Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip
How to do the Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip
- 1
Lie back on an incline bench. Using a medium-width grip (a grip that creates a 90-degree angle in the middle of the movement between the forearms and the upper arms), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position.
- 2
As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on you upper chest.
- 3
After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your chest muscles. Lock your arms in the contracted position, squeeze your chest, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: it should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up.
- 4
Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
- 5
When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.
How to program the Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip
Sets and reps
As a compound movement, the Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip responds well to heavier loading. For strength, work in the 3–5 sets of 4–8 reps range with 2–3 minutes of rest between sets. For muscle growth, 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps with 90 seconds of rest is the classic hypertrophy zone. Place it early in your session, when you're freshest, and leave 1–3 reps in reserve on most sets.
Progression
The Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip is beginner-friendly. Start with a load (or rep count) you can complete with clean form on every set, then add a small amount of weight or 1–2 reps each week. When you hit the top of your rep range on all sets, increase the load and drop back to the bottom of the range — simple double progression.
Secondary muscles worked
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Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip work?
The Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip primarily targets the Chest. It also recruits the Shoulders, Triceps as supporting muscles.
What equipment do I need for the Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip?
You need Barbell. Difficulty level: Beginner.
How many sets and reps of the Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip should I do?
For strength, do 3–5 sets of 4–8 reps with 2–3 minutes rest. For muscle growth, do 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps with about 90 seconds rest.
