Press the cable handles upward from an incline bench in a controlled arc to work the upper chest.
How to do the Cable Incline Bench Press#
- Set the bench to a moderate incline and lie back, grasping the cable handles with palms facing down and hands about shoulder-width apart.
- Draw your shoulder blades together and keep your elbows tucked at roughly a 45–90° angle from your torso.
- Slowly lower the handles in a controlled arc toward the middle of your chest while inhaling.
- Pause briefly at the bottom, then exhale and press the handles back along the same path until your arms are extended and the chest is contracted.
- Maintain a steady tempo and keep your hips and torso stable throughout each repetition.
Muscles worked#
- Primary: Chest (Pectoralis Major)
- Secondary: Front delts (Anterior Deltoid), Triceps (Triceps Brachii)
Common mistakes#
- Failing to retract the shoulder blades so the shoulders round forward.
- Flaring the elbows excessively away from the torso.
- Using momentum or jerking the cables instead of a controlled motion.
- Lifting the hips or arching the lower back to help the lift.
- Lowering the handles too far past the mid-chest, placing strain on the shoulders.
