Incline Barbell Bench Press

With a steeper incline, around 45 to 60 degrees, the front shoulders take on more of the work. At a lower incline of 30 to 45 degrees, the load shifts more toward the clavicular head of the chest muscles.

Even so, most fitness experts suggest setting the bench at about 30 to 45 degrees to better target the upper chest muscles.

An incline of 30-45 degrees is certain to be required for better development of the upper chest muscles, though debate still exists between the two angles. Changing the incline can alter which muscles are recruited. For that reason, proper seated positioning is the most important factor for making the upper chest muscles work.