Incline bench presses
The pectoralis major muscle is comprised of a clavicular and a sternocostal head (upper and lower pec).
The purpose of the incline press is to focus more of the work on the upper pecs. The main benefit in performing incline presses is to develop the upper portion of the pectoral muscles.
When the bench is set at an incline (15 to 30 degrees), you activate your shoulders more since it’s comparable to a shoulder press. Also, because of the angle of the bench, this exercise puts less stress on your rotator cuff, which is a common area for injury when using the flat bench.
However, there are some cons to performing an incline chest press. Because the incline chest press puts more stress on your upper pec, it develops this muscle group more, while the flat bench tends to build mass over the entire pec.
You’re also actively using your deltoids (shoulders) at this angle, so you don’t want to work on your deltoids the next day. You never want to overtrain your muscles, which can happen if you train the same muscle group two days in a row. Overusing any muscle can lead to injuries.
The main benefit in performing incline presses is to develop the upper portion of the pectoral muscles. When the bench is set at an incline (15 to 30 degrees), you activate your shoulders more since it’s comparable to a shoulder press.