Sliding on the Incline Bench: Why It Is Worse Than Flat and How to Fix It
Gepostet von Yannick Ring am
Lifters who never slide on a flat bench often slide on an incline, and it is not a technique failure. The incline changes the direction gravity pulls you. This guide explains why incline sliding is worse, what to change in your setup, and how a bench mat fixes the part your setup cannot.
Why incline is worse than flat
On a flat bench, gravity pushes you straight into the pad. The only thing that moves you along the pad is your own leg drive, and you can moderate that. On an incline, part of your body weight runs down the slope of the pad on every rep. At the same time, leg drive pushes you up the slope. Your torso is being pulled one way and pushed the other across a smooth vinyl surface, and the net result is movement. Usually downward, as the set goes on and you tire.
Three things make it worse:
- Steep angles. At 45 degrees or more, a large share of your weight is running along the pad rather than into it.
- A low or flat seat. Many commercial incline benches have a seat that barely rises. Nothing stops your hips from creeping down.
- A sweaty shirt. Damp cotton on vinyl is about as slippery as a gym gets.
What sliding costs you on incline
When your upper back moves, your shoulders lose the down-and-back position you set, and your elbows drift. On incline that is already the vulnerable position for the shoulder. It also means the bar path changes mid-set, because your body is in a different place on rep eight than rep one. And psychologically, you brace less, because part of your attention is on not sliding.
Setup fixes first
- Lower the angle. Around 30 degrees loads the upper chest for most lifters and slides far less than 45.
- Raise the seat if the bench lets you. It should take your hips, not just be under them.
- Feet flat and pushing into the floor, not up the bench. On incline, think of your feet as a brace against sliding down, not a source of drive up.
- Set the upper back once, then keep it. Squeeze your shoulder blades down and back before you unrack and do not reset mid-set.
- Dry shirt. Switch shirts before pressing if you have been sweating through conditioning or squats.
Those fixes reduce sliding. On a slick commercial incline they rarely eliminate it, because the surface is the problem and you cannot change the surface. That is the mat's job.
What a bench mat changes on incline
The Odyssey Bench Mat is a thin Advanced Grip Polymer sheet you lay on the pad under your upper back. One side grips the pad, the other grips your shirt. Because it is not strapped to anything, it fits every incline bench regardless of pad width or how the back pad hinges. You set up on it once and your upper back stays there through the set, so your shoulders keep the position you built and your hips stop creeping, because your torso is no longer dragging them down.
Every Odyssey mat works on flat barbell bench, incline, and flat or incline dumbbell press. That is one of the reasons we chose lay-flat over strapped; see how it compares with strap-on covers.
What lifters say
Verified buyer reviews of the Odyssey Bench Mat, as written:
Some benches can be super slippy, especially with a shirt on, and this completely fixes that.
Amazing product. Definintely makes a difference and would highly recommend for anyone who has a hard time with mainting tension on slippery benches!
Ever since using the bench mat I have felt more stable and feel like I can lift heavier because of it. The mat stops you from sliding, keeps you locked in and eliminates one of the factors for you to just focus on the lift
Quick checklist for your next incline session
- Angle at or near 30 degrees
- Seat raised if possible
- Dry shirt
- Upper back set once, feet bracing down into the floor
- Mat under the upper back
The Odyssey Bench Mat is rated 4.98 out of 5 by 208 reviewers, tested by 700 lb+ benchers, and covered by a 90-day money-back guarantee. If you still slide on your incline with it down, send it back. Read how to use a bench mat for placement, or see the bench mats collection.
- Tags: bench mat bench press incline setup
Questions lifters ask
Why do I slide down on incline bench press?
On an incline, gravity pulls your torso down the pad and leg drive pushes you up it. Both forces move you along smooth vinyl. Add a sweaty shirt and you slide on every rep, which loosens your shoulder position and lets your hips creep off the seat.
Does a bench mat work on an incline bench?
Yes. The Odyssey Bench Mat lies flat on the incline pad under your upper back and grips both the pad and your shirt, so you stay where you set up. It is not strapped, so it fits any incline bench.
What incline angle slides the most?
Steeper angles, 45 degrees and up, slide most because more of your weight runs along the pad instead of into it. Lower inclines around 30 degrees are easier to stay planted on and are also where most lifters feel incline press in the upper chest.
Should the seat be up or down on incline bench?
If your bench has an adjustable seat, raise it so it supports your hips and stops the downward slide. Flat seats on many commercial inclines are part of why lifters slide.
