# Incline Svend Press

An incline-bench plate press where you squeeze one plate between your palms and press it from your chest to arm's length. Targets the upper chest with added front delt involvement.

- Beginner · Isolation
- Equipment: Weight plates, Adjustable bench
- HD video: https://media.seto.fit/exercises/svend-press-incline-bench/video/male.mp4
- HTML: https://seto.fit/exercises/incline-svend-press/

## Muscles worked

- Upper chest: 9/10
- Mid chest: 7/10
- Front delts: 6/10
- Triceps: 4/10

## How to do the Incline Svend Press

1. Lie back on an incline bench, holding a plate between your palms.
2. Pull the plate towards your chest, bending your elbows and pressing your palms together.
3. Press the plate up and away until your arms are straight.
4. Squeeze the plate firmly at the end, avoiding rolling your shoulders forward.
5. Return the plate to your chest, maintaining a constant inward pressure.

### Full technique — 7 steps

1. Set an adjustable bench to a steep incline and lie back with your feet flat on the floor.
2. Hold one plate between your palms with your fingers pointing up.
3. Bring the plate to chest height with elbows bent and palms pressing firmly inward.
4. Keep your upper back against the bench and your shoulders down and back.
5. Press the plate up and away from your chest until your arms are straight.
6. Keep squeezing the plate hard at full reach without letting your shoulders roll forward.
7. Draw the plate back to your chest along the same path while maintaining palm pressure.

## Common mistakes

- Letting palm pressure fade
- Shoulders rounding at full reach
- Turning it into a front raise
- Lifting shoulders off bench

## Form cues

- Crush the plate
- Keep shoulders down and back
- Don't roll shoulders forward

## How much to do

- **Strength**: 3 sets of 10–12 reps · rest 1 min 15 s · 2–3 reps in reserve · lower 2 s, pause 1 s, lift 1 s, pause 1 s
- **Muscle growth** (good fit): 3–4 sets of 12–15 reps · rest 1 min · 2–3 reps in reserve · lower 2 s, lift 1 s, pause 1 s
- **Endurance** (good fit): 2–3 sets of 15–20 reps · rest 45 s · 3–4 reps in reserve · lower 2 s, lift 2 s

Reps in reserve: how many more you could still do when you end the set.

## Substitutes by equipment

Same muscles, same movement — pick the version you have the gear for.

- **Dumbbells**: [Incline Dumbbell Svend Press](https://seto.fit/exercises/incline-dumbbell-svend-press/), [Dumbbell Floor Flye](https://seto.fit/exercises/dumbbell-floor-flye/)
- **Resistance bands**: [Single Arm Resistance Band Chest Flye](https://seto.fit/exercises/single-arm-resistance-band-chest-flye/)
- **No equipment**: [Standing Bodyweight Flye](https://seto.fit/exercises/standing-bodyweight-flye/)
- **Cable machine**: [Mid Cable Flye](https://seto.fit/exercises/mid-cable-flye/), [Incline Cable Fly](https://seto.fit/exercises/incline-cable-fly/)

## Where to start and where to go next

Same muscles, same movement. Too hard for now — step down; once it gets easy — step up.

- Easier: [Lying Svend Press](https://seto.fit/exercises/lying-svend-press/) — Beginner
- **This exercise: Incline Svend Press — Beginner**
- Harder: [Incline Resistance Band Flye](https://seto.fit/exercises/incline-resistance-band-flye/) — Beginner

## Quick answers

### What muscles does the Incline Svend Press work?

Primary: Upper chest 9/10, Mid chest 7/10. Also works: Front delts 6/10, Triceps 4/10.

### When should I do the Incline Svend Press in a workout?

Finisher. Goes last, once the heavy work is done. ≈ 6 min with rest.

### How many sets and reps of the Incline Svend Press?

Strength: 3 sets of 10–12 reps, rest 1 min 15 s, 2–3 reps in reserve. Muscle growth: 3–4 sets of 12–15 reps, rest 1 min, 2–3 reps in reserve. Endurance: 2–3 sets of 15–20 reps, rest 45 s, 3–4 reps in reserve.

### What can I do instead of the Incline Svend Press?

Dumbbells: Incline Dumbbell Svend Press, Dumbbell Floor Flye. Resistance bands: Single Arm Resistance Band Chest Flye. No equipment: Standing Bodyweight Flye. Cable machine: Mid Cable Flye, Incline Cable Fly.

### What is an easier version of the Incline Svend Press?

Lying Svend Press (Beginner).

### What is a harder version of the Incline Svend Press?

Incline Resistance Band Flye (Beginner).

How we rate exercises: https://seto.fit/guides/methodology/

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