Top 5 Incline Bench Exercises
Top 5 Incline Bench Exercises
The Adjustable Weight Bench is a diverse and valuable tool in your training toolbox. The ability to adjust the inclination of the bench is perfect for a total upper body workout. Adjusting the incline allows you to target specific muscle groups and increase the relative intensity of different exercises…
Below are my top 5 bench exercises to give you an upper body pump. For this workout, we’re using the M250 Adjustable weight bench.
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1 - Incline Barbell Bench Press
• Set the bench to the 1st backrest angle, in between a Bench Press Rack, with a Barbell over the head of the bench.
• Lay on the incline bench with your eyes in line with the barbell.
• Press it away from the rack and lock your arms out.
• Pull the bar down to your chest, until the bar touches your chest.
• Press the bar back to the sky to finish the rep.
Benefits of the Incline?
The incline increases the shoulder activation in comparison to the flat barbell bench press, making it a perfect push exercise for those with a strong chest but weaker shoulders to strengthen their weaknesses.
2 - Incline Dumbbell Bicep Curl
• Set the bench to the 2nd back rest angle.
• Lay on the bench with your arms hanging by the side of the bench with a Hex Dumbbell in each hand.
• Flexing around the elbow, keeping it still, lift the dumbbells up to your shoulders at the same time.
• Slowly lower the weights back down until your arms are hanging loose again to finish the rep.
Benefits of the Incline?
The incline puts the shoulder in an extended position, lengthening the bicep and strengthening it at length, which is where a lot of injuries occur, thus making the muscle more resistant to injury.
3 - Incline Dumbbell Chest Supported Row
• Set the incline bench to a low incline, the 1st or 2nd back rest angle, depending on your arm length, so that your arms can fully extend without touching the floor.
• Lay face down on the bench, with your face just over the head of the bench.
• Reach down and grab onto a dumbbell with each hand.
• Pull your elbows past your torso, trying to ‘pull yourself through the bench’.
• Slowly lower the weights back down until your arms are fully extended to complete the rep.
Benefits of the Incline?
The incline allows you to perform a chest supported row to full range of motion without the floor getting in the way. The benefit of this set up for a chest supported row versus a standard row is that your upper body pulling strength is the sole limiting factor to the lift, unlike exercises like the bent over row where the lower back is a major limiting factor.
4 - Dumbbell Shoulder Press
• Set the bench to the 5th backrest angle.
• Sit on the bench, with your back resting on the inclined bench, with a dumbbell in each hand, resting on each leg.
• Use momentum from your legs to kick the weights up to your shoulders, with your elbow’s underneath them.
• Press overhead with both dumbbells at the same time, thinking about ‘touching the sky’.
• Slowly pull the dumbbells back down to shoulder height, with your hands and elbows stacked to complete the rep.
Benefits of the Incline?
The highest incline isolates the shoulder to the greatest degree, taking the chest out of the equation, unlike the flat bench. This is important as we are inherently weak in overhead pressing movements.
5 - Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extension
• Set the bench to the 6th backrest angle.
• Sit back on the bench with a single dumbbell over the back of your head, held between your hands.
• Lower the weight behind your back as far as possible, as if trying to touch your bum with the weight, keeping your upper arm (humorous) vertical and only moving your forearm around your elbow.
• Drive the weight back up as high as possible, thinking about ‘touching the sky’ to fully extend your triceps and complete the rep.
Benefits of the Incline?
The incline gives your back support so that you can isolate the triceps, without worrying about stabilization of your trunk, unlike a standing or seated position without a back support.
Next time you are struggling for an upper body workout, use these 5 Incline Bench Exercises to hit a well-rounded session, hitting both pushing and pulling movements, as well as isolating the triceps and the biceps…
…Ideal when you need a quick upper body pump!
Written by guest author Ewan Hammond.
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