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How Important Is Incline Bench For Your Flat Bench Strength ?

Turbolag

Turbolag

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Oct 14, 2012
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I was wondering, how much of a carry over does incline bench do for your flat bench ?

Right now my flat bench for reps is about 100 pounds more than my incline bench? I have not been doing incline bench much since changing to powerlifting.

But I have been reading and hearing how important it is for your bench.

Should I do incline bench every week ? What about dips ?

What rep range should I use ? I was thinking 5 ?
 
kbordner

kbordner

VIP Pops
Dec 18, 2012
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Depends where you weak point in your bench is. When you miss a lift where is it that you fail? Right at the chest? a few inches up? or lockout? That will help determine what exercises will benefit your sticking point. Ken
 
GiantSlayer

GiantSlayer

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Jan 27, 2013
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Personally I find very little correlation between incline and flat bench strength. I find there to be a much stronger correlation between dip strength and flat bench. I do more incline sets than any other to grow my upper chest. Strength is of little interest to me.
 
ketsugo

ketsugo

MuscleHead
Sep 10, 2011
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I think if benching is your desire then train more if the supporting weaker muscles to support better benching like tris , anterior delts , rowing to support the platform of your body. Just have patience bench is your priority so study more benching methods and routines from both bodybuilding perspective and powerlifting . Is it Kentucky or Perdue says if you want to be good at one thing keep doing it!
 
Turbolag

Turbolag

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Oct 14, 2012
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Thanks for the replies everyone.

I am not sure where my sticking point is kb. But I'm thinking it is at the halfway point. What would that mean ?

Also, how important are over head presses and shoulder strength for adding weight to your bench ? How much carry over would you get ?
 
BrotherIron

BrotherIron

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Mar 6, 2011
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Incline bench utilizes more shoulder than flat bench and there is a direct correlation between an increase in shoulder strength and increases in flat bench. If you want your flat bench to go up, be sure to hit those shoulders.

OHP's are CRUCIAL for increasing your flat bench. Just look at SHW Oly lifters. They rarely bench yet elite SHW Oly lifters all bench 500+ raw. How is that???.... It's b/c they work a SHIT load of OHP's and many different variations.
 
wesleyinman

wesleyinman

MuscleHead
Jan 9, 2014
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These are good questions. I think genetics plays a role in this as well.

What I can say for myself, is I have always trained Incline Heavy, and more often then flat, so my incline is probably within 10-20lbs of my Flat Max. I prefer Incline for overall growth.

For strongman, we do OH presses and honestly bench does nothing for them,EXCEPT that it strengthens my triceps a bit more. I find far more "chest" development from Incline then bench press. I dont believe flat bench converts well for a strongman or OLY lifter, but that is up for debate.

Also, I used to be against Decline bench. Then I studied Dorian yates fascination with that exercise. What I learned is that it is actually extremely useful to develop chest, but the problem is, people train like morons on it. They try to go heavy as they can and they bounce off the lower sternum or upper abs...making it mostly tricep work. If you go lower weight for high reps, even take 135 or 185 and lower to just below your adam's apple, slow and controlled for reps of 20 you will be like HOLY SHIT...this is effective.

The problem is it is def. dangerous and I am not a huge fan of blood flow to the head LOL.

The sticking point at the halfway point to me means your weakness is in your triceps. Your chest is stronger then your triceps. Focus on some heavy close grip work, partial reps, or even board presses and it will fly up with ease. Or you can adjust your grip. That would be my 2cents :) Good luck man!
 
wesleyinman

wesleyinman

MuscleHead
Jan 9, 2014
424
169
**Forgot to mention floor presses to help that sticking point ;) **
 
N.O.V.

N.O.V.

MuscleHead
Jan 24, 2014
309
67
Incline bench utilizes more shoulder than flat bench and there is a direct correlation between an increase in shoulder strength and increases in flat bench. If you want your flat bench to go up, be sure to hit those shoulders.

OHP's are CRUCIAL for increasing your flat bench. Just look at SHW Oly lifters. They rarely bench yet elite SHW Oly lifters all bench 500+ raw. How is that???.... It's b/c they work a SHIT load of OHP's and many different variations.

Exactly. If you aren't at least doing some heavy overhead presses, you should be. They, along with incline will definitely assist your pressing power. I have a specific ohp day aside from bench day
 
Turbolag

Turbolag

TID's Official Donut Tester
Oct 14, 2012
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Wow thanks for the answers guys. Just what I was looking for!

I have been doing shoulders on my bench day. After bench I do incline then standing ohp.

I am not sure whether I should do incline bench every week or alternate between
incline bench and dips.

I was told dips can increase your bench.

But if I were to add them to my bench work out along with the other stuff that would be too much for me.

I think I'm gonna start doing incline press every week. Lately I have been doing close grip incline bench on the bar. Should I stay with a close grip to hit the triceps more since it sounds like my triceps are my weak point ?

I'm benching pretty much twice a week right now. Could I add dips to my
dynamic/rep day ?
 
N.O.V.

N.O.V.

MuscleHead
Jan 24, 2014
309
67
What's your split look like? I train4 days a week, that allows me to have an ohp, dead, bench and squat day. Powerlifting is pretty simple to program.. do your main lift work, then pick four or five accessories to that lift. Although ohp is its own day, it's essentially another upper body accessory day. You can throw some dips and close grip in on either upper body day.. but don't forget to train your back as well.
 
BrotherIron

BrotherIron

VIP Member
Mar 6, 2011
10,717
2,808
Wow thanks for the answers guys. Just what I was looking for!

I have been doing shoulders on my bench day. After bench I do incline then standing ohp.

I am not sure whether I should do incline bench every week or alternate between
incline bench and dips.

I was told dips can increase your bench.

But if I were to add them to my bench work out along with the other stuff that would be too much for me.

I think I'm gonna start doing incline press every week. Lately I have been doing close grip incline bench on the bar. Should I stay with a close grip to hit the triceps more since it sounds like my triceps are my weak point ?

I'm benching pretty much twice a week right now. Could I add dips to my
dynamic/rep day ?

I do OHP's on my Bench Day but I'm toying with making a 4th day like I used to and make it an OHP Day.

You can make dips an assisting lift on your dynamic day.
 
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