Developing the chest...

[RavensFan2k3]

I know most people here say that incline dumbbell bench press is the best overall chest exercise. My question is what degree of an incline is the best to use? I know a low incline is good, but can someone define low incline for me? Thanks

[LAWofNJ]

I use 3 and love 3.. SOme of my friends use 4 :<

[VikingPower]

20-30 degrees is fine.

[JOHN GARGANI]

I use 3 and love 3.. SOme of my friends use 4 :<

LAW: this mean ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! I'm sorry, but, a 3 and a 4??? On what machine in what gym???

every brand of adjustable incline benches have their own signature degrees......

mine, currently, give me 18 degrees and 36 degrees to start....my previous one was in 15 degree increments.......

RAVEN: this is something that you have to find out for yourself, by how comfortable you feel doing the movement and the results that you get out of it....

[DiamondDelts]

15 degrees

[Tyrbolift]

I never carry a protractor to the gym. I just eye the fixed incline benches and try to adjust the db one to be the same.

I suppose you could diagram it on a big 8 x 11 sheet and take it to the gym.

[ninobrn99]

i feel it the most doing 30* inclines. i think 45 incorperates too much delt and slightly less chest.

[LAWofNJ]

Basically i like doing 30 degree inclines, not 45 degrees, as most of my friends use.

[Tumescent]

I never carry a protractor to the gym. I just eye the fixed incline benches and try to adjust the db one to be the same.

I suppose you could diagram it on a big 8 x 11 sheet and take it to the gym.

The problem with that is the static inclines at my gym are set way too high, most are set to 45 degrees at the very least.
Feel like I should be doing inclines on my shoulder day when I use them.

[kethnaab]

raven, you're a football player. You need to not worry about the "bodybuilding need big pecs!" concept and worry more about the "functional strength" concept.

flat benches, flat DBs. You won't get tested on the 22.345 degree incline press during combines or tryouts. You'll be tested on the flat bench

[WillB485]

I prefer 15-30 degree inclines. I don't even do the incline BB bench because it is preset to 45 degrees, which in my opinion, involves the shoulders much more than lower angles

[Viking22]

The very first click on the bench, like 15-20

I do notice that I'm the ONLY person at the gym who doesn't do inclines at a 45 degree angle.

[Zane >>>> God]

6 degrees.

[RavensFan2k3]

raven, you're a football player. You need to not worry about the "bodybuilding need big pecs!" concept and worry more about the "functional strength" concept.

flat benches, flat DBs. You won't get tested on the 22.345 degree incline press during combines or tryouts. You'll be tested on the flat bench

So for football when I work with dumbbells, I should do flat dumbbell bench press rather than with an incline? I mean I want to lift for aesthetics too

I'm pretty much asking because I dont know what to do for my supplemental lift for Westside; incline(high incline or low incline) dumbbell press or flat dumbbell press.

[Defiant1]

I know most people here say that incline dumbbell bench press is the best overall chest exercise. My question is what degree of an incline is the best to use? I know a low incline is good, but can someone define low incline for me? Thanks

I'm glad you brought that up.

First, I use Incline DB presses as my main chest exercise.

But, are they the best overall chest exercise?

HELL NO!!

Incline DB Presses are the best chest exercise FOR BODYBUILDING AND BUILDING AN AESTHETIC PHYSIQUE. They build the chest where it needs to be built, in the upper area. Too much lower pec gives you man boobies.

If someone said: Defiant, I need you to put as much size on using one exercise for chest or I'll cut your Johnson off....

I would use DECLINE DB presses.

Best OVERALL? Flat BB or DB press.

[RavensFan2k3]

I'm glad you brought that up.

First, I use Incline DB presses as my main chest exercise.

But, are they the best overall chest exercise?

HELL NO!!

Incline DB Presses are the best chest exercise FOR BODYBUILDING AND BUILDING AN AESTHETIC PHYSIQUE. They build the chest where it needs to be built, in the upper area. Too much lower pec gives you man boobies.

If someone said: Defiant, I need you to put as much size on using one exercise for chest or I'll cut your Johnson off....

I would use DECLINE DB presses.

Best OVERALL? Flat BB or DB press.

Wait...I'm so confused by your post

[Anticrombie315]

I'm glad you brought that up.

First, I use Incline DB presses as my main chest exercise.

But, are they the best overall chest exercise?

HELL NO!!

Incline DB Presses are the best chest exercise FOR BODYBUILDING AND BUILDING AN AESTHETIC PHYSIQUE. They build the chest where it needs to be built, in the upper area. Too much lower pec gives you man boobies.

If someone said: Defiant, I need you to put as much size on using one exercise for chest or I'll cut your Johnson off....

I would use DECLINE DB presses.

Best OVERALL? Flat BB or DB press.

That was a pretty dumb post. "They are the best excercise for bodybuilding, and building the chest, but overall, they arent the best"
If i recall, this is a BODYBUILDING website, so i guess in our terms, the "best excercise for bodybuilding" is the BEST EXCERCISE.

