10 Best Reverse-grip Incline Bench Press Alternatives for Upper Chest

The Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Press is done lying on your back with a barbell. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Barbell Incline Bench Press, the Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip and the Barbell Reverse Grip Decline Bench Press. A harder version, the Barbell Wide Reverse Grip Bench Press, is listed below as a progression rather than a swap.

Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench PressWatch the Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Press

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Press

The steps for the Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Press itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Pectorals, with triceps, shoulders · Barbell · Intermediate · Compound

  1. Set up an incline bench at a 45-degree angle.
  2. Lie down on the bench with your feet flat on the ground.
  3. Grasp the barbell with a reverse grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  4. Unrack the barbell and lower it slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in.
  5. Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest.
  6. Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
  7. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

The 10 Best Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Press Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Press on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page. Harder versions are tagged as progressions and kept out of the top spot even when they score higher.

Each link re-ranks the list below for the kit it names. Pick one to hide the substitutes you cannot set up.

  1. Barbell Incline Bench PressPlay demonstration

    1. Barbell Incline Bench Press

    95% match

    Pectorals · Intermediate · Compound

    The same equipment, taken with an overhand grip.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Set up an incline bench at a 45-degree angle.
    2. Lie down on the bench with your feet flat on the ground.
    3. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
    4. Unrack the barbell and lower it slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows at a 45-degree angle.
    5. Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push the barbell back up to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: incline press, the same as the Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Press
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Press
  3. Barbell Reverse Grip Decline Bench PressPlay demonstration

    3. Barbell Reverse Grip Decline Bench Press

    90% match

    Pectorals · Intermediate · Compound

    It uses the same equipment and still works the pectorals.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Lie on a decline bench with your feet secured and your head lower than your hips.
    2. Grasp the barbell with a reverse grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
    3. Unrack the barbell and lower it slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in.
    4. Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push the barbell back up to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Press
  4. Barbell Wide Reverse Grip Bench PressPlay demonstration

    Progression

    4. Barbell Wide Reverse Grip Bench Press

    90% match

    Pectorals · Advanced · Compound

    Pick this when you want a harder version that still works the pectorals.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
    2. Grasp the barbell with a wide reverse grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
    3. Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
    4. Lower the barbell slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in and your wrists straight.
    5. Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest, then push it back up to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Press
  7. Dumbbell Incline Bench PressPlay demonstration

    7. Dumbbell Incline Bench Press

    86% match

    Pectorals · Intermediate · Compound

    A good swap when you have dumbbells to work with, and it still works the pectorals.

    • Dumbbell
    How to perform it
    1. Set up an incline bench at a 45-degree angle.
    2. Sit on the bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed firmly against the bench.
    3. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward, and lift them to shoulder height.
    4. Slowly lower the dumbbells to the sides of your chest, keeping your elbows at a 90-degree angle.
    5. Push the dumbbells back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: incline press, the same as the Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Press
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Press

How to Choose the Right Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Press Substitute

Pick a substitute based on equipment, joint health, and training goals. If you want maximal loading and similar bilateral force, use incline dumbbells at 30–35° and press with a slight inward arc to replicate the reverse-grip line of pull. For shoulder issues, select incline cables or a neutral-grip dumbbell press to keep the humerus in a safer plane. If you face imbalances, prioritize unilateral dumbbell presses to correct asymmetries and train each side to near-failure. Test a 6–12RM to compare perceived upper-pec activation; if the clavicular region doesn’t burn after 3 sets, tweak angle or grip and re-test.

Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Press FAQ

What muscles does Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Press work?

It primarily targets the clavicular head of the pectoralis major (upper pecs) while recruiting anterior deltoid and triceps. The reverse grip shifts the bar path so the line of pull increases elbow flexor and biceps involvement, so you’ll feel more upper-pec and anterior shoulder activation.

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