# FITNESS and NUTRITION FORUM > WORKOUT AND TRAINING >  Why does my incline bench suck compared to my flat bench?

## Polska

Granted, I havent incline barbell bench pressed with free weights in years. I've mainly done flat presses both with barbells and dumbells, as well as incline presses on the smith machine. I can incline bench two plates a side easily on the smith machine. I can flat bench 225 for around 12 clean reps. 

Tonight I tried the incline bench as the smith machine was taken. The whole movement felt awkward to me; it was difficult bringing the bar all the way to my chest. The bench is on around a 45 degree angle. I couldn't bang out more than 145 lbs for 8 reps! 

How can I bench 225 for 12 on the flat bench and only 145 for 8 on the incline? Is it just because my stabilizer muscles aren't used to that movement/angle? Are my tris and/or anterior delts too weak for that angle? I figure I must be doing something wrong because that's ridiculously weak. I figured I'd at least get 205...

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## Monster87

> Granted, I havent incline barbell bench pressed with free weights in years. I've mainly done flat presses both with barbells and dumbells, as well as incline presses on the smith machine. I can incline bench two plates a side easily on the smith machine. I can flat bench 225 for around 12 clean reps. 
> 
> Tonight I tried the incline bench as the smith machine was taken. The whole movement felt awkward to me; it was difficult bringing the bar all the way to my chest. The bench is on around a 45 degree angle. I couldn't bang out more than 145 lbs for 8 reps! 
> 
> How can I bench 225 for 12 on the flat bench and only 145 for 8 on the incline? Is it just because my stabilizer muscles aren't used to that movement/angle? Are my tris and/or anterior delts too weak for that angle? I figure I must be doing something wrong because that's ridiculously weak. I figured I'd at least get 205...


It's probably a combination of all those things. Another thing you might consider is that while flat benching the natural arch in your back causes your chest to be at a slight decline, which decreases the length the bar has to travel. With an incline bench you are essentially touching the flat bench equivalent of the lowest point on your chest, so the bar has to move an extra 2-4 inches.
Yea that was a really lengthy description for a very obvious point lol. I'd say just work on getting those ancillary muscles up to par, I had the same problem for a very long time and was able to fix it easily by making incline bench and incline db benches my primary exercise.

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## thenextcutler

> Granted, I havent incline barbell bench pressed with free weights in years. I've mainly done flat presses...


there's yur problem...




> How can I bench 225 for 12 on the flat bench and only 145 for 8 on the incline?...


That seems normal to me... and I don't know anyone who isn't this way, although your numbers are a bit far apart, easily explained by the first quote

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## elpropiotorvic

It can be an injury but if ur bench pressing doubt it ... It's probably the fact u don't do u
it a lot...just start. Ur chest routine with that movement

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## eatrainrest

> there's yur problem...
> 
> 
> 
> That seems normal to me... and I don't know anyone who isn't this way, although your numbers are a bit far apart, easily explained by the first quote


i can almost incline as much as i flat bench.... i would say there is a real problem with the development of strength for incline... maybe you are too high of a degree

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## thenextcutler

> i can almost incline as much as i flat bench.... i would say there is a real problem with the development of strength for incline... maybe you are too high of a degree


It really comes down to what you train. In my circle flat bench is a d!ck measuring contest so it's given too much attention sometimes

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## ArmedHammerd

incline is always harder but is very important in my opinoin

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## urbanbody

Incline is a lot more important for building your chest imo . flat bench hits my shoulders more than anything.

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## Polska

I'll have to make it a staple exercise and see how fast I can improve on it. The bench angle is fixed at 45 degrees so I can't lower it, which sucks because I'd prefer it a little lower.

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## elitepeptides

I have an enormous amount of trouble with decline press because of dislocating my left shoulder twice and my right shoulder once when I was a kid skateboarding halfpipes in california, so I feel your pain. I basically have to avoid incline. Dumbells work for me and an incline machine, so I basically have to compromise.

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## higherdesire

Polska, try starting your chest routine on incline and see if this helps. It should. 

Some of the comments on here are rather amusing actually. Flat bench does not work shoulders more than anything unless something is wrong with your anatomy. Additionally the pectoral major is such larger muscle that the pec minor and so many more muscles are available during flat bench that it is ridiculous to have an incline that is the same as your flat unless you are doing something very wrong in your form.

Your problem is natural and normal for the most part, with a little work you will have it corrected in no time brother. good luck

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## hybrid83

I've always read that if you focus on inclines "the rest will follow". I usually start with these. I think its hard for most of us to do that first, because the flat bench press is such a standard of strenghth. 

