Preciate that Jude, most lifters need to get humbled and feel what a real incline bench press is. Not a low, arched setup. By the way, your benching videos are inspiring me. This new lifting generation would seriously benefit from your no bs, hard-earned wisdom 💯
@@AlexLeonidas Respect. Thanks for the nice words. Always enjoy your content. Keep teaching. Love how you lead by example, not just words. You back everything up with action.
Alex is one of the goats. Lifetime natty, so pretty much everything he says will work, real oldschool (bronze era enjoyer), taught us to get yoked, to properly use calisthenics, to bulk, cut... Absolute legend, thanks for the no bs videos.
Side note: 45° (arch) with heavy weights for low reps and 30° (without arch) with light weights for high reps when feeling like letting your shoulders move more naturally every now and then
I very much appreciate this serie of sharing your expertise about exercises instead of the usual (not necessarily on this channel) discussing sets, rest times, diet and so on.
This format and style of video is unmatched so much more information for less time. AKA Getting more for less time amazing on recovery and information capacity. Keep it up Alex
One of your more enjoyable videos to watch lately - good job. To simplify the topic further, I find that there’s really just two keys to doing incline barbell bench press correctly to maximize tension in the upper chest. Those two things are: 1. Lower the barbell to your clavicle, or within 1” of it at least. And, 2. Press straight up, (not out and not in either). You talked about pressing out, which in my experience tends to happen if I am lowering the bar on the eccentric to an area of my pecs that are too low and not near my clavicles enough. But one thing I didn’t hear mentioned was the opposite - pressing the bar up and in so that it stacks over your shoulders/face at the top. This isn’t great either since, as soon as the barbell leaves the vertical plane of your clavicle, the tension shifts progressively more and more onto your anterior delts until finally, at the top, there is little to no tension from the weight of the bb on your pecs anymore and it’s all on your shoulders, (and even upper back as stabilizers to a degree). Which is why pressing in a straight line up is so important, (to keep the tension from the weight of the barbell on your pecs).
man, i am litteraly doing incline bench press right now and following your tips!! for 2years now i was thinking i was doing around 45degree, when actually was 30. now i did upper the bench and it felt awesome, whole pecs are burning.
Alex coming in with absolute golden advice yet again. I was gonna ask a question, but you strait up answered it in the video. Great work brother, you’ve been killing it since 2015. Cheers!
You'll never need a coach or anything if you have alex it's crazy how you and dr mike have taught me better than anyone i know how to properly do my exercises. All the blessings to you Alex!
I did my Push workout today at the gym. I've been lifting for years and never managed to develop the powerlifting arch. Today I made the effort to drag an adjustable bench to an open squat rack. I set the bench at a 30% incline. I really focused on bringing the bar down to my clavicle and then maintaining the straightest possible bar path on the push up. I got such a huge pump by the end of my working sets. I'm thinking about prioritizing the incline bench press over the next several weeks to bring up my upper chest. Thanks Alex for the great information.
Like the new video format so far. Quick tip for guys beating up their collarbone especially when going fast. Go to the hardware store, go to the plumbing section and get pipe insulation foam. It's thinner and less dense than barbell pads so you still get your ROM.
Alex I stalled on my incline and regressed for a few weeks and figured it was just from being deep into a cut. Realized after this video that I've been sloppy and bringing the bar too low the last few workouts. Fixed it today and added 10lbs to my top number before I stalled. Thank you sir.
I didn't plan to comment, but after watching the video I had to comment that this video is a goldmine of nuance, and I really appreciate the angle stuff being explained clearly and concisely as I haven't seen that anywhere else. Much appreciated Alex. Your channel is undoubtedly one of the best, if not the best, fitness channel on youtube.
@@AlexLeonidas true that, years ago when i trained in gym i love smith incline press and i have realy nice pecs gains, now im father and have full time job, i need buy some small compat smith machine for my home gym.
so basically i always have done a 15 degrees incline bench press, i'm gonna take this advice and put the bench to 45 degrees, good to know, the only downside is not having discovered you earlier ahahah your channel is a golden archive full of information, compliments man
You are right about the J curve hitting more front delts. It's like combining the incline with a front raise. Great variation for AD press since it strips 10-20 pounds, but terrible for upper chest on incline
I somehow figured the bar path on my own! Though I may have just unconsciously got it from you... I did get the bench angle from you! Thank you for making us all bigger and stronger!
