incline best for chest mass?

[jdob22]

i've read many posts that state incline presses are better for building pec size then flat presses, is this true? what is the logic for this? its always been my understanding that incline movements recruit more deltoid involvement and would therefore work the chest less...

[microrahsheen]

i've read many posts that state incline presses are better for building pec size then flat presses, is this true? what is the logic for this? its always been my understanding that incline movements recruit more deltoid involvement and would therefore work the chest less...

For me, working at an incline allowed me to put a lot of mass on my chest in general. Keep in mind, this is usually just a slight incline. If you find the right angle, you won't bring in that much more delts.

A lot of people have overdeveloped lower chest bordering on boobs and no upper chest development. Working on an incline helps to prevent this. Some will even say that doing flat bench just doesn't stimulate the chest enough for real development.

[DtotheJtotheH]

for pure mass decline always adds the most (from my experience) but can lead to the man boob look. Definately add some incline for a bit of evenness.

[vtx7]

It depends on the person, but incline is effective for a lot of people. Just don't incline to much or you work your shoulders more than anything.

I used to like to do flat DB bench and then do my inclines on the smith machine to target my chest more and take some of the focus off of stabilisers.

[JasonWojo]

I do ALL pressing movements for chest at an incline

[jdob22]

I do ALL pressing movements for chest at an incline

out of curiosity, any logical/anatomical reason you prefer incline to flat?

[wilslu]

hey .. i jus learned about this in my exercise physiology class actually. there was a study on bench press and which portions of the chest were activated the most -- for incline, it was mostly clavicular portions, decline sternal portions, and flat had similar activation of both sternal and clavicular portions. So from a physiological point of view, it seems like regular bench press is the best all around mass builder. but then again, some people may see better results with incline, decline or whatever.

[jdob22]

hey .. i jus learned about this in my exercise physiology class actually. there was a study on bench press and which portions of the chest were activated the most -- for incline, it was mostly clavicular portions, decline sternal portions, and flat had similar activation of both sternal and clavicular portions. So from a physiological point of view, it seems like regular bench press is the best all around mass builder. but then again, some people may see better results with incline, decline or whatever.

this seems correct, but people definitely seem to feel incline is better....

[Cuchulainn]

Technique is best for chest mass.
http://www.thefitshow.com/week3/milos_chest_med.htm

[h0ckeyfreek20]

I do ALL pressing movements for chest at an incline

yea... ill take your word for it

[JasonWojo]

out of curiosity, any logical/anatomical reason you prefer incline to flat?

Flat bench (at least with a bar) is mechanically unsound. If you bench long enough it's not a matter of if but when you tear a pec. Not true with incline movements.

[Wilky88]

Personally i rarely do a bench press on a flat bench. I throw a flat press in there every month or so, but other than that i just do incline on various angles, and decline. When a guy has a big lower and middle chest, whilst lacking on the upper region, his chest looks small and abnormal A.K.A moobs!

I thought it was the flat press that involved the delts and triceps more, compared to an incline dumbbell press? Or am i wrong? However, with out a doubt the incline dumbbell press develops the chest a lot more than a flat dumbbell press.

[FAO]

For me, working at an incline allowed me to put a lot of mass on my chest in general. Keep in mind, this is usually just a slight incline. If you find the right angle, you won't bring in that much more delts.

A lot of people have overdeveloped lower chest bordering on boobs and no upper chest development. Working on an incline helps to prevent this. Some will even say that doing flat bench just doesn't stimulate the chest enough for real development.

X2 - I always feel when the incline is too sever, my delts kick in and the chest feels nothing, and all I got was a wasted set, kinda sucks...DB incline has been meshing well with BB flat bench for me lately(my 2 cents)

[kwickez]

Flat bench (at least with a bar) is mechanically unsound. If you bench long enough it's not a matter of if but when you tear a pec. Not true with incline movements.

people always ask how much i flat bench, when i tell them i dont do flat bench they dont know what to say.when is anyone going to ask hey how much do you front squat?it may take centuries

[Wilky88]

people always ask how much i flat bench, when i tell them i dont do flat bench they dont know what to say.when is anyone going to ask hey how much do you front squat?it may take centuries

LOL i find the best reply to "how much do you bench" is " I deadlift 600...bench press is for pussies!"

[Justin_Haines]

I dont know any anynone can NOT flat bench. It just feels awesome to lay under the bar and watch yourself press the weight up and down over your chest. I love it.

Incline Bench is cool too. I guess I just love bench.

[S.O.u.L.m.A.N]

people always ask how much i flat bench, when i tell them i dont do flat bench they dont know what to say.when is anyone going to ask hey how much do you front squat?it may take centuries

I hear ya man. Even myself, I was quite obsessed with my bench max back in highschool, but these days I don't even bother with it and use incline as my main chest press exercise.

I always laugh when some people will ask what I can do for flat bench and I say I don't do it. Infact, since I've completely let go of caring about how MUCH weight I lift, and instead focus on proper execution of each exercise (still with difficult weight), my results have been much much better. Take squats for example. I've knocked off about 30 pounds on each side of the bar, but now go all the way down and my legs have grown more than ever.

[jasonball]

nice thread. what does decline really do or work.

[betes]

I did flat for a while and made okay gains, but they really took off when I started doing more incline. I did incline exclusively for a while, but my front delts are not out of proportion, so I've been mixing flat in more. I think the best answer is variation.

[jasonball]

I did flat for a while and made okay gains, but they really took off when I started doing more incline. I did incline exclusively for a while, but my front delts are not out of proportion, so I've been mixing flat in more. I think the best answer is variation.

if your delts grew that much. that mean your degree of incline was too much and took the pressure and focus off uppper chest. I go with a 30degree.

take a adjustable flat bench and raise it up one knock. not much of a difference from flat is what I thought at first but you will notice. and the delts won't come in to play.

[hulkinout]

I did flat for a while and made okay gains, but they really took off when I started doing more incline. I did incline exclusively for a while, but my front delts are not out of proportion, so I've been mixing flat in more. I think the best answer is variation.

Same here, I did fair with flat bench, certainly built strength, but not with the requisite mass to go with it. My mainstay for mass is now the 30-degree incline on the Smith machine (I can hear smirking already).

After that, I'll throw in dips or decline db or Hammer Strength decline, some iso work, and I end my pec routine with 55-degree high-rep (15-20) inclines that really blow up the clavicular area (yeah, delts get some too, but the area right below my neck blows up HYOOOOGE on these).

If I flat bench a couple times a year now, that's plenty.

[jasonball]

good info bro

[jdob22]

i appreciate all the responses, but it seems generally accepted that the higher the incline, the more upper chest involvement and presumably more front delt involvement (considering the upper chest's proximity to the front delts), is this not true? or is it true but inclines are still superior for chest development despite the delt involvement?

[Forced]

X2 - I always feel when the incline is too sever, my delts kick in and the chest feels nothing, and all I got was a wasted set, kinda sucks...DB incline has been meshing well with BB flat bench for me lately(my 2 cents)

Fully agree.

[saosin19]

Incline really brought out my upper pecs like its supposed to do, it brought it up alot. I did to much tho and now my lower/middle chest lacks big time. Definatly do a mix of both. But I feel push ups work the chest the best, sure u cant do much weight unless u hav someone push on you or plates on your back. But I love early morning push ups etc or after chest workout the best they ahve really brought up my chest. Just like regualr pull ups are great for lats over machine.