How to do a Pause Barbell Incline Bench Press
Reviewed by JP Michelsen, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Pause Barbell Incline Bench Press
Instructions for Proper Form
The Pause Barbell Incline Bench Press is a compound exercise that targets the upper chest, shoulders, and triceps with an added emphasis on improving strength through the bottom portion of the lift. By pausing at the bottom of each rep, this variation increases time under tension and requires greater control and stability, making it more challenging than the traditional incline press. This technique not only enhances muscle hypertrophy and power but also improves the lifter's ability to generate force from a dead stop. Ideal for those looking to break through plateaus in chest and pressing movements, it also contributes to overall shoulder health and stability.
- Lie your back flat on an incline bench with your feet planted underneath your knees holding a barbell just outside shoulder width apart with extended arms.
- Bend your elbows to your sides at a 45 degree angle to your torso until the barbell touches your upper chest.
- Hold the position for 1 to 2 seconds before returning to the starting position.
- Repeat for the allotted repetitions.
Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator
Average Pause Barbell Incline Bench Press standards by male, female, weight, age and height
Use this calculator to see Fitbod's possible first recommendations for you. This would be your starting line, based on more than 4.5 billion logged sets from 1.1 million users.
- beginner8reps60lbs1 Rep Max75lbs
- intermediate8reps75lbs95lbs
- advanced8reps95lbs120lbs
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Alternative Exercises to Pause Barbell Incline Bench Press
1. Barbell Bench Press
99.2 mSCORESWAPPED 1,975 TIMESBench Press is one of the three Powerlifting movements, and one of the most common upper body exercises. It’s a fantastic compound exercise that can help you build strength in your chest, shoulders, and triceps. It’s a staple in most fitness programs, and is often used as a metric for tracking upper body strength in general.
2. Dumbbell Incline Bench Press
99 mSCORESWAPPED 1,789 TIMESDumbbell Incline Bench Press is a variation on the more standard Barbell Incline Bench Press. This compound exercise primarily targets the chest, but the incline also places more emphasis on the shoulders. The use of dumbbells makes this exercise more unstable than its barbell counterpart, while also forcing you to address any strength discrepancies between sides.
3. Barbell Incline Bench Press
98.9 mSCORESWAPPED 1,650 TIMESBarbell Incline Bench Press is a variation on a standard Bench Press. Similar to Bench Press, this compound exercise primarily targets your chest, but this variation places much more emphasis on your shoulders and upper chest.
4. Dumbbell Bench Press
99.7 mSCORESWAPPED 732 TIMESDumbbell Bench Press is a variation on the standard Bench Press. Like Bench Press, this compound exercise primarily targets the chest, while also training the triceps and shoulders. The use of dumbbells allows for greater instability which can help you become more stable on pushing movements in general, while also isolating each side of the body to prevent you from compensating for any weaknesses between sides.
5. Smith Machine Incline Bench Press
96.4 mSCORESWAPPED 544 TIMESSmith Machine Bench Press is a variation on the more standard Barbell Incline Bench Press. Like other variations, this compound exercise primarily targets the chest, shoulders and triceps. The added stability from the Smith Machine makes this a great exercise for learning, or for focusing on exertion rather than stabilizing the movement.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Smith Machine
6. Hammerstrength Incline Chest Press
96.5 mSCORESWAPPED 347 TIMESHammerstrength Incline Chest Press is a variation on the more standard Barbell Incline Bench Press. This compound movement primarily targets your chest, shoulders and triceps. The incline allows you to further emphasize your upper chest and shoulders. The use of a Hammerstrength Machine forces you to use a fixed range of motion which adds stability, and allows you to focus more on exertion.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Hammerstrength (Leverage) Machine (all forms)
7. Dumbbell Fly
98.3 mSCORESWAPPED 333 TIMESDumbbell Fly’s are one of the most common isolation chest exercises, and for good. It primarily targets the muscles in the chest, but also recruits the shoulders for stability. The use of dumbbells ensures that you’re targeting each side of the body independently, and prevents compensating for any weaknesses between sides. In addition the isolated nature of this exercise is a great way to fatigue your chest, and focus on building both muscle mass and increasing strength in your chest.
8. Incline Dumbbell Squeeze Press
85.9 mSCORESWAPPED 312 TIMESIncline Dumbbell Squeeze Press is a variation on the more standard Bench Press. Like other Bench Press variations, this compound exercise primarily targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps. The incline position emphasizes the upper chest and shoulders, while the act of squeezing the dumbbells together helps to maintain tension in the chest throughout the movement. This is a great exercise for building both strength and muscle mass in the upper chest.
9. Dumbbell Incline Fly
91.1 mSCORESWAPPED 299 TIMESDumbbell Incline Fly emphasizes the upper chest, improving muscle definition and shoulder flexibility. Performed on an incline, it targets the upper pectorals while also engaging deltoids and triceps, offering a comprehensive upper body workout that enhances strength and aesthetics.
10. Cable Crossover Fly
97.3 mSCORESWAPPED 272 TIMESCable Crossover Fly is an isolation exercise that targets the chest. It’s a variation on the more standard Dumbbell Fly, and can easily be adapted to further isolate specific areas of the chest. Using cables to add resistance allows you to keep more consistent tension on your chest, as well as control the angle that the resistance is coming from.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Cable Crossover