Bench Press or Incline Press

[Rockstar]

OK I have a question. Which is a more effective exercise, bench press or incline bench press? See I'm doing a fairly abbreviated routine and the only chest exercise currently is bench press. The problem is, like in most gyms, there are always a bunch of people who came together that crowd around the flat bench and each do like 10 sets. Its not uncommon in my gym for a flat bench to be occupied by one group of people or even one person for 30 or more minutes. However, the incline bench is almost always vacant. To me, it's not worth it to do flat bench if incline is just as effective, which I think it is. I don't have time to sit and wait in line for the flat bench, and yes I've seen lines of 3 or 4 people form while waiting on the bench on a few occasions. So do others of you think that inclines are a good chest builder?

 

[al77]

Your gym should have benches where people work with dumbells.
I am sure they are more available, so try dumbell bench press.
Note, that usually those dumbell benches are adjustable, so you can do flat dumbell bench press and incline dumbell press with one bench without waiting.

 

[semag]

incline's fine, go ahead and do that.

Most fixed incline benches are at too steep an angle to be a chest exercise, should be around ~20 degrees, not 45 degrees.

Flat bench is actually seen by a lot of bigger guys as bad, because injuries (like pec tears) are common.

 

[mrRuckus]

Originally posted by semag

Most fixed incline benches are at too steep an angle to be a chest exercise, should be around ~20 degrees, not 45 degrees.

wuh oh

*adjusts his incline bench down a few notches*

 

[Scrumtulescence]

So you shouldn't do incline presses at more than 20degrees, even if you're trying to target your upper pecs?

 

[semag]

http://www.ironaddicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6304&highlight=incline+bench

 

[WORKEROUTER]

I think incline bench has been largely ignored.

And most who do it use pre set inclines set too high.

For the next month or so, I am focusing mainly on incline DB benching rather than flat benching for the reason of building my upper chest, which I feel is lacking.

 

[Heizen]

Originally posted by Scrumtulescence
So you shouldn't do incline presses at more than 20degrees, even if you're trying to target your upper pecs?

First off, there are no 'upper pecs' but just one muscle on each side of your chest (with the exception of another pec muscle that connects from your ribs to your pec delt tie in) to get your chest to be more full up top you need to make the whole muscle grow.

Secondly, incline is an awesome mass builder. Keep it like people have said, around 20 degrees, and you should be set.

 

[Criminal Mind]

If you're looking for size, go with the dumbell bench presses. It is A LOT better.

 

[WORKEROUTER]

Originally posted by Criminal Mind
If you're looking for size, go with the dumbell bench presses. It is A LOT better.

I'll have to agree with this. I use to exclusively do benching with DB and developed great chest size.