Incline Svend Press (Plate)
The Incline Svend Press is an accessory chest exercise where you actively squeeze a weight plate between your palms while pressing outward on an incline bench. This movement targets the upper chest fibers through continuous isometric tension.
Since the Svend press relies on internal tension (how hard you squeeze) rather than heavy load, tracking your RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) is vital for gauging intensity. Our AI analyzes your previous upper body volume and recovery data to determine if this accessory movement is appropriate or if your front delts are too fatigued. If you report shoulder discomfort during pressing, the app remembers this association and can swap this for a cable variation to maintain upper chest stimulus without joint stress.
Form Cues
- Press your palms firmly together against the plate at all times
- Set the bench to a 30 or 45-degree angle
- Retract your shoulder blades against the bench for stability
- Extend your arms fully while maintaining inward pressure
- Control the tempo as you return the plate to your chest
- Don't let your grip relax or the plates separate
- Don't use a weight so heavy that you lose the constant squeeze
- Don't flare your elbows out excessively
- Don't rush the movement; rely on tension rather than speed
- Don't arch your lower back off the bench
Common Mistakes
- Relaxing the inward pressure between repetitions
- Using momentum to push the weight out
- Selecting a weight plate that is too heavy
- Setting the bench angle too steep
- Shortening the range of motion
Muscles Worked
This exercise primarily isolates the clavicular fibers of the pectoralis major (upper chest) by combining flexion with constant isometric adduction. It also engages the anterior deltoids and triceps as stabilizers, while the forearms and grip muscles work significantly to maintain pressure on the plate.
Primary
Secondary
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