Set the bench 'one notch above flat' to target the upper chest on the incline dumbbell press.

noli's read

The isolated claim: a modest bench incline better targets the upper chest than a flat bench. Several EMG studies confirm the direction: a 5-angle study (0° to 60°, 30 trained lifters, MDPI 2020) found peak activation of the clavicular pectoral head at 30°, with a shift toward the anterior deltoid past 45°; a 2025 incline study (20°, 32°, 43°) found significantly lower activation at 20° than at 32-43°, with no significant difference between 32° and 43°. So the direction of the advice is right (incline beats flat for upper chest), but 'one notch' on a standard adjustable bench often corresponds to a fairly shallow incline (around 15°) — closer to the low end of the range where activation stays suboptimal per these studies, which place the real peak between 30° and 45°. The advice points the right way but likely understates the angle needed to maximize upper-chest activation. Verdict: mixed.

the sources

No named source held this one up — that absence is part of the verdict.