Thread: Incline decline v flat bench

it is important to work all three angles as being strong in all planes of motion is more optimal than one. changing the angle will alter the plane of motion you are working in and slightly increase other muscles to assist more (ie, incline= more anterior delt).

So is flat mostly chest tricep lat, and incline is shoulders/chest mostly? and if so whats decline work.

well, they all are going to hit the chest and anterior delts to a certain extent since the basic movement of a chest press is horizontal shoulder flexion. Now, altering that plane of motion in one way or another will have an effect to the muscles recruited for the exercise. You are correct in saying that incline will recruit more anterior delts since you are inbetween the transverse and frontal planes. The decline is in between the transeverse and sagital planes. So you are getting a bit of that adduction of the shoulder which gets your lats more into play.

o ok im starting to see now, do any of them work chest any better? and how do you suggest i throw this into my chest routine? right now i just do flat bb and db press for chest, then go and individually work the supporting muscles like lats, tri's, etc


Thanks

If I were working them in I would do one for a few weeks under certain variables (rep scheme, rep speed, rest interval, sets, intensity) and then change to a differnet one for a few weeks with either the same or differnet variables. Lots of different ways to make it work.