I needed this video, I couldn’t feel my upper chest on barbell so I was going to resort to doing decline push ups to hit the upper chest, thank you for the perfect timing
Great video Alex. You pointed out the exact experience I had with my inclines last year: Using the 30 degree incline, looking back at my video and realizing I was basically arching 30 degrees back to flat 😅 . Been using 45 degrees for a few months and it truly *gasses* the upper chest. Excited to try out touching the clavicle rather than the mid chest. Will report back.
45 degrees with a slight arch to the upper chest clavicle. Talk about humbling. I like to think I’m decent at incline, but man. This is a game changer! Thanks, Alex! Solid content, per usual. 🫡
I bought a adjustsble bench 4 months ago to replace my old 1980's Body Solid bench.It's made by Rit- Fit. It's even marked on Chrome side 90-75-65-55-45 degrees - down ! Its bright red. It was about $275.00.Best bench I ever owned!
I put up the angle and IMMEDIATELY felt the clavicular Part so much more. Tip for more tension: try to imagine you want the barbell together with your hands. INSANE contraction plus the big stretch. THANK YOU SO MUCH Alex!!!
With each notch on my REP bench, it goes up 15 degrees. I measured it using a leveler. For anyone watching this, your adjustments might likely be different as well.
earlier used to do the j-curve pattern for incline bench, barelt ever felt the connection. Switched to dumbbell due to that, saw how my form was different from the barbell version, did barbell after 7-8 months like my dumbbell incline (in a straight line up and down), now i don't even use dumbbells, barbell feels so much better for both stimulus and stability.
Bro the arch on the incline might just be the best tip ever. I usually never feel my chest no matter how slow and control i go. My delt also ended up giving out. I used the arch last night. Felt nothing in my delts and could feel my chest burning. No sourness in my fronts delts today
I tried this type of incline smith bench with narrower grip, just got absolutely humbled by how much weight I had to drop compared to what I was doing with my previous incline benching form
Hey Alex. Even though it has nothing to do with the video I’ll have u know I started BTN press after watching ur channel and I don’t regret it. I love ur shorts brotta Cheers alex
I started using your tip of lowering to the clavicle on the incline barbell bench a while back. Bro I'd never had an upper chest pump or soreness like I did that day and haven't gone back since. I'd always been basically applying regular bench form and that one cue changed everything. Really had to drop the ego on the weight too.
i can vauch this is 100% correct, i used to do 45° angle in my gym coz it was already set up like that and i arch my back coz im used to it and i remember i felt my upper chest really nice at that time and now before few days i joined new gym that doesnt have fixed incline bench so i adjusted bench by myself and put it at 30° coz ive heard its the best angle for upper chest but coz i arch my chest i didnt feel shit and i didnt know why, i thought that im gonna feel my upper chest much more coz i lowered the angle but didnt know that my arch affects it, so this makes a lot of sense now and thank you for this info
True, I do incline db press and incline smith as my two upper chest exercises and 45° with arching is the way to go, the upper chest pump is amazing and with the arch it feels so much more stable
@@stod11 I'm fairly a novice and because I've done this technique since pretty much the beginning of my lifting, my incline numbers are almost identical to my flat.
Why do so many calisthenics guys have such good side delts despite not doing any lateral raises? This question really confuses me Are lateral raises that important? On the other hand, renaissance periodization and Dr Mike Isratel swear by the full rom lateral raises
Because handstand pushups DO WORK the side delts. As does most vertical pressing. And calisthenics athletes condition their shoulders from all angles, plus use rings for more side delt gains.
Neutral grip: brachialis and brachioradialis, some grip, some biceps but not so much Reverse curls: more brachioradialis and grip (though the weight will be less) but brachialis works also, very little biceps. For forearms, do both, great exercises.
