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Study: Incline Press Beats Flat Bench

Here’s why starting your workout with the incline bench press may be your best for building a bigger chest.

Study: Incline Press Beats Flat Bench
Written By Jim Stoppani, PhD
Updated July 22, 2024

When it comes to chest workouts, many lifters face a common dilemma… 

Start with an incline chest press or a flat bench press? 

This question has been a topic of debate for years, but insights from 4-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler and scientific research might help settle it.

Flat Bench vs. Incline Press For Greater Gains

Many gym-goers prefer to start their workouts with the flat bench press to increase their bench press strength and build a bigger chest. However, if your primary goal is to build a bigger chest, you might want to consider advice that Jay Cutler has offered many times and start with the incline chest press. This strategy not only contributed to Jay’s four Mr. Olympia titles, but it’s also backed by scientific research.

Brazilian researchers conducted a study with novice male lifters training chest for eight weeks using different bench press variations. The subjects were divided into three groups: one performed six sets of the Smith Machine incline press, another did six sets of the Smith Machine flat bench

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