Incline Bench Press - Bowflex ULTIMATE Owner's Manual

Chest Exercises
INCLINE BENCH PRESS
Shoukle,- Horizontal Adduction (with elbow extension)
Muscles worked: This exercise emphasizes the
chest muscles (pectoralis major), especially the
upper portion. It also involves the fl'ont
shoulder muscles (anterior deltoid, a portion
of the middle deltoid) and the triceps, which
are located on the back of the upper arm.
Pulley position: Wide or narrow (Wide offers
a greater challenge throt_ghout the entire range
on specific movements, especially at the top of
these movements. This car) make these
exercises ever)
more
effective. However, when
both pulley positions are listed as options, do
not attempt to use the same weight for each
position).
Starting position:
• Seated in the 45 degree position, reach
sUaight behind yore bod> grasp the handles,
and bend your elbows until your hands are
near your chest. Rotate your upper arms
away from your torso so that your elbows
are pointing outward to each side and your
pahns ale facing forward.
• Keeping knees bent and feet flat or) the floor,
lay your head back against the bench and
sUaighten yore arms to the front.
• You may also utilize the alternate incline
bench press position by placing your feet on
the forward leg of the Bowflex and using
your legs to slide the torso upward or) the
bench so that your head is near the lat tower.
This will allow a greater incline of the arms
without losing alignment of the cables.
• From this position, raise your arms 10 15
degrees (cahles touching the tops of your
arms/shoulders) ahove the regular bench
press position (cables lying along the backs
of yore arms and center of the shoulders).
• Be sine that your arms are dilectly "in line"
with the cables, pahns facing forward and
wrists sU aight. If the cables ale "above" the
arms, too much elevation was introduced.
• Raise yore chest and slightly "pinch" your
shoulder blades together. Maintain a very
slight, comfortable arch in your lower back.
Motion:
• Slowly move your elbows outward,
simultaneously bending your arms so that
your forearms remain parallel to each other
and the hands remain over the elhows
throtlghout the movement. From the side
view it should appear as if the forearms are
in line with the cables at all times.
• Stop when your upper arms are
approximately straight out to the sides (your
elhows will be level with your shoulders or
very slightly helow).
• Then, slowly press forward/upward, moving
hands toward the center. Then return to
starting position with arms straight to the
front at shoulder width and in-line with the
cahles. Keep your chest muscles tightened
during the entire motion.
Optional motions:
• Bilateral movement - both arms pressing
forward at the same time.
• Unilateral movement performing all reps
with one ann before moving to the next.
• Alternating perfbrming one rep or) one side
and then the next rep on the other side.
• Simultaneously alternating both arms
moving, although in opposite directions (one
pressing while the other is retm ning).
Key points:
• The upper arms will be G0-90 degrees from
the sides of your torso at the bottom )f the
movement and slightly more than 90 degrees
horn the flont of yore torso at the top.
• Limit and control the range of motion s(
that your elbows travel only slightly behind
your shoulders if at all.
• For normal pressing/pushing patterns of
movement you may choose to allow the
shoulder blades to float" forward and
backward naturally with the ann movement
or for increased pec involvement you ma 3
kee I) the shoulder hlades "pinched" together
throughout both the Ul _ ward and downward
nlovements,
o_ d_,_._<,_,_;_ ¸
START
FINISH
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