The decline bench press is an excellent exercise for developing the size and strength in your chest, shoulders and triceps. While many people often think of it as an exercise predominantly targeted at training the lower chest muscles, it actually hits the entire muscle. To perform a decline bench press, set your bench to between a 15- and 30-degree decline, grasp the bar with your hands about 18 inches apart, and utilize a full range of motion on every rep.
Muscles Worked
Decline bench presses mainly work your chest muscles, with some involvement of your shoulders and triceps. Your chest, or pectoral muscles, are responsible for two main actions -- flexion and adduction of your upper arm. Both of these happen during the upward phase of a decline bench. Your shoulder muscles also aid in flexion and adduction, as well as helping to stabilize your shoulder joint, and your triceps work to extend your arm in the top part of the lift.
Bodybuilding
The declined bench press is a commonly seen exercise in many bodybuilding routines. While many might consider it to be an exercise that targets mostly the fibers of the lower chest muscles, according to former Mr. Olympia bodybuilding champion Dorian Yates, decline bench presses hit your entire chest muscle, and were one of the main exercise he used during his bodybuilding career.
Improving Strength
Declined bench presses can be used to effectively increase your upper body strength. Most people when training for strength tend to stick to regular flat bench presses, which is perfectly acceptable, however you should be able to lift slightly more when the bench is at a slight decline. Handling heavier weights can help you to increase your strength levels, so if that's your goal, then declined bench presses may be a better exercise choice for you.
Benefits Over Regular Bench Presses
Regular flat bench presses are great, as they help to build upper body strength, and are one of the three lifts in a powerlifting competition. However, they can be stressful on your joints, particularly your shoulders and elbows. Decline bench presses remove some of the shoulder joint involvement, reducing stress to it, and also force you to keep your elbows tucked in more, which again aids in reducing the risk of joint injuries. It is also easier to rack and unrack a declined bench press, making it a slightly safer exercise.
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