How to do an incline bench press
Set the bench to about 30 to 45 degrees and lie back with your eyes just under the bar.
Grip the bar a little wider than shoulder-width and plant your feet on the floor.
Pull your shoulder blades back and down into the bench.
Lift the bar out and hold it over your upper chest with straight arms.
Lower it under control to your upper chest, just below your collarbones, elbows angled partway in.
Press back up until your arms are straight over your shoulders.
These steps describe common technique. If something hurts, stop and ask a qualified coach or clinician.
Common incline bench press mistakes
Bench set too steep
Past about 45 degrees it becomes more of a shoulder press. Use the same angle every session.
Lowering to the middle of your chest
On an incline the bar touches higher, near the top of your chest.
Shoulders rolling forward
Keep your shoulder blades pinned back through every rep.
Lower back arching off the bench
Keep your glutes down and push through your feet.
How to track your incline bench press
Log the weight and reps of every set. Over a few weeks, the heaviest weight you lift and your estimated one-rep max show whether you are getting stronger, even when your sets use different rep counts.
Estimated 1RM, Epley formula
60 kg × (1 + 8 ÷ 30) ≈ 76 kg
A set of 8 at 60 kg estimates a one-rep max of about 76 kg.
