8 Best Incline Bench Press Alternative

One of the most well-known workouts for building a monster chest is the bench press. In bench press angle plays a very important role and knowing which angle is best for bench press will help you achieve your goals quickly.

And its not just about angle but the right form of variations you need to perform with it or else your shoulder might get hurt while doing the bench press. Since there are so many variations and and angles associated with bench press it makes it one of the most used pieces of equipment in the gym.

But there days when you don’t have time to perform each variations at different angles or your gym’s bench press is occupied.

In such cases you don’t need to skip your workout as there are numerous more exercises to try that will offer many of the same advantages if you are unable to sit on a bench or do not have access to a barbell and plates. The eight bench press options listed below will help you develop your pectoral muscles.

Best Alternatives To Incline Bench Press

1. Decline Push up 

The decline push-up is a challenging variation of the standard push-up in which you place your feet higher than your hands to significantly increase the difficulty. A challenging upper body exercise, the decline push-up works the muscles in the chest, shoulders, back, and arms. Additionally, maintaining the correct body position calls for stability and strength in the back, legs, and core.

Procedure

• Beginning with your hands shoulder-width or slightly wider apart, get down on your knees and begin. To avoid limiting your range of motion on the descent, arrange them carefully, so they are narrow enough.
• By stretching your body and placing each foot individually on the bench or step, you may place your feet. Without any drooping or arching at the hips, your body should be in a straight line from shoulders to toes. If required, move your hands while maintaining extended elbows.
• Your chest should almost touch the floor as you lower it by bending your elbows; however, once your elbows reach your ribs, you should stop. Use a controlled, smooth motion while maintaining your alignment. To allow you maximum range of motion and prevent hitting your nose or forehead on the ground as you descend to the ground, look up just a little. You might feel tempted to arch your back in this position, but you should fight the urge because doing so is counterproductive and could cause injury.
• To get back to the starting position, raise your arms until your elbows are straight but not locked.

2. Incline Dumbbell Presses 

A free weight workout called the incline dumbbell press targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps, separately working each side of the body. The incline press places more emphasis on the front of the shoulder, and the upper part of the pectoral muscle groups than the more conventional flat bench press does.

When the exercise is done regularly, this enables more noticeable upper chest hypertrophy (muscle growth). The incline dumbbell press is made to build up the chest’s size and strength.

Procedure

• Lean back while seated on the bench. With your elbows bent and angled down below your ribs, hold a dumbbell in each hand at your shoulders. Rest your neck comfortably on the bench. Maintain a flat foot position.
• As you exhale, brace your core and press both dumbbells straight up over your chest. Don’t allow your wrists “cock” backward; keep them straight. Your arms should be parallel to the floor, and the dumbbells should almost touch at the top of the exercise.
• As you inhale, reverse the motion and gradually drop the dumbbells to the top of your chest. Your elbows should descend with the weights at a roughly 45-degree angle to your torso. They shouldn’t be splayed out and pointing outward from the center of the room. Maintain the floor-facing angle of your elbows.
• Sets of 8–12 reps should be completed. As you gain strength, gradually increase the number of sets from one to two to three. Upon completing your set, sit up straight, place the dumbbells on your knees, and then securely leave the exercise by standing. While lying on the incline bench, be careful not to drop the dumbbells.

3. Dumbbell Chest Pullover 

The dumbbell pullover is a popular and well-liked strength training exercise among bodybuilders since it works the chest and back. Dumbbell pullovers are a fantastic upper-body exercise with variations focusing primarily on the chest and back muscles.

Procedure:

• Sit at the end of the bench while holding the dumbbell in both hands.
• Lean back on the bench, gaze up, and bring the dumbbell with you.
• Keep your feet firmly planted on the ground or in a stable area of the bench. Make sure the bench is supporting your head and upper back.
• Holding the dumbbell end with both hands, raise your arms straight up, so the weight is right above your chest.
• To glance at the sides of the room, extend the bony portions of the elbows. This gently rotates the upper arm bone inward, emphasizing the effort being put forth in the chest.
• Attempt to maintain a neutral pelvis and lower back. Do not hyperextend your lower back in the other direction or flatten it into the bench.
• Breathe in and raise your arms as high as you comfortably can from this beginning position. Attempt to align your upper arms with your ears.
• Try to maintain straight but not locked arms.
• Taking a breath out, raise your arms to your starting position while keeping them straight and pointing your elbows outward.
• When you start to feel tired toward the conclusion of the set, try 8 to 10 reps.

