Incline Bench Pull

Muscles Worked

The middle back handles the primary load during this movement. The lats and shoulders assist as stabilizers throughout the range of motion.

How to Incline Bench Pull

1. 1

   Grab a dumbbell in each hand and lie face down on an incline bench that is set to an incline that is approximately 30 degrees.

2. 2

   Let the arms hang to your sides fully extended as they point to the floor.

3. 3

   Turn the wrists until your hands have a pronated (palms down) grip.

4. 4

   Now flare the elbows out. This will be your starting position.

5. 5

   As you breathe out, start to pull the dumbbells up as if you are doing a reverse bench press. You will do this by bending at the elbows and bringing the upper arms up as you let the forearms hang. Continue this motion until the upper arms are at the same level as your back. Tip: The elbows will come out to the side and your upper arms and torso should make the letter "T" at the top of the movement. Hold the contraction at the top for a second.

6. 6

   Slowly go back down to the starting position as you breathe in.

7. 7

   Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Common Mistakes

• • Focus on the mind-muscle connection — feel the target muscle working through each rep.
• • Use a controlled tempo of 2 seconds up, 2 seconds down to eliminate momentum.
• • Grip the bar evenly on both sides — even a small offset shifts the load asymmetrically.
• • Keep the bar path as vertical as possible over your base of support.
• • Squeeze at peak contraction for a full second — this is where most of the growth stimulus occurs.

Similar Exercises

Alternating Kettlebell Row

intermediate middle back

Alternating Renegade Row

expert middle back

Bent Over Barbell Row

beginner middle back

Bent Over One-Arm Long Bar Row

beginner middle back

Bent Over Two-Arm Long Bar Row

intermediate middle back

Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row

beginner middle back

Frequently Asked Questions