Benefits of the Decline Chest Press

The standard bench press is one of the most popular, enduring lifts in weight training. For many advanced trainers, it’s the first workout of a session, and the anchor for everything else done in the gym. But it does have its limitations. Most notably, flat bench presses work the middle and outer portions of the pectorals, along with the triceps and the trapezius. That’s about it. There are a couple of important variations on the bench press that give the exercise more utility. For example, incline and decline bench presses target important sections of the pectorals that most other exercises don’t affect. The decline bench press in particular helps you in a few notable ways.

  1. Muscles Worked

    • The declined bench press targets the lower pectorals, which are one of the most difficult muscles in the body to isolate. The more severe the angle of decline on the bench, the more focused the stress of the lift will be on the lower pectorals. In addition, reps on the declined bench press work the stabilizer muscles in the triceps, forearms and obliques, because the odd angle of each rep takes a lot more work to balance and maintain than traditional or incline presses.

    Improved Performance

    • The extra work that it takes to maintain the balance of each declined bench press rep helps you establish a foundation for improved performance in your other exercises. For example, strengthening the stabilizers in your arms and sides improves core stability and increases endurance of those muscle groups. Once you get accustomed to balancing a weighted barbell at such a severe declined angle, you’ll be better able to control and balance weights using any other posture, whether you are standing, sitting, or lying.

    Variations

    • Aside from the focused weight impacting your lower pecs during each rep of the press, the main benefit of the declined bench press is the declined position itself, not that it’s a bench press. This means you can improve a variety of barbell and dumbbell exercises by using a declined workout bench. For example, the declined chest fly also works most of the same muscles as the declined bench press, but the use of dumbbells further increases the difficulty of balancing and stabilizing each phase of the lift. This will give you consistently better gains in the long term. Declined ab crunches also target a muscle that’s difficult to isolate: the lower portion of the rectus abdominus.

    Considerations

    • The benefits of declined bench presses comes with a few considerations. First, lying in a declined position makes blood rush to your head, which can affect performance and induce dizziness and disorientation; it is not suggested for long periods of time. Get off the bench and stand up during rest periods between sets to minimize these effects. Also, always use a spotter. The severe angle makes it difficult to maintain balance, especially when you’re getting used to the form. Your arms are going to naturally float backward during your reps, placing the bar over your throat. Keep the lift perpendicular to the floor, over your lower chest, and have a spotter keep your form in line.