02/16/2026
Read the caption for the explanation:
In the first movement, even though it’s a flat press, the arm is being adducted and the shoulder is being flexed. Those are the 2 main functions of the upper pecs.
In the second movement we have an incline setup, but the arm is mostly moving in pure horizontal adduction, which is going to be mostly the mid pec contributing. Also, having an excessively arched back can eliminate the incline.
If you want to target the upper chest, you need to have both shoulder flexion and arm adduction. An incline does help with this and you also benefit from it being slightly more challenging at the bottom when the upper pec is more lengthened. Overall, arm path is more important than the incline angle.