Gotta drop the egos boys  :Smilie:

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## Gaspari1255

Incline has A LOT to do with shoulder strength. My incline and flat are almost tied. I can incline 275 x 6-8 and flat is around 8 or 9. However, my shoulder presses are 110lb DBs x 6 or 7. Considering my shoulder stength, my flat should be a lot higher. Everyone is different. I think incline is a waste of time. I went 1.5 years of doing Incline as my first exersize and my lifts went from 185x10 to 275x8. I saw very little results in my chest. imo, flat first is the way to go.

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## Gaspari1255

> I've always read that if you focus on inclines "the rest will follow". I usually start with these. I think its hard for most of us to do that first, because the flat bench press is such a standard of strenghth. 
> 
> Gotta drop the egos boys


I am the opposite. Incline is my ego lift. I was the only dude doing over two plates in my entire gym, lol. I didn't wanna switch back to flat first, but I did. Damn I wish putting on a show with Incline, LOL

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## hybrid83

> I am the opposite. Incline is my ego lift. I was the only dude doing over two plates in my entire gym, lol. I didn't wanna switch back to flat first, but I did. Damn I wish putting on a show with Incline, LOL


Lol to each his own. I am pretty beasty myself with incline. What I really wanna start do is throw up some decline dumbell presses. But I'm usually alone so I cant go super heavy with out kill myself LOL.

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## inheritmylife

> I'll have to make it a staple exercise and see how fast I can improve on it. The bench angle is fixed at 45 degrees so I can't lower it, which sucks because I'd prefer it a little lower.


Why don't you try putting an adjustable bench under the squat rack. That way you can adjust the incline and you have a built in spotter.

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## Okinawa_Power

> I am the opposite. Incline is my ego lift. I was the only dude doing over two plates in my entire gym, lol. I didn't wanna switch back to flat first, but I did. Damn I wish putting on a show with Incline, LOL



Stop putting on a show ******....We all know your strong!!!!!!  :BbAily:

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## Nooomoto

Get rid of that smith machine! It's not going to help you, stick to the free bar and you'll get to where you want to be.

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## nonotone

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## HeavyDuty2

Chin up mate...look on the brightside, both my flat and decline benchs are crap so your doing better than me!!

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## Damienm05

> In my circle flat bench is a d!ck measuring contest so it's given too much attention sometimes


In mine too! But my circle is way bigger!

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## kickinit

> i can almost incline as much as i flat bench.... i would say there is a real problem with the development of strength for incline... maybe you are too high of a degree


Im curious of how much your pushing since just about everyone I know as the weight gets higher the numbers get a little further and further apart.

My flat kind of sucks at 405 (315 for 12) for one, but 365 (335 for 4)for incline for one is pretty good i think. My flat really should be about 425 but I dont think even still my incline would and should be any higher then it is now. Yeah I know my reps are better then my maxs but I dont mind that...... too much hehe

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## Polska

Well this time around I did a bit better, 170x8. Next time I should be able to bang out 185 which means the gap isn't as far as I thought. The incline on this bench can't be adjusted and its around 45 degrees which is pretty steep. I definitely feel it in my delts especially when I go deep (touch the top of the chest). Going to make this my staple exercise and forget about flat bench for now. Its definitely a humbling feeling not being able to press much on this exercise

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## Polska

Cheers for all the replies

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## goodlifting

i hope to visit poland this summer. my dad was able to get me a free flight there because we have relatives there but i've never had the pleasure to travel there. do you happen to live there??

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## Polska

> i hope to visit poland this summer. my dad was able to get me a free flight there because we have relatives there but i've never had the pleasure to travel there. do you happen to live there??


No man I've been living in Canada since 1990. Poland is great though. Great food, great women

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## PO OFFICER

Man, so I'm not the only one having this problem. I can bench over 250 with the flat. So yesterday I decided to try the incline bench. Here I am, at 190 pounds at the incline bench. On the third rep, I had to yell over to a spotter to help me. Yeah, I think that its just harder no matter what.

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## kickinit

> Man, so I'm not the only one having this problem. I can bench over 250 with the flat. So yesterday I decided to try the incline bench. Here I am, at 190 pounds at the incline bench. On the third rep, I had to yell over to a spotter to help me. Yeah, I think that its just harder no matter what.



I dont think thats bad at all I just did 335 incline for 4, and my flat was 315 for 5 haha I was hurtin today. But my normal split is 365 for one incline and 405 for flat 1 time. Havent maxed my flat for a while now, but thats my split.

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## fig

I stopped flat bench all together almost 2 years ago and only do incline. Naturally, I can now incline more than I can flat. Just gotta work at it.

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## toothache

I hardly ever do flat but I always do incline.

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## taboo-09

i do flat, incline then decline....... in that order. every 6 months or so ill change the order

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