# Barbell Incline Press and Pull Incline pressing paired with pullovers and rows, for chest and upper back in one session. - URL: https://formaroutines.com/routines/barbell-incline-press-and-pull/ - Duration: About 19 min - Admin slug: barbell-incline-press-and-pull ## Before you start Move gently and stop if you feel sharp pain, dizziness, numbness, or symptoms that feel unsafe. This routine is general fitness guidance, not medical care. ## Exercises ### 1. Barbell Incline Bench Press 3 sets · 8 reps · 50s rest The main press. A moderate incline keeps the shoulders comfortable while loading the upper chest. #### Steps - Set the bench to about 30 to 45 degrees and lie back with feet planted flat on the floor. - Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width and pull the shoulder blades back into the pad. - Unrack the bar to full arm extension with the wrists stacked directly over the elbows. - Lower the bar slowly to the upper chest with elbows tracked at about 60 to 75 degrees from the torso. - Pause briefly at the chest, keeping a tight upper back and full body tension. - Drive the bar back up by pressing through the upper chest and triceps until the arms lock out. #### Cues - Blades set back. - Lower to the upper chest. - Press evenly. #### Common mistakes - Setting the bench too flat or too steep, which dilutes the upper-chest target either way. - Letting the elbows flare wide to 90 degrees, which strains the front shoulders. - Lifting the hips off the bench for leverage, which destabilizes the press and stresses the back. - Bouncing the bar off the chest to use momentum instead of a controlled touch and press. ### 2. Barbell High Incline Bench Press 3 sets · 8 reps · 50s rest A steeper bench moves the work toward the shoulders, so the weight drops noticeably. #### Steps - Set the bench to a steep incline of around 60 degrees and lie back with your feet planted flat. - Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width and pull your shoulder blades back into the pad. - Unrack the bar to full arm extension and stack the wrists directly over the elbows. - Lower the bar slowly to the upper chest, just below the collarbone, with elbows tracking under the bar. - Pause briefly with the bar at the chest, keeping core tension and a tight upper back. - Press the bar back up along the same path until the arms are fully locked out over the upper chest. #### Cues - Steeper angle. - Ribs stay down. - Lighter than flat. #### Common mistakes - Setting too steep an angle near vertical, which turns the lift into an overhead press and loses chest involvement. - Lowering the bar to the lower chest like a flat bench, which strains the shoulders at this angle. - Flaring the elbows wide, which loads the front of the shoulders instead of the upper chest. - Lifting the hips off the bench to cheat the press, which ruins the angle and risks back strain. ### 3. Barbell Pullover 3 sets · 12 reps · 45s rest Opens the ribcage and links chest to lats. Go light; the stretch is the point. #### Steps - Lie back on a flat bench with your head supported and feet planted flat on the floor. - Hold a barbell over your chest with a shoulder-width grip and a slight bend in the elbows. - Brace your core and pull your shoulder blades back and down into the bench. - Lower the bar slowly in an arc behind your head until you feel a deep stretch in the lats. - Pause briefly at the bottom, keeping the elbow angle locked, then pull the bar back over the chest. - Stop the bar above the chest line and reset before the next controlled rep. #### Cues - Long arms. - Reach overhead. - Ribs stay down. #### Common mistakes - Bending and straightening the elbows mid-rep, which turns the lift into a triceps extension. - Lowering the bar too fast, which strains the front shoulders without loading the lats. - Lifting the lower back off the bench, which removes tension from the lats and stresses the spine. - Using too much weight, which forces the elbows to collapse and breaks the overhead arc. ### 4. Landmine T Bar Rows 3 sets · 10 reps · 45s rest The row that balances all the pressing. Keep the back long throughout. #### Steps - Anchor a barbell in a landmine attachment and load plates on the open end. - Straddle the bar near the loaded end and place a V-grip handle under the bar behind the plates. - Hinge at the hips with a flat back and grip the handle with both hands, arms extended. - Brace your core and row the handle up toward your lower chest, leading with the elbows. - Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top with the handle just below the sternum. - Lower the bar slowly back to the start, fighting the descent through the full range. #### Cues - Hinge and hold. - Pull to the belly. - Squeeze the blades. #### Common mistakes - Standing more upright as the set goes on, which turns the row into a partial shrug. - Letting the lower back round under load, which puts the spine at risk on heavy sets. - Yanking the bar up with momentum instead of pulling cleanly with the back. - Cutting the bottom of the rep short and skipping the full lat stretch. ### 5. Barbell Upright Row 3 sets · 12 reps · 40s rest Finishes on the shoulders and traps. Keep the pull low and the weight light. #### Steps - Stand tall with feet hip-width apart and grip the bar with hands slightly narrower than shoulder width. - Let the bar hang at arm's length against your thighs with shoulders pulled back and chest up. - Pull the bar straight up by leading with the elbows, keeping the bar close to your body the whole way. - Stop the pull when your upper arms are roughly parallel to the floor — do not crank the elbows higher. - Pause briefly at the top and feel the side delts and upper traps working under the load. - Lower the bar back down under control over 2 to 3 seconds, then reset for the next rep. #### Cues - Elbows lead. - Stop at chest height. - Light weight only. #### Common mistakes - Pulling the bar too high past shoulder level, which jams the shoulder joint and risks front-shoulder strain. - Using a grip that is too narrow, which forces the wrists into an awkward angle and shifts work off the delts. - Heaving the bar up with body english instead of leading with the elbows in a controlled pull. - Letting the bar drift away from the body, which kills side-delt tension and loads the lower back.