Having pecs of steel is probably one of the most popular goals for guys when they hit the gym, and having a chiseled chest is one of the many benefits of weight lifting.  While pumping out rep after rep can definitely help you to build muscle, having a strategy when designing your chest workout is a necessity.  Many chest exercises mimic each other and work the muscle similarly, so you may be wasting time at the gym doing the same movements even though the exercises may look different.  The standard Barbell Incline Chest Press is a basic chest exercise that should be mastered before moving on to more advanced variations.

Barbell Incline Chest Press

1. Lie back on an incline chest press bench and grasp the barbell with a grip slightly wider than shoulder width. Fully extend your arms by pressing the weight straight up. The starting position for the barbell incline chest press is at the top of the movement with the arms fully extended.

2. Slowly exhale and lower the weight towards your chest.

3. Lower the bar towards your chest without allowing it to rest on your chest at the bottom of the movement.

4. Return to full extension to complete one rep.

Barbell Incline Chest Press Tips – The bar should be straight in line with the mid to upper pec region. Avoid the tendency to push the weight up towards your head. – Check for proper hand placement by assuring that your upper arms and forearms form a 90 degree angle midway through the movement. – The goal is to keep the muscle engaged throughout the movement.  If you find yourself needing to pause at the top of the exercise, or “rest” the bar on your chest in the lower position, try reducing the amount of weight you’re lifting. – Using a spotter is ideal for this exercise to help you maximize the amount of weight you can lift and to help you work until full muscle fatigue with safety. – Using slightly padded lifting grips like GymPaws® can help to ease hand fatigue and keep your grip from slipping.

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