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Decline Benchpress

Do you perform Decline presses in your chest workout?

  • No, I dont

    Votes: 63 47.0%

  • I sometimes supplement with this move

    Votes: 48 35.8%

  • Yes, It is a staple of my workout!

    Votes: 22 16.4%
  • Total voters
    134
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I am considering adding the decline benchpress to my chest routine. I normally do flat bench/dumbbell presses, and the incline versions of the same excercises.

My question is, how many of you perform decline presses in your workout?
 
It's Good But You Have To Go Super Heavy For Results. What Are You Benching Now??? Slow Reps With Good Form Will Help. .....ya And A Buddy To Spot Too!
 
fit4life998 said:
It's Good But You Have To Go Super Heavy For Results. What Are You Benching Now??? Slow Reps With Good Form Will Help. .....ya And A Buddy To Spot Too!
Click to expand...

305lb max flat benchpress. Do you see good results from decline?
 
Tweakle said:
10-15 degree decline is fine imo and will hit the chest just as much. The steeper benches make it into more of a partial movement
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I seem to get good results from the flat bench. I have only done decline on a bench that wasn't adjustable, I'll have to try it.
 
I don't normally, but I've injured my right shoulder/bicep flat benching, and the incline feels even worse. I'm now trying the decline press and so far there's less pain involved.
 
Powerbuilder333 said:
I don't normally, but I've injured my right shoulder/bicep flat benching, and the incline feels even worse. I'm now trying the decline press and so far there's less pain involved.
Click to expand...

Do you feel like you're getting the same work out of it?
 
I do decline press once a week. I work every muscle group twice a week except for legs. I use alternate workout on diffetent days so far i really like this routine i started a couple weeks ago.
 
I read once they had applied some electronic sensors somehow and found that decline bench incorporates more of the chest muscles than the pther two flavors of bench
 
PeterProud said:
I read once they had applied some electronic sensors somehow and found that decline bench incorporates more of the chest muscles than the pther two flavors of bench
Click to expand...

Really? Do you have a link by any chance?
 
Declines are supposed to help if you use a high arch when benching, but I've personally found decline presses to be of very little benefit.



:cow:
 
GEAR250 said:
Do you feel like you're getting the same work out of it?
Click to expand...
Not yet.
The movement still feels to ackward to pile on the weights.
Last chest day declines plus a vertical press machine with a parallel grip gave me my best pec day since August.
I generally hate machines, but when trying to train around an injury I'll do what it takes.
BTW, Dorian Yates used to do low (5 - 15%, I forget exactly) decline press with a Smith machine to train his pecs. So good results can be obtained if you have the desire.
 
GEAR250 said:
Do you perform dips on chest day? I usually do them on triceps day.
Click to expand...
i do and i use a dip machine (cause my gym dosent have a good dip bar) and i lean forward and have my elbows out to my sides as a press and i go for a deep streach ,works well so on a dip bar you would do the same thing ,elbows out and lean forward and go deep .this really hits the lower pecks .
 
1968Charger said:
i do and i use a dip machine (cause my gym dosent have a good dip bar) and i lean forward and have my elbows out to my sides as a press and i go for a deep streach ,works well so on a dip bar you would do the same thing ,elbows out and lean forward and go deep .this really hits the lower pecks .
Click to expand...

Great advice, thanks
 
I have used the exercise in the past, but lately, I have not done declines. I'd say it has been at least a year since I have used them. I prefer incline and flat bench presses.
 
IMO the decline bench press is garbage. I've never done it, ever.

The lower part of the chest is usually not the part that is underdeveloped on most guys anyway. But, if your lower chest is lacking, then go for it.

I think you can build a well rounded chest with only flat presses, incline presses and dips.
 
Woooo Done BB Decline Bench today. Twas ok, felt alot more awkward compared to when I use DB's. I say why not chuck then into a cycle, but MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A FREAKIN SPOTTER!


(I learnt the hard way)
 
deathdroprob said:
Woooo Done BB Decline Bench today. Twas ok, felt alot more awkward compared to when I use DB's. I say why not chuck then into a cycle, but MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A FREAKIN SPOTTER!


