Summary

A 30-degree angle should be used for the bench seat to maximize upper chest activation while limiting shoulder engagement. An angle of 45 detects elevation above other parts and shifts the point of press through shoulders.
Start off with reasonable weight for the dumbbells, brace your core, and press the weights upward with straight wrists. Lower dumbbells slowly, again keeping your elbows tucked in for control and safety.
Proper alignment of wrists with forearms, taking a weight avoidably heavy, and lifting by momentum rather than muscle will not leverage your strength slow and controlled, sufficing true muscle engagement.
The muscle primarily targeted while performing an incline dumbbell press is the upper chest, otherwise simply referred to as the clavicular head of the pecs, anterior deltoids, triceps, with lower stabilizing muscles as rotator cuffs and core.
Dumbbells improve muscle symmetry and stabilization by forcing each individual arm to work independently, preventing any potential compensation for a stronger side, thereby enabling the balanced development of the upper chest.

The incline dumbbell press is a rewarding upper chest exercise that engages the largest muscle of your chest, the pectoralis major. This muscle comprises two heads, the clavicular and sternal heads.

While routine chest exercises like flat bench press, push-ups, or pec-fly work your pecs overall, incline versions of chest exercises shift the focus to the clavicular head, or your upper chest. This results in improved chest strength and mass.

More importantly, it helps you build a well-rounded chest. Adding an incline dumbbell press into your chest workout has its worthwhile benefits. To really reap the benefits on an incline dumbbell press, form and incline angle are key.

How To Do An Incline Dumbbell Press?

Start by selecting the right weights. Doing an incline press with dumbbells is different from a barbell because there is no compensation. Your stronger side will not be able to help your weaker side, hence, start off lightly.

Also, dumbbells require more stabilization than a barbell does. It is easier balancing a barbell and maintaining optimal form as one side can compensate for the other. But with dumbbells, each side is on its own.

So, keeping these two factors in mind, start off with less weight than you would for a flat press or incline barbell press. You can experiment here to see which weight is challenging yet manageable to ensure you don’t compromise on form.

Set your bench at a 30-degree incline
Hold the dumbbells in each hand and rest them on your knees as you lean back
Now, lift the dumbbells up to shoulder level with your elbows bent
Start the movement by bracing your core and pressing the dumbbells upwards
Keep your wrists stationary as you push the dumbbells over your chest
The dumbbells should almost touch at the top of the movement
Bring the dumbbells back down slowly to starting position
As you lower the dumbbells, ensure your elbows do not flare out to the sides

Types & Techniques of Incline Dumbbell Press

Incline Hex Press

The movement and angle of the incline are identical to an incline dumbbell press. The only difference is the form. The hex press is great for activating the inner chest while also working your upper chest.

As your palms face inwards, you’ll be required to use more pushing power. Also, your triceps will be used a bit more than an average incline press.

Finally, it takes the focus off your shoulders. The form minimizes the activation of the anterior delts and requires more power from your upper chest and triceps.

Set your bench to a 30-degree incline
You can use any kind of dumbbells but hexagon-shaped dumbbells are the preference, hence the name
Grab the dumbbells with a neutral grip with your palms facing inwards
Now, press them upwards as you would normally do
Ensure your elbows do not flare out to the side when lowering them down

Incline Bench Press

An incline bench press requires a barbell. This is perhaps the only difference.

Set your bench at an incline
Grab the barbell with a shoulder-width grip with your palms facing out
Unrack the bar and with your arms kept straight, push upwards
Slowly, lower the bar until it is right above your chest

Incline Push-ups

This is a great bodyweight exercise to target your upper chest muscles. While normal push-ups work your chest, shoulders, and arms, an incline push-up focuses more on your upper chest and triceps.

Use an elevated and sturdy platform with an incline
Your hands should be placed shoulder-width apart
Make sure your body and head stay in a straight line
Now, lower yourself down and then back up

Common Mistakes To Avoid

The Optimal Angle

A flat bench will activate the middle of your chest while a completely upright position will activate your shoulders. To really hit your upper chest, you need an angle between 30 to 45-degrees.

A 45-degree incline is still not low enough, while you may feel pressure on your upper chest, your shoulders will be doing just as much lifting. The best angle to focus on your upper chest is 30-degrees as it maximizes the clavicular head activation.

Bending Your Wrists

This can be a killer for your wrists and may lead to injury. You need to keep your wrists straight and in line with your forearms. Bending them backwards during the upward motion can cause unnecessary strain.

Too Much Weight

The barbell variation can help compensate for a weaker side; this dumbbell version requires each arm to balance its own weight. Off-balance can lead to improper form which can do more harm than good.

