BIP.

Exercise library · Chest

Decline bench press

Horizontal press for the chest with a barbell.

How to do it

1 of 3

Hook your legs under the pads

  1. Starting position

    Lie on a decline bench with your legs secured under the pads and grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width.

  2. The movement

    Lower the bar with control toward your lower chest, then press it straight up until your arms are straight.

Most common mistake

Don't lower the bar toward your neck, aim for your lower chest and keep your body firmly against the bench.

Watch the video larger →

Muscle group
Chest
Equipment
Barbell
Where
Gym
Logged as
Weight × reps

Muscles worked

The decline bench press trains the same muscles as the flat bench press, but the angle shifts the emphasis towards the lower part of your chest. Your triceps help straighten your arms, and the front of your shoulders usually does a little less than on a flat bench. The bar travels a shorter distance, so many people lift about as much as on a flat bench, sometimes more. Your legs are hooked under the pads and cannot drive into the floor.

Common mistakes

  • Unracking the bar on your own. From a decline bench it is hard to bring the bar out over your chest without losing your position. When the weight is heavy, ask someone to hand it out and help you rack it.
  • Setting the bench steeper than needed. A steep angle makes the movement very short, and many people feel an unpleasant pressure in their head. A slight decline, roughly 15 to 30 degrees, is usually enough.
  • Sitting straight up after the set. Your head has been lower than your hips, and many people feel light-headed if they get up quickly. Rack the bar, lie still for a couple of breaths, then sit up slowly.

Variations and alternatives

  • The bench press on a flat bench is the main lift, and the obvious choice when there is no decline bench or spotter.
  • Chest dips also work the lower chest, with your body weight and a forward lean.
  • Cable flyes with the pulleys set high and a downward pull target the same part of your chest without a bar.

Sets and reps

The decline press usually comes second in a session, after a flat bench or dumbbell press. In that slot, 6 to 12 reps over 3 to 4 sets suits building muscle. As a heavy main lift with 3 to 6 reps it needs a spotter, as decline benches rarely sit in a rack with safety arms. The guide to sets and reps explains how reps and sets relate to your goal.

Add a rep or two at a time, and raise the weight by 2.5 kg once every set hits the top of its rep range. That is progressive overload.

Swap for

Taken, or missing the equipment? The same movement with something else.

Want it in a programme?

Tell BIP your goal and your equipment, and BIP builds a week with sets, reps and rest worked out. You log your weights as you train and watch yourself get stronger. The first week is free.

Create a programme →