(I learnt the hard way)
Click to expand...

lol, always!
 
yeah, always a fun experience sitting there for about 3 minutes with 60kgs over your chest at the end of my routine, triceps to weak to push anymore lol
 
imo, the only reason people ever do decline is because you can handle more weight. break it down; it's a bench in a shorter range of motion. lower chest development? wtf? c'mon now. your muscles dont turn off if you're doing a certain lift a certain way. shit, even bending over involves too many muscles to list...the only reason to do decline is to offset boredom. my thoughts only of course, heheh.
 
declines are a waste.. just do dips instead, you'll work the tri's and chest better without doing some crazy upside down lift that ends up being a belly press when the weight gets heavy..
 
I personally don't like decline, as I feel it develops the titty look too much. I'd much rather hit incline, flat and then fly's. Just me though.
 
I believe it lets you handle much more weight which can be beneficial to flat bench. I was getting bored w/ flat and incline so I'm trying declines for a bit.

Also, the titty bitch look is from lower chest fat, not from having an over developed lower chest. You cannot change the shape of a muscle, you can only make it bigger or smaller.
 
artificialaspirations said:
I believe it lets you handle much more weight which can be beneficial to flat bench. I was getting bored w/ flat and incline so I'm trying declines for a bit.

Also, the titty bitch look is from lower chest fat, not from having an over developed lower chest. You cannot change the shape of a muscle, you can only make it bigger or smaller.
Click to expand...


your wrong...

i used to do nothing but flat, until my lower chest looked like tits... i stopped and started doing incline with flat to compensate, the incline definalty stops the tit look from happening..
 
upper chest may be the exception because it strengthens the entire shoulder girdle where decline mostly isolates chest.

Everything I have read says you cannot change a muscles shape, only its size in proportion to those around it. So your wrong...
 
BigboyAl said:
your wrong...

i used to do nothing but flat, until my lower chest looked like tits... i stopped and started doing incline with flat to compensate, the incline definalty stops the tit look from happening..
Click to expand...

Im not sure if I believe this. Could you please post a picture of those man titties?

I just started finishing my benching off with a set of declines. It seems to work well for me. I can really feel it in my chest.
 
on my chest heavy day:
Flat BB 3x5
Incline DB 3x5
Decline DB 3x5

I can always feel my chest working and contracting etc in different places.

If saying you can only make the muscle bigger and smaller, why do people do flies and inlcine decline work. I recently started doing Incline flies on my chest light day to try and target my upper inner chest.
 
I don't really use it. I use cables, pec deack and dips instead.
 
Declines are great to mix up the routine instead of doing the same shit week in week out. I use the heaviest dumbells i can push and usually for for 4 - 6 reps. God im sore the next day............. YEAH BUDDY !!! LIGHT WEIGHT BABY!
 
i love decline, try doing them with DBs for better muscle isolation. dips do hit the lower chest more, but decline is good to so just do both.
 
Powerbuilder333 said:
Not yet.
The movement still feels to ackward to pile on the weights.
Last chest day declines plus a vertical press machine with a parallel grip gave me my best pec day since August.
I generally hate machines, but when trying to train around an injury I'll do what it takes.
BTW, Dorian Yates used to do low (5 - 15%, I forget exactly) decline press with a Smith machine to train his pecs. So good results can be obtained if you have the desire.
Click to expand...

I tried this myself after reading about Dorian and lifted the front of the bench up a little (I used a block). It really does take a lot of stress of the shoulders but I wouldn't have called it a decline bench press, just a slight variation of a flat bench.
 
artificialaspirations said:
I believe it lets you handle much more weight which can be beneficial to flat bench. I was getting bored w/ flat and incline so I'm trying declines for a bit.

Also, the titty bitch look is from lower chest fat, not from having an over developed lower chest. You cannot change the shape of a muscle, you can only make it bigger or smaller.
Click to expand...

It's quite possible that decline bench develops the upper chest BETTER than inline bench.

Most people believe that you must push up to develop the upper chest, but I believe pushing up stresses the shoulders too much and works the upper chest less than both flat and decline bench.

Do an experiment. Push at different angles with one arm and feel the muscle tension in the pec with your other hand. The angle doesn't make any difference. It's the all or nothing principle, when the pec contracts it contracts as one unit.

