No Love for the Incline?

[BeastoftheEast]

It seems a lot of trainers are either biased towards the flat barbell bench press, or standing overhead press. A lot of "experts" believe that the bench press is evil and will wreck your shoulder, but the OHP will develop a strong, healthy upper body(or vice versa). Some trainers advocate the use of both, but rarely do I see articles or trainers mention the incline bench press. As a fighter and someone who loves to work out I see a lot of benefits too it.
-It doesnt require the flexibility of an OHP, and it doesn't stretch your shoulders as much as a bench press
-It's in the middle of a BP and an OHP, so you get good recruitment from your shoulders and chest.
-If you focus on the OHP your chest could be lacking,
-Also I feel its all you need as far pressing goes.
I personally only perform Incline bench as a main movemnt and floor press for assistance as far as pressing movements, because of my shoulders.
How do you feel about the lift?

 

[Cratos]

Stopped reading at "chest could be lacking".

Tons of very strong lifters use incline bench.

 

[cms9690]

I enjoy Dumbbell Incline Press. The movement feels great and keeps me shoulders strong without the OHP.

 

[Poseylifts]

It's the only compound press that doesn't hurt my rotator cuff right now, so I love it. The form is "easier" than flat bench I guess in the sense that it doesn't require as much arching. I fail to see no love for the incline though, as has been said lots of strong guys use it and I've never seen anyone bash it.

 

[redaxe]

There's nothing wrong with it. It's not that people bash it, it's just that they don't think it's all that necessary to include in your routine.

Bench press is a competitive lift in powerlifting. Overhead press is assistance for olympic lifts.

Incline press is just incline press. No direct application to competitive lifting. You don't really need to do incline press to improve your bench or your OHP.

Lots of strong guys do use incline press as assistance for their bench though. Honkey Kong is a pro powerlifter and he does a lot of incline.

 

[gspieler]

Its not a bad exercise overall, but I kinda look at it as being the worst of both worlds; you cant load up the weight like you can on a flat-bench press so its probably not as effective as it in increasing strength in that regard, and you're not standing as in a push press, so your not getting the stabilization, triple-extension, or any of the more sport-specific benefits. I see it best used as assistance.

 

[Cratos]

That's because it is an assistance movement.

It's assistance for the bench press.

 

[Smeaglebutcrack**]

Stopped reading at "chest could be lacking".

Tons of very strong lifters use incline bench.

You obviously didnt read it at all,

Because he said that if you focus on the "OHP" it could leave the chest lacking,

You know the Overhead Press, that mainly uses the shoulders and triceps to push the weight above your head.

 

[Cratos]

You obviously didnt read it at all,

Because he said that if you focus on the "OHP" it could leave the chest lacking,

You know the Overhead Press, that mainly uses the shoulders and triceps to push the weight above your head.

Please, tell me more about the overhead press.

I've never really focused on that movement at all.

 

[LitteringAnd]

Belph, can we get a topless pic of dawgpnd with the just deal with it sunglasses, a la Keo?

And don't worry Smeagle, I don't even think Cartos lifts.

 

[RemyR]

That's because it is an assistance movement.

It's assistance for the bench press.

I'd argue that you can use it for a primary movement though if you wanted (unless of course your goal is to have a high flat bench, then obviously it's assistance)

 

[LegioTitan]

I'd argue that you can use it for a primary movement though if you wanted (unless of course your goal is to have a high flat bench, then obviously it's assistance)

I believe the response would then be: primary movement to what end? GP?

 

[JauntyAngle]

I believe the response would then be: primary movement to what end? GP?

To the end of swole chesticles and cannonball delts.

 

[Chucknate]

I believe the response would then be: primary movement to what end? GP?

Bill Starr reccomended it as a superior exercise to the bench press for general athletics, but if powerlifting is your thing then flat is the obvious choice.

 

[LegioTitan]

Bill Starr reccomended it as a superior exercise to the bench press for general athletics, but if powerlifting is your thing then flat is the obvious choice.

So.... GP then?

 

[Chucknate]

So.... GP then?

Yes, GP then.

 

[hightekdope]

So I have gotten back to training for a few months and have been doing exclusively incline bench presses as part of starting strength. I will try to incorporate flat bench back into the routine. Can I expect my flat bench max to be a good deal greater?