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Exercise guide

Decline Barbell Bench Press

How to do the Decline Barbell Bench Press with correct form, the muscles it works, and where it fits a training plan you actually stick to.

CompoundBarbellBeginnerPush
Primary muscles

Chest

Secondary

Shoulders, Triceps

Equipment

Barbell

Step by step

How to do the Decline Barbell Bench Press

  1. 1

    Secure your legs at the end of the decline bench and slowly lay down on the bench.

  2. 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. 3

    As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your lower chest.

  4. 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. 5

    Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.

  6. 6

    When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.

In Ascend

Log it, see it on your body.

Every Decline Barbell Bench Press set you log feeds Ascend's anatomy heatmap — so your chest volume is visible at a glance — and counts toward your bodyweight-strength tier.

Related

More chest exercises

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