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Doing a bench press in the gym
Doing a bench press in the gym

What are the best upper body exercises?

I normally do regular bench presses. Should I add incline and decline presses into my workout, and, if so, how often?

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Doing a bench press in the gym

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The classic flat bench press is an excellent exercise for building strength in your chest, arms, and shoulders, but that doesn’t mean it should be the only move in your arsenal. Mix in other upper-body pushing moves, such as incline presses and decline presses as well as the movements below to continue improving and keep your training fresh.

Depending on how many days you train a week, you could choose one move above for each workout or do a couple on the same training day. Remember, for every upper-body pushing move you do (bench presses, push-ups), include an upper-body pulling move, such as rows or pull-ups, to balance your training.

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