If bodybuilders stopped doing incline bench presses in favour of decline work, perhaps we would see improved chest development in the long run, even if it was just a result of bodybuilders sustaining fewer shoulder injuries.
 
I would have to go with big fat weighted dips over declines on this one.

The downside is I have to work in one of those middle aged women and preppy gyms, it fine its got the stuff I need. I just think its funny cos the only dip rack it is possible to do weighted dips on is over in the 'quiet' part of the gym, its nice to slam the odd dumbell on the floor after your fifth set of grunting just to really shit up the old folk!
 
mad_monkey59 said:
I would have to go with big fat weighted dips over declines on this one.

The downside is I have to work in one of those middle aged women and preppy gyms, it fine its got the stuff I need. I just think its funny cos the only dip rack it is possible to do weighted dips on is over in the 'quiet' part of the gym, its nice to slam the odd dumbell on the floor after your fifth set of grunting just to really shit up the old folk!
Click to expand...

Weighted dips have their place, but it's a very haphazard type of exercise where a tremendous amount of bouncing and overstretching usually goes on. There's a big tendency to use a lot more weight than can be used in strict form. The body position can easily be altered to cheat the weight up and when the weight becomes too heavy, the range of motion is shortened to compensate.

I'd recommend anyone with bad shoulders to give them a miss and do strict decline bench presses instead.
 
tropo said:
Weighted dips have their place, but it's a very haphazard type of exercise where a tremendous amount of bouncing and overstretching usually goes on. There's a big tendency to use a lot more weight than can be used in strict form. The body position can easily be altered to cheat the weight up and when the weight becomes too heavy, the range of motion is shortened to compensate.

I'd recommend anyone with bad shoulders to give them a miss and do strict decline bench presses instead.
Click to expand...

You could say the same of bench press, squats and deads. Any movement can exasperate injury OR be shortened, misused and over weighted.

The movement is only as good as the form you use it in - there is no reason to discount it because some people have a tendancy to cheat their way through it.
 
mad_monkey59 said:
You could say the same of bench press, squats and deads. Any movement can exasperate injury OR be shortened, misused and over weighted.

The movement is only as good as the form you use it in - there is no reason to discount it because some people have a tendancy to cheat their way through it.
Click to expand...

I don't discount dips, but I feel the decline bench is a lot easier to control and to load than wacking a heavy dumbbell around your waste and then hoisting yourself into position. There's a lot more to think about such as elbow postion, depth and the angle of the push, and eventhough it's easy to get into loose form on any exercise, with dips it's almost a certainty for most people.

Another problem with dips is that heavy people start out with quite a lot of weight (bodyweight) from their very first set, so warmups can be problematic for some.

I've always done a lot of dips in the past, but as I'm getting older I'm trying to save my joints from excessive stress i.e. train heavy in the safest possible way. I feel dips stress the shoulder joint a lot more than decline benches.
 
tropo said:
I don't discount dips, but I feel the decline bench is a lot easier to control and to load than wacking a heavy dumbbell around your waste and then hoisting yourself into position. There's a lot more to think about such as elbow postion, depth and the angle of the push, and eventhough it's easy to get into loose form on any exercise, with dips it's almost a certainty for most people.

Another problem with dips is that heavy people start out with quite a lot of weight (bodyweight) from their very first set, so warmups can be problematic for some.

I've always done a lot of dips in the past, but as I'm getting older I'm trying to save my joints from excessive stress i.e. train heavy in the safest possible way. I feel dips stress the shoulder joint a lot more than decline benches.
Click to expand...

I completely agree.

- I didn't understand the context of what you were arguing.

I think dips as a movement are fantastic. However any old idiot can butcher any movement by using too much weight or too little ROM, but under various circumstances - being heavy, getting older and so on - declines will make your movements much more succint and safe.

However, I personally feel that one on one - in regards to gains - declines give me better results.

- Personal opinion, ask me again in 15 years!
 
mad_monkey59 said:
I completely agree.

- I didn't understand the context of what you were arguing.

I think dips as a movement are fantastic. However any old idiot can butcher any movement by using too much weight or too little ROM, but under various circumstances - being heavy, getting older and so on - declines will make your movements much more succint and safe.

However, I personally feel that one on one - in regards to gains - declines give me better results.
- Personal opinion, ask me again in 15 years!
Click to expand...