Bro your like a oracle. I'm about to do upper chest today and this comes in before my workout 😎 I switched to dumbbells as I love that full stretch with lower weights so I will try that 45 degree angle with protraction and see if I can feel my upper chest more.
This’s what I did today! I’m new to the dumbbell incline, I have a bells of steel curved barbell that I do inclines with, but I’m not sure I’m really getting my upper chest. I’ve been experimenting with the dumbbells, but my arms get exhausted before my chest does. It’s totally different I get a hell of’a workout though extra movement. Today I noticed if I give it a little bit of a fly movement I can feel it, but my coordinations just about there. I also had to up the weight from 30 to 40 for each hand. My theory is as I get stronger I’ll work my way into it, and it will go from more of a dumbbell press to more of a fly-press as I gradually get stronger. But that bells are still hard to beat, But I can’t tell if I’m getting that thin strap up top or not, I just feel like I’m getting the upper chest, but not that one smaller strand/upper-fiber-line. 👉🏼 I feel like I should fill it more under the collarbone like right up under/across the collarbone.
Do you exactly touch on you’re clavicle ? I’ve been doing them touching exact on the clavicle and just below but still trying to figure out wich of both is the best
Before I added a curve to my incline bench, the back of my arms where my rear delts and triceps meet would be in TERRIBLE PAIN....I can't push straight up, it kills me for some reason. :(
Incline pressing felt easier as a beginner than regular bench. To me, if you have never bench pressed before, it will be easier to learn than flat bench just because the bar path is actually straight and the incline angle automatically puts you in a good position to press from. My bench press technique has evolve so much, yet my incline is pretty much the same even though I'm much stronger. It's curious how our backgrounds can shape our individual lifting journeys so much.
What’s been getting my upper pecs sore lately: I personally use the 45 degree bench for barbell with an arch. Stopping just short of touching my clavicle about an inch maybe (I have long arms so I feel it plenty here) with lengthened partials. I really don’t need a ton of weight for this. Then I basically do an incline bench 30 degree chest fly allowing a good amount of arm bend, maybe kinda like a power fly? I also allow internal rotation here for some reason just feels better on the pecs and less biceps than supinated grip.
id like a vid on burpees. i know there are other channels for that but you fit yours in with weights. just curious what variations you use and your programming of them
I have a question in regards to angles. I have a 35 degree angle bench, I can adjust it to 50. I feel like even with the arc, 35 beat the 50 degree angle in terms of overall muscle activation. Is 35 degree's with an arc optimal?
Would you recommend Smith Machine for the Incline press as a preference? Very good explanation of how to achieve the correct angle with or without an arch. Thank you eggplant man.
Dear Alex, Great job as usual. Big fan. About the J-curve. Does that only apply to the incline or does it also apply to the flat barbell bench? I feel that i lose alot of energi when i try to focus on lowering down then liftning up and back to the starting position on flat bench. thank you in advance.
@AlexLeonidas i am in robot mode 🤖 with this cut my man. Dropping pounds fast and with exercise rotations I am actually gain strength fast in new lifts with maintaining my long term strength standards. Obesity was holding my lifts back believe it or not, due to 0 work capacity.
I was wondering if you're ever going to do your diet video. I know you're not into to it. I currently turned plant based but I'm having problems reaching my protein intake. Would like to know how your diet looks. You don't have to show the foods or eat. Just the info would be greatly appreciate it.
💯 Nice breakdown of the arch and incline angles. So many lifters need to hear that.
Preciate that Jude, most lifters need to get humbled and feel what a real incline bench press is. Not a low, arched setup.
By the way, your benching videos are inspiring me. This new lifting generation would seriously benefit from your no bs, hard-earned wisdom 💯
Brother your strength doesn't make any sense!!🤯
@@AlexLeonidas Respect. Thanks for the nice words. Always enjoy your content. Keep teaching. Love how you lead by example, not just words. You back everything up with action.
Alex is one of the goats. Lifetime natty, so pretty much everything he says will work, real oldschool (bronze era enjoyer), taught us to get yoked, to properly use calisthenics, to bulk, cut... Absolute legend, thanks for the no bs videos.
