The incline bench press is a training movement that targets the chest muscles. However, this exercise can be problematic for people with shoulder impingement or other conditions that reduce the subacromial space in the shoulder joint.

Incline plates and shoulder pain

Limiting the subacromial space is further complicated when performing the incline plate bench press. Your subacromial space is the area of your upper arm where your humerus is attached to the shoulder joint.

The incline bench press limits the movement of your scapulae and the position of the weight forces your humerus down into your shoulder joint. This further reduces the space in the subacromial region, causing the tendons and ligaments to become compressed and painful.

Correct posture

For the incline bench press, an adjustable bench or a fixed angle bench is required. The most common angle for the incline bench is 45 degrees, but it can also be 15 degrees higher or lower. Lie down with your back against the back of the bench and your buttocks firmly against the back of the bench. Your feet should be flat on the floor. Grasp the barbell with your hands, with your hands shoulder-width apart (or slightly wider).

Raise the barbell from the rack and afterwards lower it in a controlled manner so that it touches the centre of your chest. Push the barbell upwards from your chest by contracting your pectoral muscles until your arms are fully extended. This exercise can also be done with dumbbells. If using dumbbells, lower them until they touch the sides of your chest.

Try some movement adjustments

There are two of the simplest and most straightforward adjustments you can make to do the incline bench press and reduce the stress on your shoulder joints. The first step is to adjust the depth of the barbell lowering until the elbows are at 90 degrees and stop. This means the barbell will stop at approximately chin height.

However, sacrificing depth will prevent you from making full use of your pecs. Another adjustment is to use a narrower grip, where your hands are located 15 cm inside your shoulder width (each person adjusts to their body proportions). This will allow you to focus more on the use of your triceps muscles but will also allow you to get the standard depth.

The space in your shoulder joints is compressed because you have more room to flex your elbows so that your shoulders don't need to be pronated anymore.

Options for replacing the incline bench press

If the adjustments above still feel like they are too painful, or you don't want to use the incline plate with any risk, there are two potential alternatives.

The downward incline push-up is a push-up with your feet on a bench or chair and it is very similar to the incline plank push-up in terms of power generation. However, your shoulder blades are not stuck to the seat, allowing more freedom of movement and more room for the shoulder joints so that the muscles can move properly.

Another exercise you can do is the fixed angle rope chest press. This exercise requires a rope apparatus (such as a gantry) that keeps the chest firing as you push the two handles away from your body at a 45 degree angle. Again, the free movement of the scapulae, shoulders and elbows will greatly reduce the stress on the shoulders, a stress similar to that of incline exercises like the incline bench press.

Proceed with caution

If you are uncomfortable with your shoulder when doing the incline bench press, don't continue training when you are in pain, talk to your doctor or physiotherapist first. A proper diagnosis and consultation will allow you to choose to train safely.

If your goal is total body fitness, you can avoid using incline benches altogether. However, if you engage in training that requires a training movement like this for the incline bench press, then modifications and substitutions can be used to keep the training safe.