The Barbell High Incline Bench Press is a intermediate-friendly barbell strength exercise that targets the chest, with the shoulders and triceps working alongside. Here's how to do it right — and what to stop doing.
Primary musclesChest
Secondary musclesShoulders, Triceps
EquipmentBarbell
LevelIntermediate
TypeStrength
3D demo in the EGON app
01 Execution
How to do the Barbell High Incline Bench Press
Set the bench to a steep incline of around 60 degrees and lie back with your feet planted flat.
Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width and pull your shoulder blades back into the pad.
Unrack the bar to full arm extension and stack the wrists directly over the elbows.
Lower the bar slowly to the upper chest, just below the collarbone, with elbows tracking under the bar.
Pause briefly with the bar at the chest, keeping core tension and a tight upper back.
Press the bar back up along the same path until the arms are fully locked out over the upper chest.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
Builds upper-chest size that fills out the top of the torso.
Strengthens the front shoulders for better overhead press carryover.
Adds a fresh pressing angle that breaks plateaus on flat bench.
03 Don't do this
Common mistakes
Setting too steep an angle near vertical, which turns the lift into an overhead press and loses chest involvement.
Lowering the bar to the lower chest like a flat bench, which strains the shoulders at this angle.
Flaring the elbows wide, which loads the front of the shoulders instead of the upper chest.
Lifting the hips off the bench to cheat the press, which ruins the angle and risks back strain.
EGON Put it on record
Track it in EGON.
Log every set of the Barbell High Incline Bench Press, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