Thank you so much, Joao!!!!! Gotta be more than muscle.
@@AlexLeonidas u one of our favs
This current style of videos really have been a big help man, hoping you could do calisthenics for triceps growth
Big bis and tris from calisthenics is on the list, stay tuned!
Side note: 45° (arch) with heavy weights for low reps and 30° (without arch) with light weights for high reps when feeling like letting your shoulders move more naturally every now and then
I love this blending approach!
This is easily the best content in TH-cam fitness right now.
I very much appreciate this serie of sharing your expertise about exercises instead of the usual (not necessarily on this channel) discussing sets, rest times, diet and so on.
best fitness youtuber
Thank you Ramo
You have released back to back to back bangers of content and we love it keep it up Alex you’re a leader of this community
This format and style of video is unmatched so much more information for less time. AKA Getting more for less time amazing on recovery and information capacity. Keep it up Alex
One of your more enjoyable videos to watch lately - good job. To simplify the topic further, I find that there’s really just two keys to doing incline barbell bench press correctly to maximize tension in the upper chest. Those two things are: 1. Lower the barbell to your clavicle, or within 1” of it at least. And, 2. Press straight up, (not out and not in either). You talked about pressing out, which in my experience tends to happen if I am lowering the bar on the eccentric to an area of my pecs that are too low and not near my clavicles enough. But one thing I didn’t hear mentioned was the opposite - pressing the bar up and in so that it stacks over your shoulders/face at the top. This isn’t great either since, as soon as the barbell leaves the vertical plane of your clavicle, the tension shifts progressively more and more onto your anterior delts until finally, at the top, there is little to no tension from the weight of the bb on your pecs anymore and it’s all on your shoulders, (and even upper back as stabilizers to a degree). Which is why pressing in a straight line up is so important, (to keep the tension from the weight of the barbell on your pecs).
Thankyou
man, i am litteraly doing incline bench press right now and following your tips!! for 2years now i was thinking i was doing around 45degree, when actually was 30. now i did upper the bench and it felt awesome, whole pecs are burning.
Alex coming in with absolute golden advice yet again. I was gonna ask a question, but you strait up answered it in the video. Great work brother, you’ve been killing it since 2015. Cheers!
Almost a decade, much love OG! Happy to answer your questions in advance ;)
You'll never need a coach or anything if you have alex it's crazy how you and dr mike have taught me better than anyone i know how to properly do my exercises. All the blessings to you Alex!
This video is essential, everyone does it wrong, everyone teaches it wrong.
I did my Push workout today at the gym. I've been lifting for years and never managed to develop the powerlifting arch. Today I made the effort to drag an adjustable bench to an open squat rack. I set the bench at a 30% incline. I really focused on bringing the bar down to my clavicle and then maintaining the straightest possible bar path on the push up. I got such a huge pump by the end of my working sets.
I'm thinking about prioritizing the incline bench press over the next several weeks to bring up my upper chest. Thanks Alex for the great information.
Remember listening to this guy in 2016, barely found him again and he is doing great!
Like the new video format so far. Quick tip for guys beating up their collarbone especially when going fast. Go to the hardware store, go to the plumbing section and get pipe insulation foam. It's thinner and less dense than barbell pads so you still get your ROM.
This is actually a useful tip including for me haha!
Alex I stalled on my incline and regressed for a few weeks and figured it was just from being deep into a cut. Realized after this video that I've been sloppy and bringing the bar too low the last few workouts. Fixed it today and added 10lbs to my top number before I stalled. Thank you sir.
These simplistic videos that provide A TON of help are very much appreciated! ❤🔥
I didn't plan to comment, but after watching the video I had to comment that this video is a goldmine of nuance, and I really appreciate the angle stuff being explained clearly and concisely as I haven't seen that anywhere else. Much appreciated Alex. Your channel is undoubtedly one of the best, if not the best, fitness channel on youtube.
