Upper chest exercises

How steep should the bench be?

The descriptions in the atlas consistently say 45 degrees, and that is already fairly steep. The relationship runs both ways: the more vertical the backrest, the closer the movement is to an overhead press and the more the front delt takes over. The flatter it is, the more it is just a flat bench press and the less it changes anything at all.

The useful setting sits somewhere in between, and exactly where depends on how your shoulder is built. The simplest feedback comes during the set itself: if you feel it mainly in the front of your shoulder, the backrest is probably too high. It also helps to accept up front that the weight will be lower than on the flat bench - that is the angle, not a step backwards.

What if you don't have an adjustable bench?

Then there is not much left and it is better to say so plainly. Almost every entry on this list assumes a bench with the back raised, including the band versions, which anchor underneath it. Without that piece of equipment the atlas has no way to load the upper chest specifically.

The only push-ups in this set put your hands on a box. Raising your hands takes part of your bodyweight off your arms, so it is an easier version than push-ups from the floor - a good way into the pushing pattern, but not a replacement for incline pressing.

If you have a bench but no rack, dumbbells are the smarter pick over a barbell. You get into position with them on your own, and when a rep fails you set them down to the sides. There is no way out from under a barbell with no rack.