Chalk note 03
Setting a bench angle, and what each one hits
Adjustable benches sell on the number of positions. What matters is knowing which four or five you will actually use, and being able to find them again next week.
Flat is the reference
Flat pressing is where your strongest numbers live and where technique is easiest to check. Set the seat so your feet are flat on the floor and your shoulder blades sit on the pad, not off the end of it.
15 to 30 degrees for the upper chest
Most of the incline benefit arrives by 30 degrees. Past that, the front delt takes over and the chest does less work than the angle suggests. If your bench has printed angle indicators, use them — 'about there' is how a programme quietly drifts.
45 degrees for a bridge, not a habit
A 45-degree press is a shoulder-dominant movement. It has a place in a rotation, but if every incline session sits at 45 the upper chest never gets the stimulus the programme intended.
90 degrees needs the seat pinned
Vertical is for seated shoulder press, and it only works if the seat pins underneath the back pad. Without that stop, you slide forward on every rep and the back support stops supporting anything.
Decline and the leg holder
A decline of 10 to 30 degrees moves the work to the lower chest and lets the core do controlled crunch work. Always set the leg holder before you lie back — it is the difference between a decline bench and a slide.