Out of all the exercises, incline and flat bench are two of the most common yet fundamental training.
Even though both of these are considered more like a primary exercise, the advantage they have on your strength, muscle growth, and muscle mass are undeniable.
The bench press is a part of “The Big 3” alongside squat, and deadlift because these exercises build muscular power, strength, and hypertrophy.
Now, are you beginning to wonder which bench press is best for you? Should you start doing that incline bench press you were so reluctant about?
That’s why our incline bench vs flat bench weight is worth a read. You will get all the necessary information you need here.
Should you do the incline bench press or flat bench press?
The pattern of both incline and flat bench press is the same, the difference is in the bench position. Incline benches are set at a 15-45 degree angle, therefore, allowing you to put some more work in your upper chest than the classic flat bench press.
While the incline bench press focuses on the upper chest and pecs, flat bench press works more of the entire chest muscle mass rather than only a portion.
You might be surprised to know that both of these bench presses focus on the same main muscles when performed. The muscles are:
You can do both incline bench press and flat bench press using a barbell, dumbbell, or with a weight machine. Using reverse grip also allows you to trigger different muscles.
Whether you should do the incline bench press or flat bench press primarily depends on you.
If you just want to build up more muscle mass, the flat bench press will do that for you.
But if you want a more compound range of motion and an overall well-balanced chest, then you should focus on the incline bench press
We recommend you throw both of these into your workout routine. Doing both incline bench press and flat bench press will result in having a more defined chest and shoulder muscle development.
Incline bench vs flat bench press in terms of aesthetics
In terms of aesthetics between the incline bench press and traditional flat bench press, the incline bench press is arguably the better one.
While both of them are needed, the incline bench press will give you a more well-rounded and more balanced look.
Because it focuses mostly on the upper pecs at the clavicles, more incline bench presses will help you develop a great-looking set of pecs which will give you a more aesthetically pleasing look.
The upper pec also provides a great visual link between the medial deltoid and lower pec, which is an absolute necessity for having a great physique.
Should I do the flat bench and incline bench press on the same day? Which should I do first?
Is it possible to do both flat bench press and incline bench press on the same day?
The answer is yes, it won’t be harmful to your body if you do both on the same day.
But if you are a beginner you should start with the weight you are comfortable with and steadily increase it. Also, be sure to get a spotter who can confirm you are doing everything correctly.
Even though you can do flat bench press and incline bench press on the same day it depends on your own preference whether you want to do it or not.
If you do it on the same day it would be better to do the flat bench press first and then the incline bench press.
Because it is easier to load up much more weight on the traditional flat bench press, so you should go for as heavy as you are capable of and then switch to the incline bench press which is much lighter and targets all the upper pecs.
Benefits of the incline bench and flat bench press
Each of the bench presses has its own importance and benefits. Both the incline bench press and flat bench press are equally beneficial for our muscle, strength, and overall growth.
Having a balance between these two exercises can truly build up your chest muscle. Training with these two exercises will significantly improve your muscle growth and hypertrophy.
Incline and flat bench press also put stress in the triceps, medial deltoid, and shoulders thus strengthening these muscles.
You will also see your bone health improvements if you have the incline and flat bench press in your workout routine. It will significantly increase your bone density and overall your body’s skeletal system. It will be really helpful to prevent chronic diseases such as osteoporosis at an older age.
It is a scientifically proven fact that if you have more muscles then you will also burn more calories when you rest. Since the incline bench and flat bench press helps you build more muscle mass it will also burn calories when you rest. And by burning calories, you will get a boost in your metabolic rate.
Incline bench vs flat bench ratio
You might question, what about incline vs flat bench weight? Is there a specific weight you should be practicing?
Yes, there is. And we will also be covering that. So stay with us till the end.
Most people can lift around 70 to 80 percent of the weight in incline bench press than what they can do in the flat bench press.
The percentage varies from person to person. Some might be able to do more than the average and some less. But you should be able to lift 72 percent of what you can lift in the flat bench press.
You can also find sites like incline to flat bench press calculator where you can find the right weight you should be practicing with.
Best weight benches for incline and flat bench press
Nowadays it can be really time-consuming to find the right product on the internet. For comfortably doing bench presses a good weight bench is a must have.
That’s why we decided to sum up all the best weight benches you can find on the internet.
For incline bench press:
- Bowflex 5.1S Stowable Weight Bench
- Adidas Utility Bench
- Steelbody Deluxe 6 Position Utility Weight Bench
- FLYBIRD Weight Bench
- XMark Adjustable Weight Bench
For flat bench press:
- Weider Traditional Flat Bench
- Amazon Basics Flat Weight Exercise Bench
- REP Fitness FB-3000 Flat Bench
- Duofit WB-02 Workout Bench
- Marcy SB-10510 Flat Bench
Conclusion
We very much hope that we were able to give you the information you were looking for.
If you think we’ve missed any important points please be sure to let us know.
So, overall when it comes to Incline vs flat bench press incline bench press covers a greater range of motion than the flat bench press. And the flat bench will allow you to get more muscle mass.
Thus we recommend you to have both the incline and flat bench press so it can help you get a well rounded, balanced, capped look everyone dreams to have.