Decline Bench Press

The decline bench press is a weight training exercise performed on a sloped weight bench. The angle of the bench causes more effort to go into working the lower chest muscles compared to a flat bench press. To decline bench press, you need to drop the top end of an exercise bench so the bench sits between 15-30 degrees. If you use this move to train the chest muscles, decline bench pressing can help you to achieve a more defined look to your pectorals (chest muscles). For those who lack volume in the lower chest, a decline bench press may be a preferable option to a traditional flat bench press. This move can help to compensate for a weak low chest in comparison with the upper chest.

How-to

  1. Lie on a decline bench. Grasp the barbell with a wider-than-shoulder-width overhand grip. Dismount the barbell from the rack.
  2. Slowly lower the bar to your lower chest. Briefly hold.
  3. Press the bar upwards until your arms are fully extended.

Muscle Worked

Primary Muscle Groups

Chest

Your chest helps you move your arms across your body and up and down while stabilizing the shoulders

Shoulders

Your shoulders are ball-and-socket joints which connect your arms to your torso

Triceps

The triceps are the muscles on the backs of your upper arms

Secondary Muscle Groups

Abs

"Abs" refers to your abdominal muscles, which sit at the front of your trunk between your ribcage and pelvis

Forearms

The forearms help you grip objects and move your hands, wrists and fingers

Lats

Your latissimus dorsi, also called the "lats," help you to move your arms and keep your shoulders stable.

Pro Tips

  • Inhale as you lower the barbell, then exhale as you press your barbell up.
  • Wrap your fingers and thumbs around the bar so that your hand is fully wrapped around your barbell. This is the safest grip to use for any kind of bench press especially if you are a beginner.

Equipments

Barbell

A barbell is a long metal bar with space for weight plates on each end used for weightlifting

Decline Bench

A decline bench refers to lowering the angle of a weight bench below its fixed flat position

Benefits

  • This move can help you grow the lower part of your chest.
  • Decline bench presses help to recruit a lot of tricep strength as you press. This can help to strengthen and define your upper arms.
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