Does Incline Bench Press work a totally different muscle?

I worked my chest to hell last night doing flies and flat bench presses. It's pretty sore today but today is my arms/abs day and I've been wanting to incorporate the Incline Bench Press into it. (As my chest is far too worn out after doing my usual chest workout the night before) Trouble is I'm not sure if this is smart as my chest is already sore.
The following site says that Incline Bench Press works the Pectoralis Major, Clavicular muscle - which is illustrated as a completely different muscle. Is this true? If my general pecs are sore from flat benches and flies is it okay to workout with Incline Bench Press the next day? Or will it still work my sore main chest muscle too? Because I don't want to not let it recover!

Says Incline Bench Press ([url]http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/PectoralClavicular/DBInclineBenchPress.html[/url]) works the Pectoralis Major, Clavicular
([url]http://www.exrx.net/Muscles/PectoralisClavicular.html[/url]) Where as the Flat Bench Press works the Pectoralis Sternal ([url]http://www.exrx.net/Muscles/PectoralisSternal.html[/url])

It says that the main pecs aren't even a Synergist or Stabilizer during the Incline Bench Press. Is this true? Seems quite odd that an exercise so similar to the regular bench wouldn't be affecting the main pec muscle at all?

Thanks in advance! :)

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It still works your chest, just the upper part of your chest. I dont think it would be a good idea to do Incline the day after you do flat, would probably be better to do them on the same day, or give your chest more chance to rest inbetween.

Don't do incline today.

Try either doing incline first on occasion on your chest days, or do less flat benching and then do it afterwards if you still have some juice in the tank.

[QUOTE=CompletePimp;270700471]I worked my chest to hell last night doing flies and flat bench presses. It's pretty sore today but today is my arms/abs day and I've been wanting to incorporate the Incline Bench Press into it. (As my chest is far too worn out after doing my usual chest workout the night before) Trouble is I'm not sure if this is smart as my chest is already sore.
The following site says that Incline Bench Press works the Pectoralis Major, Clavicular muscle - which is illustrated as a completely different muscle. Is this true? If my general pecs are sore from flat benches and flies is it okay to workout with Incline Bench Press the next day? Or will it still work my sore main chest muscle too? Because I don't want to not let it recover!

Says Incline Bench Press ([url]http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/PectoralClavicular/DBInclineBenchPress.html[/url]) works the Pectoralis Major, Clavicular
([url]http://www.exrx.net/Muscles/PectoralisClavicular.html[/url]) Where as the Flat Bench Press works the Pectoralis Sternal ([url]http://www.exrx.net/Muscles/PectoralisSternal.html[/url])

It says that the main pecs aren't even a Synergist or Stabilizer during the Incline Bench Press. Is this true? Seems quite odd that an exercise so similar to the regular bench wouldn't be affecting the main pec muscle at all?

Thanks in advance! :)[/QUOTE]


No exercise completely isolates anything. The terms "isolation exercise" and "isolation" mean relatively. People that argue the point "you can't isolate anything" are arguing against a straw man because no one really means that. It really means emphasize.

There is so much overlap between "upper" pec training and general pec training that most people consider them as 1 workout, in terms of rest time between sessions.

Thanks for the quick responses. Well... I guess that makes my workout for today easier heh. Just I've been itching to work my upper chest more to even things out and it always feels like I cannot squeeze it into my main chest days.

why would you incorporate incline press on arms and abs day? close grip?

I switch between flat and incline every few months. Both hit your whole chest, but flat hits the sternal head harder and incline hits the clavical head hearder (like said before). It's an aesthetic balancing act where the mirror dictates which muscle takes priority.

Pectoralis Major accounts for most of your "main pecs," the incline bench just concentrates on the upper portion. Pectoralis minor is a smaller muscle lying underneath major. Save incline for your next chest day.

don't limit yourself to one routine. try this

scenario 1: incline, flat, decline, then some flys or something
scenario 2: flat - pyramid up to the 1 rep max, decline, then some flys or something
Scenario 3: flat - pyramid up to 1 rep max, flat for several sets aim for reps of 8 - 10, then some flys or something
Scenario 4: flat for several sets aim for reps 8 - 10, incline for several sets aim for reps 8 - 10, thens some flys or something
Scenario 5: incline, dumbbell flat bench for reps 8 - 10 superset flat barbell bench light weight volume to failure, then some flys or something

there are mutiple ways you can manipulate yourself, its almost limitless. remember that building muscle is a game you play against yourself; if your combat stragety has holes in it you won't be as successful as you could be.

listen to your body, give it the proper nutrients it needs to heal and beat your muscles like an abusive father beats his children.