Comparative Evaluation Of Muscular Hypertrophy Of The Pectoralis Major And Minor Muscle During Bench Press Exercise In Horizontal, Incline And Decline Modalities

Abstract

This study aimed to compare the degree of muscular hypertrophy in the pectoralis major and minor muscles during bench press exercises performed in horizontal, incline, and decline modalities. 30 male participants with previous resistance training experience were recruited and randomly assigned to perform bench press exercises in each of the three modalities for a period of 12 weeks. Muscle hypertrophy was assessed through measuring tape measurements of muscle thickness before and after the intervention. Additionally, participants' strength gains were evaluated through one-repetition maximum (1RM) testing. The results revealed significant increases in muscle thickness in both the pectoralis major and minor muscles across all three modalities. However, the degree of hypertrophy varied among the modalities, with the incline bench press eliciting the greatest hypertrophic response in both muscles. Furthermore, participants exhibited substantial improvements in 1RM strength across all modalities, with no significant differences observed between them. These findings suggest that incline bench press may be particularly effective for inducing hypertrophy in the pectoralis major and minor muscles, while horizontal and decline.