A lot of the things you said here felt intuitive to me before I heard you speak about them. Feels good to hear it all confirmed by the legend 🙌
No one:
Alex literally uploading everything that im thinking about, whether my form is good or just abt the exercises and making it better
these tips are so good, been lifting for 10 years and I keep learning new things from you
Alex I love this clonsistency with your videos, keep it up man!!!
Amazing video! (Literally am 8 seconds in)
Smith machine incline feels Soo GOOD
Next to incline db, it's my favorite incline bar press
@@AlexLeonidas true that, years ago when i trained in gym i love smith incline press and i have realy nice pecs gains, now im father and have full time job, i need buy some small compat smith machine for my home gym.
so basically i always have done a 15 degrees incline bench press, i'm gonna take this advice and put the bench to 45 degrees, good to know, the only downside is not having discovered you earlier ahahah your channel is a golden archive full of information, compliments man
These tutorials are gold.
You are right about the J curve hitting more front delts. It's like combining the incline with a front raise. Great variation for AD press since it strips 10-20 pounds, but terrible for upper chest on incline
Lol, I have incline bench tomorrow, and you upload right before heading to bed. Definitely trying these tips! 🔥
Perfect, let me know how these tips help!
@@AlexLeonidas I will! However, Think I actually am doing the right angle already! Gainz! 🔥
Keep the masterclasses coming 👌
Hello from Montreal
loving these vids alex keep them rolling such valuable knowledge is being shared!
I love smith machine incline pressing. I think it really help with the bar path and just feels great to me
I somehow figured the bar path on my own! Though I may have just unconsciously got it from you... I did get the bench angle from you! Thank you for making us all bigger and stronger!
New favorite lifts - pullovers, incline flys, deficit rows, and close grip incline bench press.
Haha insane synergy - it was my upper day earlier
I needed this video, I couldn’t feel my upper chest on barbell so I was going to resort to doing decline push ups to hit the upper chest, thank you for the perfect timing
Great video Alex. You pointed out the exact experience I had with my inclines last year: Using the 30 degree incline, looking back at my video and realizing I was basically arching 30 degrees back to flat 😅 .
Been using 45 degrees for a few months and it truly *gasses* the upper chest.
Excited to try out touching the clavicle rather than the mid chest. Will report back.
45 degrees with a slight arch to the upper chest clavicle. Talk about humbling. I like to think I’m decent at incline, but man. This is a game changer! Thanks, Alex! Solid content, per usual. 🫡
I bought a adjustsble bench 4 months ago to replace my old 1980's Body Solid bench.It's made by Rit- Fit. It's even marked on Chrome side 90-75-65-55-45 degrees - down ! Its bright red. It was about $275.00.Best bench I ever owned!
I put up the angle and IMMEDIATELY felt the clavicular Part so much more. Tip for more tension: try to imagine you want the barbell together with your hands. INSANE contraction plus the big stretch. THANK YOU SO MUCH Alex!!!
Loving these videos man. The true natty role model
With each notch on my REP bench, it goes up 15 degrees.
I measured it using a leveler. For anyone watching this, your adjustments might likely be different as well.
Loving these new videos, thanks!
Somehow you are posting videos based on the topics I've been interested in all month long.
earlier used to do the j-curve pattern for incline bench, barelt ever felt the connection. Switched to dumbbell due to that, saw how my form was different from the barbell version, did barbell after 7-8 months like my dumbbell incline (in a straight line up and down), now i don't even use dumbbells, barbell feels so much better for both stimulus and stability.
I only bench incline with dumbbells for that Dr. Mike stretch at the bottom.
This is the way
Gotta get thicker..gonna bench 405 this year
Just gotta bring the tricepa up@@motanaibijuu3740
Bro the arch on the incline might just be the best tip ever. I usually never feel my chest no matter how slow and control i go. My delt also ended up giving out. I used the arch last night. Felt nothing in my delts and could feel my chest burning. No sourness in my fronts delts today
I tried this type of incline smith bench with narrower grip, just got absolutely humbled by how much weight I had to drop compared to what I was doing with my previous incline benching form
I really struggle with the incline , but I’m glad I watched this video cause I really wanna get better with it . Chest is really what I want to build
Hey Alex. Even though it has nothing to do with the video I’ll have u know I started BTN press after watching ur channel and I don’t regret it. I love ur shorts brotta
Cheers alex
Great vid! would like a workout vid again btw, those are great
Awesome content mate. Are you still working on weighted calisthenics ebook? Keep the gains coming
Always the best advice from someone who has walked the walk. 💪💪💪💪🏋️♂️🏋️♂️🏋️♂️🏋️♂️
Top shelf content.
