The Kettlebell Incline Bench Press is a beginner-friendly kettlebell 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
EquipmentKettlebell
LevelBeginner
TypeStrength
3D demo in the EGON app
01 Execution
How to do the Kettlebell Incline Bench Press
Set an adjustable bench to a 30 to 45 degree incline and sit with a kettlebell in each hand on your thighs.
Lie back and use your knees to kick the kettlebells up to the rack position at your shoulders.
Pull your shoulder blades back and down into the bench and brace your core before pressing.
Press both kettlebells up and slightly together until the arms are extended over the upper chest.
Lower the bells slowly back to the rack position with elbows tracking at about 45 degrees from the torso.
Pause briefly at the bottom with the chest stretched, then press back up for the next rep.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
Builds upper-chest size with a longer, more natural range of motion.
Strengthens the front shoulders and triceps in the pressing pattern.
Spares the wrists and shoulders compared to a fixed-bar incline press.
03 Don't do this
Common mistakes
Letting the elbows flare straight out to the sides, which strains the front shoulders.
Pressing the kettlebells with wrists bent backward instead of stacked over the forearm.
Bouncing the bells off the shoulders instead of controlling the bottom of each rep.
Lifting the hips off the bench to leverage the press, which kills the upper-chest stretch.
EGON Put it on record
Track it in EGON.
Log every set of the Kettlebell Incline Bench Press, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