Sorry, I'm confused, I thought you preferred weighted dips.

I hope I'm still training in 15 years time. If I am, I'll ask you again.
 
I loved decline untill I injured my shoulder, still do it but will way less weight. Shoulder still pops while in that movement.
 
trizo said:
I loved decline untill I injured my shoulder, still do it but will way less weight. Shoulder still pops while in that movement.
Click to expand...

Perhaps that a good warning sign to drop it from your routine. Exercises which cause injury and don't allow you to increase weight don't really belong in your routine. You'd be better off to find exercises which feel good...there's usually something.
 
tropo said:
Perhaps that a good warning sign to drop it from your routine. Exercises which cause injury and don't allow you to increase weight don't really belong in your routine. You'd be better off to find exercises which feel good...there's usually something.
Click to expand...

Yeah I did dips along with my decline on chest days along with flys. I guess I could kill that movement and see how I develop. Thx bro! :mix:
 
I'm always doing some decline movement, but I mix it up. Decline bench (bar and DB), dips, decline cable presses and flyes, and of course the hammer strength decline press - which enables me to go heavy without a spot (or risking decapitation). I find the mix keeps the muscle guessing, soI don't get into a rut. I'd have to say that decline hammer strength and decline db press are my staples.
 
Selfcentor said:
Kills my shoulders even with proper form...Only can do dumbells
Click to expand...


Yes ^^

I do it cause I have a bit of a bird chest and need the defination down there.

Wish i didnt have to rushes blood to my head and is not pleasent, plus I do heavy enough weight that when I try to set up I feel like I'm gonna fall off or use all my energy to just get set up right.

Hate it but need it
 
Cheeseburger Eddy said:
imo, the only reason people ever do decline is because you can handle more weight. break it down; it's a bench in a shorter range of motion. lower chest development? wtf? c'mon now. your muscles dont turn off if you're doing a certain lift a certain way. shit, even bending over involves too many muscles to list...the only reason to do decline is to offset boredom. my thoughts only of course, heheh.
Click to expand...
That is Mark Rippetoe's opinion exactly. He says that there is no reason to ever do the decline due to the limited range of motion causes by the angle. And we've already gone over the fact (in another thread) that the chest is one large muscle and you can't isolate the upper portion from the lower or middle. just stick with flat bench presses and weighted dips. It will give you all that you need...
 
deathdroprob said:
If saying you can only make the muscle bigger and smaller, why do people do flies and inlcine decline work. I recently started doing Incline flies on my chest light day to try and target my upper inner chest.
Click to expand...
You ask a great question, and here is the answer - decline presses and flyes are complete waste of time. If it isn't flat presses or weighted dips, then it's for shit. It is a scientific fact that you can not change the shape of your muscle. You can only make them bigger. With that in mind, exercises like flyes, which cause you to drop the amount of weight while simultaneously isloating the muscle, are less than pointless.
 
GEAR250 said:
I am considering adding the decline benchpress to my chest routine. I normally do flat bench/dumbbell presses, and the incline versions of the same excercises.

My question is, how many of you perform decline presses in your workout?
Click to expand...

I love this exercise. definitely has its place in a routine.
 
Absolutely no reason to do an exercise that lets you load the pecs with heavy weight while minimizing shoulder stress.. I totally agree, the decline is worthless. Unless you want a bigger chest.
 
Tweakle said:
Absolutely no reason to do an exercise that lets you load the pecs with heavy weight while minimizing shoulder stress.. I totally agree, the decline is worthless. Unless you want a bigger chest.
Click to expand...

lol...nice! I agree it helps for overall chest development and it's an underrated exercise for the most part.
 
I'm an agnostic on decline presses.

The bottom line, though, is that there are obviously MUCH better exercises to do... so why even waste time discussing it.

Decline may or may not be a "decent" chest exercise... but why not do the GREAT chest exercises and leave the decent ones for uneducated nobs.

I've also got to add a caveat here... declines on a Hammer machine seem to really isolate pecs differently than with a barbell. I'd be very interested to see what the long term effect is of comparing declines on a Hammer machine vs. barbell. I would wager that the Hammer declines are a worthwhile exercises if done correctly.
 
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