Great information, love the video topics lately
Incline using the Arch Nemesis bar wide grip.... crazy chest stretch and pump.
I started using your tip of lowering to the clavicle on the incline barbell bench a while back. Bro I'd never had an upper chest pump or soreness like I did that day and haven't gone back since. I'd always been basically applying regular bench form and that one cue changed everything. Really had to drop the ego on the weight too.
i can vauch this is 100% correct, i used to do 45° angle in my gym coz it was already set up like that and i arch my back coz im used to it and i remember i felt my upper chest really nice at that time and now before few days i joined new gym that doesnt have fixed incline bench so i adjusted bench by myself and put it at 30° coz ive heard its the best angle for upper chest but coz i arch my chest i didnt feel shit and i didnt know why, i thought that im gonna feel my upper chest much more coz i lowered the angle but didnt know that my arch affects it, so this makes a lot of sense now and thank you for this info
True, I do incline db press and incline smith as my two upper chest exercises and 45° with arching is the way to go, the upper chest pump is amazing and with the arch it feels so much more stable
@@krishsharma3329 ye man i cant even do it without arch, it just feels natural to me
@@stod11 I'm fairly a novice and because I've done this technique since pretty much the beginning of my lifting, my incline numbers are almost identical to my flat.
👌 perfect advice my man, as an incline bench press enthusiast I can only applaude
Why do so many calisthenics guys have such good side delts despite not doing any lateral raises?
This question really confuses me
Are lateral raises that important?
On the other hand, renaissance periodization and Dr Mike Isratel swear by the full rom lateral raises
Because handstand pushups DO WORK the side delts. As does most vertical pressing.
And calisthenics athletes condition their shoulders from all angles, plus use rings for more side delt gains.
Really helpful, thanks ❤
So true my best choise for chest
Incline barbell press
Fly dumbbell press big stretch
Dips
8 sets per a week and I love it
could you make a video on neutral grip and pronated curls (like hammer curls and reverse curls) and how these play into bicep/forearm training
Neutral grip: brachialis and brachioradialis, some grip, some biceps but not so much
Reverse curls: more brachioradialis and grip (though the weight will be less) but brachialis works also, very little biceps.
For forearms, do both, great exercises.
Well said brother, I’ve been debating this 👍🏽🙌🏽
Once the absolute angle is understood, it's an easy end to the debate! Cheers brother
Great video. You have a great physique 💪🏿💯☕ what muscles do thumbs-length inclined-bench press 45 degrees develop?
Bro your like a oracle. I'm about to do upper chest today and this comes in before my workout 😎 I switched to dumbbells as I love that full stretch with lower weights so I will try that 45 degree angle with protraction and see if I can feel my upper chest more.
I've been waiting on this video
Excellent. I currently can get 315 on incline for a couple. But I'm 45 years old so it's not something I do too often.
Question about flaring the elbows. Will doing this method hurt the shoulders?
When i retract and depress my shoulders there is a slight arch in my back... is that ok if I'm doing it on a 30 degree bench?
i have the same question
i have the same question
This’s what I did today!
I’m new to the dumbbell incline, I have a bells of steel curved barbell that I do inclines with, but I’m not sure I’m really getting my upper chest.
I’ve been experimenting with the dumbbells, but my arms get exhausted before my chest does. It’s totally different I get a hell of’a workout though extra movement.
Today I noticed if I give it a little bit of a fly movement I can feel it, but my coordinations just about there.
