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LiftSets / Exercises / Decline Barbell Bench Press

Decline Barbell Bench Press

Works the chest. Helped by the shoulders, triceps.

Decline Barbell Bench Press, start position, with the working muscles highlighted
Start
Decline Barbell Bench Press, finish position, with the working muscles highlighted
Finish

Bright blue is the target muscle. Darker blue is helping. The app shows this as a moving demo.

Muscles worked

chestshoulderstriceps

How many reps

GoalReps per set
Strength3-6
Muscle size6-10
Endurance12-20+

Whatever the number, the set should end within a rep or two of the point where you could not do another with good form.

Kitbarbell
Levelbeginner

What to think about

How to do it

  1. Secure your legs at the end of the decline bench and slowly lay down on the bench.
  2. 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.
  3. As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your lower chest.
  4. 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).
  5. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
  6. When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.

Other exercises for the chest

Track it in LiftSets

Log decline barbell bench press with last time's numbers in front of you, a rest timer on your lock screen and a graph of your progress.

Coming soon to the App Store