4. Incline Floor Press 

In addition to being easier on your shoulders, the floor press targets your triceps more effectively than the standard variation of the exercise. A common point of difficulty for men is the “lockout” phase, or the final push at the top of the press, which stronger triceps help you get through.

Procedure:

• Lean back as you sit on the bench. Each hand should hold a dumbbell, and the elbows should be bent and inclined downward so that they are below the ribcage. Put your neck at ease against the bench. Place your legs firmly on the ground.
• As you exhale, tighten your abdominal muscles and lift both dumbbells straight up to your chest. Your wrists shouldn’t “cock” backward; instead, keep them straight. The dumbbells should almost touch at the top of the exercise, and your arms should be parallel to the ground.
• As you breathe in, reverse the motion and gradually drop the dumbbells to your chest. Your elbows should descend with the dumbbells at a 45-degree angle to your torso, or somewhat less. They shouldn’t be splayed out and pointing outward from the center of the room. Maintain the floor-facing angle of your elbows.
• Sets of 8–12 reps should be completed. As you gain strength, gradually increase the number of sets from one to two to three. Upon completing your set, sit up straight, place the dumbbells on your knees, and then securely leave the exercise by standing. While lying on the incline bench, be careful not to drop the dumbbells.

5. Low To High Cable Flyes 

The bench press cannot perform the upper chest’s natural functions, including flexion and horizontal adduction. Cable flies that range in height from low to high properly replicate the clavicular pectoralis’ line of pull and movement. This one is one of the best exercises available for “filling in” the upper chest up to the collarbone.

Procedure:

• the lowest notch on the cable machine’s handles

• Step forward a few steps while holding a handle in each hand to tighten the cable.

• Pull the handles in the center of your chest together with your elbows slightly bent and your hands facing in and upward.

• After holding for one half second, lower your arms once more. One repetition is now complete.

• Finish 3–4 sets of 10–15 repetitions.

6. Resistance Band Incline Chest Presses

The Incline Chest Press is the go-to exercise for developing strong, functioning chest muscles in the upper chest area. The strongest upper-body pushing exercise is a chest press. In this exercise, the three main pushing muscular groups will be heavily utilized.

The triceps and shoulders will serve as the supporting muscles, with the chest muscles performing the bulk of the work (delts). The deltoids take on a larger role in the chest press when performed at an angle, and the upper chest muscles are also given more attention.

Procedure:

• Utilizing a door anchor, fasten the band to a door (height: around hips level)
• Step forward once you are within the loop to feel a tiny pull back and some stretching in your chest.
• Stack and tuck your shoulder blades.
• Your hands should be extended fully as you advance them 45 degrees (bring your hands together in the extended position)
• Slowly revert to your starting position (resist the pull of the band)
• Repeat as necessary.

7. Reverse Grip Rotational Dumbbell Floor Press 

Dumbbell presses with a reverse grip can be very beneficial training exercises. All of your pectoral muscles are precisely targeted by the reverse grip dumbbell press; however the clavicular region of the pectoralis major is one of the main muscles that are worked. All of your chest muscles, but especially your upper pecs, will feel the impact of these exercises.

Procedure:

• Holding a dumbbell in each hand with your shoulders about shoulder-width apart, start out by lying on a flat bench, an incline bench, or a decline bench.
• Start the exercise by raising your arms above your torso while maintaining a supinated grip with your palms.
• Your feet should be planted firmly on the ground, your lats should be taut, and your back should be arched.
• By flexing your elbows, you may bring the weights to your chest.
• Extend your elbows to bring the weights back to the starting position after a brief pause.
• As many times as you’d like, perform the dumbbell bench press workout.

8. Underhand Chest Front Raises

Unlike the other versions, the underhand front raise is carried out with a supinated grip, which enables your elbows to move more in front of your torso and thereby engage more of the front deltoid muscles. Additionally, by lowering your elbows into the bottom position, you’ll engage additional upper pectoral muscles.

Procedure:

• Hold the dumbbells at thighs’ length while standing straight-backed and straight-backed.
• As you approach your shoulders, raise the front weights.
• return to the start position, where the dumbbells were positioned so that your thighs were in contact with them.
• For as many reps as you want, repeat this pattern.

Conclusion

Incline dumbbell presses are a crucial exercise, but there are a variety of other ways to carry out the same motion that will offer you even more benefits. We sincerely hope this list of incline press substitute exercises has given you some ideas for building your chest using the exercise gear you already have at home.