sternocostal head of the pectoralis major was more active during the press from a horizontal bench than from a decline bench. Also, the clavicular head of the pectoralis major was no more active during the incline bench press than during the horizontal one, but it was less active during the decline bench press. The clavicular head of the pectoralis major was more active with a narrow hand spacing. Anterior deltoid activity tended to increase as trunk inclination increased. The long head of the triceps brachii was more active during the decline and flat bench presses than the other two conditions, and was also more active with a narrow hand spacing. Latissimus dorsi exhibited low activity in all conditions.
Link: http://www.usp.br/eef/efb/efb222/jcserrao/peito.pdf "

after reading this i dont know if ill do inclines again lol

[Gaspari1255]

^ I have read that a few times and sort of still get confused. I understand that the article is basically saying avoid incline but what is it implying?


Flat then Decline

or

Decline then Flat?

[bigboomer]

What I got out of this was there was no difference from flat bench or with a incline when working out they both get hit the same. I think that what it's saying.?I don't agree with that if that is indeed what's being said. Personally I feel my upper chest much more at a 30 incline than flat.

[stevey_6t9]

heres a good read that should clear things up...

http://www.texaspowerscene.com/artic...enchpress.html

[oldschoolfitness]

30 degree for me as well. i can really target the upper pecs more.

[HawaiianPride.]

Take a look at one of my saved articles regarding various angles of the infamous Bench. Discuss if you wish.

"Effects of Variations of the Bench Press Exercise on the EMG Activity of Five Shoulder Muscles
Barnett, Chris; Kippers, Vaughan; Turner, Peter
The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research November 1995 - Volume 9 - Issue 4

Abstract
This experiment investigated the effects of varying bench inclination and hand spacing on the EMG activity of five muscles acting at the shoulder joint. Six male weight trainers performed presses under four conditions of trunk inclination and two of hand spacing at 80% of their predetermined max. Preamplified surface EMG electrodes were placed over the five muscles in question. The EMG signals during the 2-sec lift indicated some significant effects of trunk inclination and hand spacing. The sternocostal head of the pectoralis major was more active during the press from a horizontal bench than from a decline bench. Also, the clavicular head of the pectoralis major was no more active during the incline bench press than during the horizontal one, but it was less active during the decline bench press. The clavicular head of the pectoralis major was more active with a narrow hand spacing. Anterior deltoid activity tended to increase as trunk inclination increased. The long head of the triceps brachii was more active during the decline and flat bench presses than the other two conditions, and was also more active with a narrow hand spacing. Latissimus dorsi exhibited low activity in all conditions.
Link: http://www.usp.br/eef/efb/efb222/jcserrao/peito.pdf "

after reading this i dont know if ill do inclines again lol

Yes! Glad to see you guys saving my articles, that is if you got this off the other thread I posted..

I'll point out the most important stuff in this study.

"The EMG signals during the 2-sec lift indicated some significant effects of trunk inclination and hand spacing. The sternocostal head of the pectoralis major was more active during the press from a horizontal bench than from a decline bench. Also, the clavicular head of the pectoralis major was no more active during the incline bench press than during the horizontal one, but it was less active during the decline bench press."

The Sternocostal head of the Pec is directly under the clavicle head of the pec major. So here it's saying this area gets the most recruitions, thus regular bench press would be ideal to build this area the most.

It's also saying, that the Incline BP puts out no more activation then the regular bench, BUT if you do declines, the recruitment is much less dramatic. Thus this study proves that regular bench presses fall superior to both Incline & Decline, but Incline does play a roll in some degree (more so then Decline)

In other words, Decline is useless..

http://img2.tapuz.co.il/forumArticle...ges/348_37.GIF

[bigboomer]

Thanks Stevey and Hawaiianpride doesn't get much clearer than that..

[ObviousDecoy]

30 degrees. Sometimes I substitute 15 degrees for flat too.

[Cousinbutch]

30 or less depending if I do flat or not as well.