Decline Barbell Bench PressMuscles Worked
The decline barbell bench press works your chest, especially the lower pecs, with your front delts and triceps helping. The decline shortens the bar's path, so most lifters can handle more weight here than on a flat bench.
How to do it
- Hook your legs under the foot pads of a decline bench and lie back with your eyes under the bar.
- Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width and get a spotter to help you unrack it.
- Hold the bar over your lower chest on straight arms, with your shoulder blades pulled back.
- Lower the bar slowly until it touches your lower chest.
- Press it back up to straight arms, then rack it with your spotter's help after the last rep.
Form tips
- Train with a spotter, because unracking and racking from the decline angle is awkward to do alone.
- Keep the bar path over your lower chest, since letting it drift toward your neck is the most common mistake.
Why it made the list
No. 12 of 13
Best Chest Exercises
Allows the heaviest loading of any chest angle. Reduced shoulder stress compared to flat bench. Strong lower chest builder.
More chest exercises
See it on your own body map
Log your Decline Barbell Bench Press sets in KasMaker and watch your chest, shoulders, and triceps fill in on the map, weighted by how much you did. Logging and the body map are free on iPhone.