[k_townsfinest]

That was a pretty dumb post. "They are the best excercise for bodybuilding, and building the chest, but overall, they arent the best"
If i recall, this is a BODYBUILDING website, so i guess in our terms, the "best excercise for bodybuilding" is the BEST EXCERCISE.

Ooh, buddy. You don't want to call defiant there dumb. He's one of the smartest members on the board, bar none.

[BodySculpting]

That was a pretty dumb post. "They are the best excercise for bodybuilding, and building the chest, but overall, they arent the best"
If i recall, this is a BODYBUILDING website, so i guess in our terms, the "best excercise for bodybuilding" is the BEST EXCERCISE.

I think he meant the flat DB...and Def1ant is beyong right....Incline DB presses are the staple and KING of any chest exercise. I feel like a machine repeating this over and over, but look at pics of Arnold, his upper chest was huge. A bigger upper chest gives the illusion of bigger pecs overall. Nothing can beat Incline presses and IMO, Incline DB PRESSES.

And I also agree with DD; 15 is what I believe is best. Too many people put it on too much of an incline, we have to keep the focus on the upper chest but without letting muscles like shoulders take most of the work.

[WillB485]

And I also agree with DD; 15 is what I believe is best. Too many people put it on too much of an incline, we have to keep the focus on the upper chest but without letting muscles like shoulders take most of the work.

+1. People always come up to me at the gym and ask why im wasting my time doing incline on the first notch (15 degrees) and not doing it on the "real" incline height (notch 3, 45 degrees) like the preset BB incline bench. I just tell them I would rather work my upper chest than my shoulders on my chest exercises and then quickly say its my personal preference so they dont get offended

[BodySculpting]

+1. People always come up to me at the gym and ask why im wasting my time doing incline on the first notch (15 degrees) and not doing it on the "real" incline height (notch 3, 45 degrees) like the preset BB incline bench. I just tell them I would rather work my upper chest than my shoulders on my chest exercises and then quickly say its my personal preference so they dont get offended

I just take off my shirt and show them my chest....then they run over to their bench and put their Incline down from 90 degrees to 15 like mines....ahh...the trials and tribulations of being the bodysculpter.....

[WillB485]

I just take off my shirt and show them my chest....then they run over to their bench and put their Incline down from 90 degrees to 15 like mines....ahh...the trials and tribulations of being the bodysculpter.....

I'd get kicked out of my gym (ac-ac) for doing that in front of all those poor innocent old ladies!! Not that I have much to show haha, i've kinda decayed b/c of my RC injury

[BlackMountain]

I know most people here say that incline dumbbell bench press is the best overall chest exercise. My question is what degree of an incline is the best to use? I know a low incline is good, but can someone define low incline for me? Thanks

Nah. I say Dumbell Pullovers are the best overall chest exercise, and so did Arnold.

[kethnaab]

Wait...I'm so confused by your post

Here is what he said, Defiant correct me if I'm wrong (And remind me to rep you for hitting the nail on the head about 5 times in one post):

1) Most bodybuilders lack in the upper chest area, so incline DB/barbell is a very good exercise, but specifically targetted for bodybuilding

2) Decline DB Press will stress the most pectoral fibers

3) Flat Barbell and DB press will build the best combination of overall pectoral mass, "aesthetic" pectoral mass, and functional strength

[Powerbuilt]

I agree with most on here. A subtle incline is all you need. Any more and your transferring the load to shoulders.

[RavensFan2k3]

Here is what he said, Defiant correct me if I'm wrong (And remind me to rep you for hitting the nail on the head about 5 times in one post):

1) Most bodybuilders lack in the upper chest area, so incline DB/barbell is a very good exercise, but specifically targetted for bodybuilding

2) Decline DB Press will stress the most pectoral fibers

3) Flat Barbell and DB press will build the best combination of overall pectoral mass, "aesthetic" pectoral mass, and functional strength

So as a football player you say I should stick to flat DB press? Flat barbell is a given...

[kethnaab]

Don't need to nitpick. Assuming you're doing some overhead work, you can use a low incline if you like. As long as you're prioritizing your flat bar work, you won't be "jeopardizing" your future Heisman trophy hopes.

[slippy]

Raven, ask yourself this. What would Vernon Davis do?

Yeah, pec development is kinda esoteric, because it's the one area where BB aesthetics says you shouldn't overdevelop. Virtually every movement that works the lower pecs (decline, flat, incline) hits the upper pecs well.

The incline press is a great exercise, not because it works the upper pecs well, but because it doesn't really work the lower pecs. The reasoning is aking to doing sissy squats so that you can work the quads without working the glutes/hip flexors, which gets preference in the squat/leg press movement.

But, then again, don't you want to be 265 @ 3-6% and run 4.38 @ 40 with a 685 squat?

[kethnaab]

But, then again, don't you want to be 265 @ 3-6% and run 4.38 @ 40 with a 685 squat?

I'd rather be 285 @ 8% and run 4.5 @ 40 with a 900 squat.

but that's just me.

[Atman]

Not to be an ass, but what's the proof that you're using mostly shoulders @ 45 degrees? Seems a little odd that damn near EVERY fixed BB incline bench in existence is set at the wrong angle.