How Does Bench Press Angle Affect Different Parts of Your Chest Muscle?
Non-uniform excitation of pectoralis major induced by changes in bench press inclination leads to uneven variations in the cross-sectional area measured by panoramic ultrasonography
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Researchers used special cameras (ultrasound) and muscle activity sensors to look at two parts of the chest muscle (pectoralis major) while people did bench press at different angles. They wanted to see if tilting the bench changes which part of the chest muscle works harder.
Surprising Findings
Opposite activation patterns for each bench angle
Most people assume incline bench is 'harder' overall, but this shows each angle specifically targets opposite parts of the same muscle - not just more or less activation, but a complete reversal of which head works harder.
Practical Takeaways
Use incline bench press to target your upper chest (clavicular head)
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Researchers used special cameras (ultrasound) and muscle activity sensors to look at two parts of the chest muscle (pectoralis major) while people did bench press at different angles. They wanted to see if tilting the bench changes which part of the chest muscle works harder.
Surprising Findings
Opposite activation patterns for each bench angle
Most people assume incline bench is 'harder' overall, but this shows each angle specifically targets opposite parts of the same muscle - not just more or less activation, but a complete reversal of which head works harder.
Practical Takeaways
Use incline bench press to target your upper chest (clavicular head)
Publication
Journal
Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology
Year
2022
Authors
José Carlos dos Santos Albarello, Hélio V. Cabral, Bruno Felipe Mendonça Leitão, Gustavo Henrique Halmenschlager, Tea Lulic-Kuryllo, Thiago Torres da Matta
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Scientists can use two tools together - one that measures muscle electrical activity and another that takes wide ultrasound pictures - to see how specific parts of the chest muscle change right after working out.
When you do bench press on an incline, the upper part of your chest works harder. But when you do flat bench press, the middle-lower part of your chest works harder instead. Scientists measured this using muscle activity recordings.
When people do bench press on an inclined bench, the upper part of their chest muscle swells more than the lower part, showing different responses within the same muscle.
When people do flat bench press, the lower part of their chest muscle grows more than the upper part - and this is the opposite of what happens when they do incline bench press.
When you change the angle of the bench press, it might make the different parts of your chest muscle work in uneven ways, potentially causing one part to activate differently than the other.