Dépense estimée selon votre poids
Mouvement d'isolation · 3 s par répétition
| Répétitions | Dépense estimée |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0,23 kcal |
| 10 | 2,3 kcal |
| 20 | 4,6 kcal |
| 50 | 11,5 kcal |
| 100 | 23,0 kcal |
Estimation à partir des équivalents métaboliques (MET) du Compendium of Physical Activities. La charge, le tempo et la durée des repos font varier le résultat du simple au double : à lire comme un ordre de grandeur, pas comme une mesure.
Which muscles the incline bench press works
The incline bench press hits the clavicular head of the pectoralis major first, in other words the upper chest. That head attaches to the collarbone. It contracts harder when the arms travel up and out on a diagonal rather than straight across.
The shoulders and triceps assist. The front delt takes on more and more of the work as the incline gets steeper. Past a certain angle, the lift looks more like a seated press than a chest movement.
One myth worth clearing up: the incline press doesn't split your chest in two. The other heads of the pec stay active through the whole range. What changes is how the work is shared out, not full isolation of one area.
- Prime mover: clavicular head of the pectoralis major
- Assistants: front deltoid, triceps
- Stabilisers: serratus anterior, lower traps, back muscles
Bench incline: 30 or 45 degrees?
This is the question that comes up most on this lift. Muscle activation data on the incline press points to a window between 15 and 30 degrees. Beyond that, the upper chest gains almost nothing and the shoulder takes more of the load.
In practice, set the bench incline around 30 degrees. Most gym benches have notches at 15, 30, 45 and 60 degrees: the second notch is the right starting point. The 45-degree setting still works, but it shifts part of the effort onto the shoulders.
In the gym, most people set up at 45 degrees out of habit, then complain they feel the lift in their shoulders instead of their chest. Dropping one notch usually fixes it.
If you rotate through several angles over the month, write your settings down. A bench at 30 degrees and a bench at 45 degrees won't give you the same numbers, and comparing sets done at different inclines tells you nothing. Our training programmes set the angle set by set so there's no guesswork.
Dumbbell incline press: the version worth learning
The dumbbell incline press is by far the most searched version, and with good reason. Each arm works on its own, which evens out imbalances. You also get more depth than with a barbell, since nothing stops the weights at chest level.
How to perform the movement
Position matters as much as load. Clean execution comes down to a few simple checkpoints, worth running through before every set.
- Feet flat on the floor, legs stable, glutes in contact with the bench
- Shoulder blades pulled back and down, chest up
- Controlled descent over 2 seconds, elbows at roughly 45 degrees from the torso
- Dumbbells drawing together at the top of the rep without clanging
- No full elbow lockout at the end of the push
Your hands don't have to stay fixed. Rotating the dumbbells slightly on the way up, palms turning inward, adds contraction in the upper chest. It's a useful variation, not a requirement.
Load and reps
Expect to use around 20 to 30% less weight than on the flat dumbbell press. Three to four sets of 8 to 12 reps covers most goals. If the last rep is flying all over the place, the weight is too heavy.
Barbell or dumbbells for the incline press?
Both have a case. The barbell incline lets you load heavier and progress easily, plate by plate. The dumbbell incline gives you a full range and an easier ride for the shoulders.
A common compromise: barbell early in the session for the heavy work, then dumbbells to build range and feel. Choosing a barbell or dumbbells also comes down to your equipment and how busy the gym is.
Machine, Smith machine or free weights
The incline press machine and the Smith machine guide the bar path. That's reassuring when you train alone or want to finish a session safely. A converging machine brings the handles together at the end of the push, which is closer to what dumbbells do naturally.
| Equipment | Range of motion | Heavy loading |
|---|---|---|
| Dumbbells | Full | Medium |
| Barbell | Limited | Yes |
| Smith machine | Limited | Yes |
| Converging machine | Medium | Yes |
| No bench, on the floor | Reduced | No |
With no adjustable bench, you have two options: elevated push-ups with feet on the floor and hands at hip height, or dumbbells on a makeshift bench built from a step. These are stopgaps, not equivalents.
Incline or flat: which goes first in the session?
Most people find the incline press harder than the flat bench. That makes sense: the leverage is worse and the upper portion of the chest is smaller. So at the same training level, you'll push less weight.
If your upper chest is lagging, put the incline press first, while you're fresh. Otherwise keep the flat bench as your opener. Whatever comes first gets the best of the effort you have available.
The decline press, for its part, emphasises the lower portion. It stays optional: for most people the flat bench already covers that area. In French the lift is called développé incliné, handy if you're digging through foreign sources.
Picking the order, the angle and the number of sets based on your history takes tracking. MUSCU builds that plan from your profile and films all 1,800 exercises in the catalogue, bench angle included.
Keeping your shoulders pain-free
Pain rarely comes from the lift itself. It comes from elbows flared too wide, an uncontrolled descent, or an angle that's too steep. Tuck the elbows, lower the incline, drop the weight: in that order.
Two light warm-up sets at the same angle prepare the joint. Our guided sessions on your phone add those ramp-up sets automatically.