Decline Bench Press
Compound exercise targeting the chest with a barbell. Lower the load under control to a stretch, then press up as you exhale without locking out hard.
Muscles worked
- Lower chest (primary)
- Triceps
Equipment
Barbell
How to do it
- Secure your legs at the end of the decline bench and slowly lay down on the bench.
- Using a medium width grip (a grip that creates a 90-degree angle in the middle of the movement between the forearms and the upper arms), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. The arms should be perpendicular to the floor. This will be your starting position. Tip: In order to protect your rotator cuff, it is best if you have a spotter help you lift the barbell off the rack.
- As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your lower chest.
- After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your chest muscles. Lock your arms and squeeze your chest in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up).
- Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
- When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.
Sets and reps to start with
3 sets of 10 reps, 90 s of rest between sets. Increase the load once you complete every set at the top of the rep range.
Similar exercises
- Chest Dips
- Cable Crossover
- Decline Chest Press Machine
- High Cable Fly
- Decline Dumbbell Press
- Barbell Bench Press
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