Beginner

Incline Svend Press

Pinning two plates together forces the pecs to fire hard just to hold the weight, and pressing on an upward angle steers that tension into the clavicular fibers. It is a light-load, high-tension finisher that hammers the mind-muscle connection. Great as a pre-exhaust or a burnout at the end of upper-chest work.

Equipment
Bench, Plate
Body part
Chest
Type
Strength
Browse by movement
Horizontal Press
Muscles worked
Target
Pectoralis Major Clavicular
Secondary
Pectoralis Major Sternocostal, Deltoid Anterior, Triceps Brachii Long Head

How to do it

  1. 1

    Sit or recline slightly on an incline bench and press two light plates together at chest level.

  2. 2

    Squeeze the plates hard between your palms so they stay pinned throughout.

  3. 3

    Press the plates up and slightly away along an upward angle until the arms are nearly straight.

  4. 4

    Keep squeezing inward the entire time to maintain pec tension.

  5. 5

    Return the plates to your upper chest under control and repeat.

Tips

  • The harder you squeeze the plates inward, the more the chest works.
  • Keep the wrists stacked and the plates centered so they do not slip.
  • Use a slow tempo; this is about tension, not load.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • The plates fan apart as the arms extend, which means the palms are pushing at different angles instead of straight into each other.
  • The press goes straight up over the face rather than up and away along the incline line, so the shoulders take what the upper chest should get.
  • Lying back too far turns this into a flat press with plates and pulls the tension out of the upper chest; a shallow recline is enough.
  • Once the arms near lockout the inward squeeze fades and the plates are merely held, and the tension has to be there at the far end of the rep or there is no reason to do it.
  • The plates travel over your face here, so any slip drops them on you; bring them down to your chest and set them aside before your hands are finished.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the incline Svend press should a beginner do?
Two 5 kg plates, 10 to 15 reps, two or three sets, moving slowly enough that each rep takes three or four seconds. Run it at the end of upper-chest work, or as a couple of light sets before pressing to wake the chest up. Progress by slowing the tempo, not by stacking on plates you cannot pin.
What can I do instead of the incline Svend press?
Squeeze a medicine ball or a firm cushion between your palms and press it up along the same angle, since the inward pressure matters more than the object. A chair leaned back slightly gives you the incline if you have no adjustable bench.
What is the incline Svend press for, and when is it a poor choice?
It is a light, high-tension finisher or pre-exhaust for the upper chest, and it teaches the squeeze that many people never find on heavier pressing. As a main exercise it falls short, since your grip caps the load long before your chest does. It is also awkward if your wrists dislike the pressed-palm position on a recline, in which case a low-to-high cable fly reaches the same fibers.

Related exercises

Other movements among FitRay's 2,000+ exercises that load the same target muscle — same equipment and level first.

All Chest exercises