The decline dumbbell press primarily works your chest muscles, followed by your shoulders and triceps. This exercise has numerous advantages. Decline dumbbell presses help build definition in the lower portion of your pectoral, or chest, muscles. Using dumbbells also may speed visible results. That's because dumbbells allow you to gain a greater range of motion than a barbell. They also require your body to work harder when you perform lifts. Always gain instruction on proper technique and check with a health care provider before performing a new exercise.
Muscle Emphasis
The decline dumbbell press emphasizes the lower fibers of your pectoralis major, or chest, muscles. This creates a more symmetrical, balanced look in the chest area. While primarily used to gain better definition in your lower chest muscles, you also may use the decline dumbbell press to add triceps definition. To get this extra benefit, flex your triceps as hard as you can when you reach the top of the dumbbell press movement.
Advantages
Using dumbbells helps to correct imbalance if the muscles on one side of your body are stronger than those on the other. Dumbbells as opposed to a barbell also allows for a deeper range of motion during the bench press. This increased range of motion is especially advantageous if you have short arms. A few inches can make for a large difference when it comes to seeing results. Dumbbells also require your triceps and deltoids -- the stabilizer muscles for the bench press -- to work harder because you must make more effort to balance the dumbbells. Over time this factor helps you improve coordination. However, it's also wise to have a partner spot you. Use a moderate amount of weight until you get a good feel for performing this exercise with dumbbells.
Combinations
The decline dumbbell press is useful as part of an extended-set training in which you do variations of an exercise from hardest to easiest. Perform an extended-set bench press by doing a set of dumbbell presses on an incline set at 30 to 45 degrees, then immediately adjust your bench and do a set on a flat bench. Readjust the bench and do your decline dumbbell presses, recommends "Encyclopedia of Muscle and Strength," author James Stoppani. By progressively moving your body into a position that makes the exercise easier to perform, you increase intensity because you're able to do more repetitions before hitting muscle failure. You also increase the number of muscle fibers targeted in the muscle group you are working.
Considerations
You only need a 10-degree decline to achieve results with the decline dumbbell press, according to "Effective Strength Training," by Douglas Brooks. If you don't have a decline bench with roller pads, you can get this decline with a 4-inch platform secured under one end of a bench. If you use this set up place feet hip-width apart on the floor. If you create an extreme decline you'll transfer more of the work for this exercise to your shoulder muscles. Also avoid rotating your thumbs out or in because this will stress your shoulder joints. Also avoid an excessive range of motion because this will put too much torque on your shoulder muscles. To get the most of your exercise maintain a wrist position that keeps your dumbbells parallel to the floor instead of allowing your dumbbells to tilt.
References
- Muscle and Fitness : "Close-Grip Decline Dumbbell Press"; Bill Geiger; July 27, 2010
- "Effective Strength Training"; Douglas Brooks; 2001
- "Bodybuilding 101"; Robert Wolff; 1999
- "Encyclopedia of Muscle and Strength"; James Stoppani; 2006
- "The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding"; Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bill Dobbins; 1998
- "Bodybuilding 101"; Robert Wolff; 1999
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