The incline angle utilizes chest muscles that are usually under-worked, hence, you won’t be able to lift as heavy as a flat press. Start with weight that you can manage to help stabilize the movement, then work your way up.

The Form

Using the momentum of the up and down motion is counter-productive. That is why every repetition should be done slowly. By starting from base momentum, you’ll be using more force and strength to lift. Propelling the weight up and down usually happens when you are using more weight than you can manage.

It might seem like a workout-hack but it’s actually ineffective as the targeted muscles won’t be challenged and the focus might shift to the supporting muscles involved in stabilization of this fast-paced movement.

Which Muscles Do Incline Dumbbell Press Works?

muscles-worked-incline-dumbbell-press

The primary goal of an incline dumbbell press is to activate your upper chest. When we talk about the upper chest, we usually refer to the clavicular head of the pectoralis major. The other head is called the sternal head.

Working the upper, mid and lower pec is necessary to build a well-rounded chest. Incline chest exercises are optimal for primarily activating the clavicular head.

Another major muscle that is in play are the deltoids. The delts are also made up of different heads, the front, side and back heads. An incline dumbbell press activates the front or anterior deltoids.

While these are the two primary muscles that are in motion, there are a few other muscles that play a supporting role. You’ll notice during the upward motion that your triceps are being used.

Also, your core and upper back help in stabilizing your body during the motion.

Incline Dumbbell Press Benefits

Focus On The Upper Chest

Upper chest muscles are often ignored or underworked. Most chest workouts focus on straining the sternal head giving you a defined mid and lower chest. But to have a true Herculean chest, you need both strength and toning. Luckily, incline exercises help with both.

Helps In Stabilization

The movement of dumbbells going up and down requires a good amount of balance and form. This can help stabilize both your shoulders and chest. An incline dumbbell press is harder than a barbell press due to balancing the dumbbells which really helps increase mind to muscle connection.

Also, your rotator cuffs will get a good workout as well because of the free-range motion of dumbbells.

No Compensation For Your Weaker Side

Dumbbells require each arm to exert the same amount of force. When using a barbell, the stronger side can compensate for a weaker side.

So, over time, either one side will actually look imbalanced or feel imbalanced strength-wise. Using dumbbells helps to overcome this problem as each side will be working just as hard.

What Is Better? Barbell vs. Dumbbell Incline Press

The incline dumbbell press and the incline bench press are exactly alike when it comes to activation of upper chest muscles. While the two exercises are quite similar, there are two key differences to keep in mind.

As mentioned above, compensation and stabilization are the two major differences. If you have an uneven chest, then dumbbells can help add symmetry to your chest.

When we talk about stabilization, dumbbells require more balance than a barbell press. The entire motion requires more presence of mind and focus on the form which helps build mind to muscle connections.

Finally, compensation. Your weaker side has to work just as hard when it comes to an incline dumbbell press. This is crucial if you have mis-matched strength. This doesn’t just go for your upper chest muscles but for the other muscles in play too like your anterior deltoids and triceps.

Key Takeaway

If you have an uneven chest or strength imbalance, then incorporating an incline dumbbell press into your chest workouts can help. The form is quite easy to master and it definitely helps with stabilizing your muscles as you won’t have the support of a barbell. Plus, with an optimal angle of 30-degrees incline, you’ll be efficiently activating your upper chest muscles.

Overall, it is a versatile exercise that adds the right intensity to your chest workouts to build a true Herculean chest.

FAQs

What is the incline dumbbell press good for?

The incline dumbbell press is great for building strength and size in the upper chest while also working the shoulders and triceps. It helps create a fuller, more defined chest by targeting the upper pectoral muscles. The added range of motion with dumbbells increases muscle activation and helps fix strength imbalances between both sides of the body.

Is incline dumbbell press 30 or 45 degrees?

The best incline for a dumbbell press is 30 degrees because it targets the upper chest without putting too much stress on the shoulders. Raising the angle to 45 degrees shifts more emphasis onto the front deltoids, which reduces chest engagement. The ideal incline is 30 degrees as it provides a balance between chest activation and safer joint positioning.

Is incline good for the chest?

Yes! The incline press is one of the best exercises for building upper chest development. It fills out the upper pecs, giving your chest a fuller and more balanced look. By adjusting the bench to an incline, the focus shifts more toward the upper part of the chest, which isn't activated as much during flat bench presses.

Is 35 or 45 better for an incline bench?

A 35-degree incline is a better option. It effectively targets the upper chest while reducing shoulder strain. At 45 degrees, the shoulders do most of the work, taking focus away from the chest. Keeping the incline between 30-35 degrees is ideal for upper chest activation and overall chest growth.

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