Incline Machine Chest Press

How to do it

1. Set the seat so the handles line up with your upper chest.
2. Sit back against the inclined pad with feet flat and grip the handles.
3. Set your shoulder blades back and down.
4. Press the handles up and forward until your arms are straight.
5. Return slowly until your hands are beside your upper chest.

Tips

• Keep the upper back flat on the pad the whole set.
• Pause briefly at the bottom to keep momentum out.

Common mistakes

• Seat set so the handles start at shoulder or neck level.
• Letting the stack touch down between reps.
• Pushing the head forward off the pad.

Muscles worked by the Incline Machine Chest Press

• Upper chest Primary29%
• Mid chest Primary22%
• Front delts Secondary20%
• Triceps (lateral head) Secondary10%
• Triceps (medial head) Secondary7%
• Triceps (long head) Minor5%
• Lower chest Minor4%
• Serratus anterior Stabilizer3%

Share per muscle in the Zulta muscle model. The model spreads the load of one rep over 40 muscles, based on EMG and biomechanics research.

30 to 45 degrees shifts work to the clavicular pec and front delt (Rodriguez-Ridao 2020). A fixed path removes most stabiliser demand. Pressing away from the chest is shoulder horizontal adduction plus elbow extension: the sternal pec drives it, front delt and triceps assist, and the clavicular pec joins as a strong secondary on a flat bench.

Incline Machine Chest Press alternatives

Same equipment

• Hammer Strength Incline PressMachine
• Plate Loaded Incline Chest PressMachine

Different equipment

• Incline Smith Machine PressSmith machine
• Incline Bench PressBarbell
• Incline Dumbbell PressDumbbell

No equipment

• Decline Push UpBodyweight

Make it harder

• Smith Machine Incline Close Grip PressSmith machine
• High Incline Barbell PressBarbell
• Low Incline Barbell PressBarbell
• Board PressBarbell

Similar exercises

• Single Arm Incline Machine PressMachine

Frequently asked questions

What muscles does the Incline Machine Chest Press work?

Mainly the upper chest and mid chest. The front delts, triceps (lateral head) and triceps (medial head) assist.

Is the Incline Machine Chest Press good for beginners?

Yes. The Incline Machine Chest Press is rated beginner in the Zulta library: the technique is easy to learn with a light weight.

What is a good alternative to the Incline Machine Chest Press?

For example the Hammer Strength Incline Press, Plate Loaded Incline Chest Press and Incline Smith Machine Press. They train mostly the same muscles, some with different equipment.

How do you make the Incline Machine Chest Press harder?

Add weight or reps, or move on to the Smith Machine Incline Close Grip Press and High Incline Barbell Press.

Sources

• Rodriguez-Ridao et al. 2020, IJERPH 17(19):7339 (five bench inclinations)
• Lehman 2005, JSCR 19(3):587-591 (grip width and forearm position)
• Saeterbakken et al. 2011, J Sports Sci 29(5):533-538 (barbell, dumbbell, Smith)

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