I also had to up the weight from 30 to 40 for each hand. My theory is as I get stronger I’ll work my way into it, and it will go from more of a dumbbell press to more of a fly-press as I gradually get stronger. But that bells are still hard to beat, But I can’t tell if I’m getting that thin strap up top or not, I just feel like I’m getting the upper chest, but not that one smaller strand/upper-fiber-line.
👉🏼 I feel like I should fill it more under the collarbone like right up under/across the collarbone.
Phenomenal video! 🙌
Great advice!
what adjustable dumbells are those at 9:05??
Can we get a video on burpees soon and your experience with them during contest prep, benefits and how you fit them in?
how to decline push up for upper chest ?
I showed that a couple videos ago.
th-cam.com/video/UmjcZtcsfQI/w-d-xo.html&t
Lower chest tips next!
Do you exactly touch on you’re clavicle ? I’ve been doing them touching exact on the clavicle and just below but still trying to figure out wich of both is the best
Before I added a curve to my incline bench, the back of my arms where my rear delts and triceps meet would be in TERRIBLE PAIN....I can't push straight up, it kills me for some reason. :(
I find the ohp hits the upper chest great, I sometimes wonder if I even need the incline?
Will a taller plyo box work to get a 45 angle if I only have a flat bench?
What about dips? Dont they work upper chest just fine?
RTO dips, yes. Otherwise decline pushups are a better option.
Ah ok thanks alex
How much load do you use benching with this form alex ? I realised my strength is significantly reduced when i tried this form
What is a good strength standard for this to work towards (the BB)?
Incline pressing felt easier as a beginner than regular bench. To me, if you have never bench pressed before, it will be easier to learn than flat bench just because the bar path is actually straight and the incline angle automatically puts you in a good position to press from. My bench press technique has evolve so much, yet my incline is pretty much the same even though I'm much stronger. It's curious how our backgrounds can shape our individual lifting journeys so much.
What’s been getting my upper pecs sore lately: I personally use the 45 degree bench for barbell with an arch. Stopping just short of touching my clavicle about an inch maybe (I have long arms so I feel it plenty here) with lengthened partials. I really don’t need a ton of weight for this. Then I basically do an incline bench 30 degree chest fly allowing a good amount of arm bend, maybe kinda like a power fly? I also allow internal rotation here for some reason just feels better on the pecs and less biceps than supinated grip.
Which muscles do closer-grip incline barbell bench press 45 degrees develop?
id like a vid on burpees. i know there are other channels for that but you fit yours in with weights. just curious what variations you use and your programming of them
I have a question in regards to angles.
I have a 35 degree angle bench, I can adjust it to 50. I feel like even with the arc, 35 beat the 50 degree angle in terms of overall muscle activation.
Is 35 degree's with an arc optimal?
Would you recommend Smith Machine for the Incline press as a preference? Very good explanation of how to achieve the correct angle with or without an arch. Thank you eggplant man.
Dear Alex, Great job as usual. Big fan. About the J-curve. Does that only apply to the incline or does it also apply to the flat barbell bench? I feel that i lose alot of energi when i try to focus on lowering down then liftning up and back to the starting position on flat bench. thank you in advance.
How would you alter your program, if it all, to accommodate no barbell and just machines, dumbbell, & smith machine?
Great video brother❤
Outstanding!
As a fan of reverse grip pressing, what are your thoughts about reverse grip incline DB presses?
Gonna try this magic tonight!
Your upper chest might get sore, just saying!
Thanks for addressing to rom of the db press people say its deeper and im like brah 💀
will be trying this today! Starting on the smith machine...
At 5 foot 6, do you think cutting to 143 is reasonable for a middle to late intermediate lifer?
Definitely, if you're trying to be shredded. Otherwise, 150 will do.
@AlexLeonidas i am in robot mode 🤖 with this cut my man. Dropping pounds fast and with exercise rotations I am actually gain strength fast in new lifts with maintaining my long term strength standards. Obesity was holding my lifts back believe it or not, due to 0 work capacity.
I was wondering if you're ever going to do your diet video. I know you're not into to it. I currently turned plant based but I'm having problems reaching my protein intake. Would like to know how your diet looks. You don't have to show the foods or eat. Just the info would be greatly appreciate it.