Different bench press incline angles, different targets!

Different bench press incline angles, different targets!⭕️⁣
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Many strength coaches suggest that a bench angle of 45 degrees may be a better option for targeting the clavicular portion of the pectoralis muscle, as it shows a higher degree of EMG activation of the clavicular head (Trebs et al, 2010). ⁣
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However while that may very well be the case, it also comes at the cost of increasing the tension that the anterior detoids experience, which decreases the overall weight that can be lifted. In fact, if more load is shifted to the shoulders, then the total amount of weight that can be lifted decreases, resulting in less total tension experienced by the upper chest, which as a result doesn’t get the optimal stimulus that it may get at lower inclinations.

In other words, a higher degree of inclination can become a limiting factor in lifting more weights as the exercise becomes “closer to an overhead press”. ⁣
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For this reason, if you want to maximize the amount of growth on your upper chest, 30 degrees will suffice, as it shows significantly more activation for the muscle compared to other angles (Rodriguez-Ridao et al, 2020). ⁣
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A flat bench will cause homogeneous activity of the pecs/delts, and simply be “the jack of all trades” as I like to call it. ⁣
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>30 degrees can be recommended for increasing anterior det performance and strength, as greater angles show greater activity of the anterior delt. ⁣⁣
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References:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20512064/