Incline barbell presses vs incline dumbell presses

[mesmorph78]

Am I the only one who feels incline barbell presses mainly in the front delts??
I find the dumbell version VASTLY superior

[Dr Dutch]

Am I the only one who feels incline barbell presses mainly in the front delts??
I find the dumbell version VASTLY superior

x2 plus I killed my cuff doing barbell inclines..

[Moen]

Everyone feels it more in their pecs using dumbells. But it's less of an ego exercise so ...

[JasonH]

I'm the same - I like doing the barbell because you can hoist a lot of weight but you're kind of locked in place with the hand width so I tend not to feel it at the top of the movement like I should - dumbells you can curve them around in an arc through the range of motion and finish off with the bells touching giving a greater squeeze at the top.

[BiGHer]

Try barbell inclines on a smith machine.  You'll be shocked at how much this takes off tension from your front delts/rotator cuffs and you can focus on the chest.  Also, lessoning the incline helps too.

[Nails]

I just did Smith inclines last night and shoulders felt most of the weight, i can only feel the upper pecs work for me if i do incline flys

[tlc]

DB's all the way. Never felt comfortable with a bar, incline or otherwise.

[mesmorph78]

Everyone feels it more in their pecs using dumbells. But it's less of an ego exercise so ...

I think your right i rarely do barbell presses at first i sued to and be really weak on dumbells but one i mastered dumbells I never looked back
but every so often i try a barbell movement and feel it mostly in the delts and joints

[BILL ANVIL]

F#cken eh, if you have long dangly arms barbell will mess your rotators up good.

DB is vastly superior and you can get a better squeeze at the top of the movement. Leave the barbell for the short stocky guys.

[BiGHer]

F#cken eh, if you have long dangly arms barbell will mess your rotators up good.

DB is vastly superior and you can get a better squeeze at the top of the movement. Leave the barbell for the short stocky guys.

I'd agree with the above too.  A persons structure can always have an effect on where you feel a certain exercise.  Also, lightening the weight always helps too with feeling the muscle more, but most guys don't want to do that.

[Coach is Back!]

Am I the only one who feels incline barbell presses mainly in the front delts??
I find the dumbell version VASTLY superior

I agree.

[Max B]

Im with you guys on dumbells, especially for incline but trust me try incline smith presses, with the seat at setting 2 just above being flat.... go down to just below your neck... very upper chest i should say and just work with moderate to heavy weight and really feel the stretch... if the shoudlers are an issues adjust hand placement accordingly, it does work wonders and is a good switch up from dumbell presses.

[Parker]

Am I the only one who feels incline barbell presses mainly in the front delts??
I find the dumbell version VASTLY superior

depends on how hight the angle...for instance, in Phil Heath's first DVD, he had the angle extremely high--no wonder his chest is the way it is...when you have it on that low angle---the one above being flat (on my Wieder Bench), you are hitting all upper pecs ( it takes the delt work out)...

[BILL ANVIL]

I'd agree with the above too.  A persons structure can always have an effect on where you feel a certain exercise.  Also, lightening the weight always helps too with feeling the muscle more, but most guys don't want to do that.

Totally, lightening the weight is really the only way you can do exercises that your body wasn't meant for properly without getting hurt. If it feels awkward even after years of doing it, chances are your never gonna get used to it and should either find a substitute or drop the ego, lighten it up and feel the stretch.

[mesmorph78]

funny thing is barbells get all the praise in magazines vids etc

i know a lot of guys love barbells because
1. they want to be able to answer the how much can you bench question
2. its easy to load up the bar and get your friend to help from rep one.

years back i read an article by chick where he said the bench was overrated and i laughed
but he was right totally right... soon as i started using dumbells  and matered them i could see that

[GroinkTropin]

Smith incline feels very funky to me. I hate it. Barbell is only a little better, and I have to pre-exhaust chest to feel it at all.

Going to try smith flat bench neck presses tomorrow, for upper chest. Routine will be

Cable crossovers
Incline flyes
Flat smith neck presses
Scott dips (hands turned out)
Possibly some decline flyes, light weights

[mesmorph78]

Totally, lightening the weight is really the only way you can do exercises that your body wasn't meant for properly without getting hurt. If it feels awkward even after years of doing it, chances are your never gonna get used to it and should either find a substitute or drop the ego, lighten it up and feel the stretch.

today i did incline barbell presses
felt it in my shoulders from the warm up set with 135

[240 is Back]

the older i get, the harder it is to train incline or flat barbell.  dumbbells are just better on the AC and RC.

[mesmorph78]

the older i get, the harder it is to train incline or flat barbell.  dumbbells are just better on the AC and RC.

this

[coltrane]

Meso:

Perhaps try altering the the bench to less of an incline.  My barbell incline bench you can put a 25 pounder under the base to kick it back a bit, lessening the incline.  Helps me feel it more in the pecs.

I do both barbell and dumbbell.

[mesmorph78]

Meso:

Perhaps try altering the the bench to less of an incline.  My barbell incline bench you can put a 25 pounder under the base to kick it back a bit, lessening the incline.  Helps me feel it more in the pecs.

I do both barbell and dumbbell.

the incline barbell bench in my gym is fixed.....
cant alter it...
but even bench press i feel mosthly in the front delts
which is better in your opinion

[coltrane]

I stick to incline barbell and db's.  Then flat dumbbells.  Rarely will I do a flat bench barbell, and if i do, it's only after a few other exercises.  Flat barbell always hurts my rotator. 

I've been liking cable crossovers lately..  pausing at the squeeze etc.. drop sets too.  I feel it gets the inside pecs a lot.

Off for my back workout!

[Nails]

howabout a ONE arm Bench Press 

[Cableguy]

x2 plus I killed my cuff doing barbell inclines..

Yup, those and flat benches wrecked my cuffs. Been doing incline DB's for years. More effective for me and hurt less.

[tlc]

2. its easy to load up the bar and get your friend to help from rep one.

Only disadvantage to db's - getting the bastards up for that first rep. And setting them down again quietly.