Exercise guide · Beginner · Compound

Lever Incline Chest Press: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The lever incline chest press is a machine-based exercise that targets the pectoral muscles, with secondary emphasis on the triceps and shoulders. It involves pressing handles away from the body while seated on a leverage machine, simulating an incline bench press motion.

Primary muscles
Chest
Secondary muscles
Triceps , Shoulders
Equipment
Leverage Machine
Level · type
Beginner · Compound
Demonstration of the lever incline chest press
Front view: muscles worked by the lever incline chest press. Primary: chest. Secondary: triceps and shoulders.
Back view: muscles worked by the lever incline chest press. Primary: chest. Secondary: triceps and shoulders.
Primary Secondary

How to do the lever incline chest press

  1. Step 1: Adjust the seat height and backrest angle on the leverage machine to a comfortable position.
  2. Step 2: Sit on the machine with your back against the backrest and your feet flat on the floor.
  3. Step 3: Grasp the handles with an overhand grip and position your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  4. Step 4: Push the handles forward and away from your body until your arms are fully extended, but without locking your elbows.
  5. Step 5: Pause for a moment at the fully extended position, then slowly bend your elbows and lower the handles back towards your chest.
  6. Step 6: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the lever incline chest press by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Lever Incline Chest Press alternatives

More exercises that train the chest as their main target:

More chest exercises

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Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.