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Barbell Incline Wide Reverse Grip Bench Press animation

How to do the Barbell Incline Wide Reverse Grip Bench Press

ChestBarbellIntermediate

The barbell incline wide reverse grip bench press is a specialized upper chest builder that combines an incline angle with a supinated grip to shift stress onto the clavicular head of the pectorals like few other movements can. Master it and you develop the kind of full, high chest that makes every other pressing pattern stronger.

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Muscles worked

Primary
Pectorals (chest)
Secondary
Front deltsTriceps

Step-by-step

  1. Set the bench to 30 to 45 degrees, unrack the barbell with a supinated grip slightly wider than shoulder width, and brace your entire torso before the first rep.
  2. Lower the bar under control to your upper chest, keeping your elbows at roughly 45 to 60 degrees from your torso to protect your wrists and shoulders.
  3. Press the bar back up in a slight arc toward your chin, consciously squeezing the upper pectorals as your arms approach full extension without locking out hard.
  4. Re-rack only after completing your last rep with full control, never letting the supinated wrist position collapse during the return.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the wrists collapse backward under load, which transfers stress to the joints instead of the muscle, so use moderate weight and cue yourself to keep wrists stacked directly above your forearms throughout.
  • Flaring the elbows out to 90 degrees as you would with a pronated grip, which compromises shoulder safety here, so actively pull the elbows slightly inward to match the mechanics of the supinated position.
  • Using too steep an incline above 45 degrees, which shifts emphasis to the front deltoid and reduces pectoral recruitment, so keep the bench angle low to moderate and reassess if your shoulders are doing most of the work.

Pro tip — At the top of each rep, think about rotating your pinkies toward each other without actually moving the bar, this internal rotational intent increases peak pectoral contraction through the supinated grip and turns a good rep into a great one.

Sets & reps by goal

Build muscle3–4 sets × 6–10 reps
Get stronger4–5 sets × 3–6 reps
Lose fat / tone3 sets × 10–12 reps

Rest: 2–3 min between sets (60–90s on lighter days).

More Chest exercises

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