This change in angle allows you to target your muscles in a different way. Dumbbell bench pressing will let your arms move in a more natural pattern and you will still hit the lower and upper pec evenly without the pain. It's similar to an upward facing dog pose in … Dr. Bailey is also an Anatomy and Physiology professor. She is a former American College of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer and currently works as a Level 1 CrossFit coach. Also do NOT use what is known as a false grip where the thumb is wrapped around with the fingers. In a decline position, all fibers—including the clavicular fibers—are stretched at the bottom position of the decline chest press. View Profile View Forum Posts No Ka … Russell Andrews is a Chiropractor, certified in kettlebells, functional movement and strength and conditioning. "If your out of breath, dizzy, feel like vomiting, can't remember your name, you are on the right road". Press J to jump to the feed. Equipment is important in this exercise. The bench press is one of the "big" lifts. The flat bench press is arguably the best exercise for building absolute pressing strength due to the use of large muscle groups from a stabilized position. 2021 The risk of injury could be dramatically reduced, simply by stopping short of having the bar touch your chest (stopping when your arms are parallel to the ground) – but then the range of motion would be even shorter, and the exercise would come no closer to achieving a pectoral contraction. Whether you call it the decline chest press or bench press, the exercise involves lowering your weight bench to create a downward angle. Second, with the overhead demands of weightlifting, the shoulders need to be taken care of. A study conducted at Wayne State College in Nebraska demonstrated that both upperand lower-pec fibers are engaged during decline press (-15 degrees) while only upper-pec fibers are engaged during incline press (+30 degrees). The decline chest press offers muscular and functional benefits to your upper body routine. Thank you for signing up. https://www.livestrong.com › article › 473286-pros-cons-of-a-decline-bench-press The bench press tends to be more of a linear movement, pushing the hands forward and OUTWARD. History of Equipment . Just when you bench make sure you have proper form, and a spotter. Muscleandfitness.com is part of A360 Media LLC Fitness & Health Network. Evolution continues. This workout combines cardio and weight-lifting drills for serious body-sculpting results. Although it is a great movement, you should still be cautious when doing declines, and especially if you go heavy. LIVESTRONG is a registered trademark of the LIVESTRONG Foundation. However, the bench press arch removes most of these factors, because your spine isn't directly loaded by the bar. However, the actual amount of volume you can press will be outstanding. In this article, we discuss the mechanics of the bench press arch, and dive into whether or not it's safe and should be considered cheating. When we’re referencing true “impingement” syndrome with most guys, many will light up when they reach roughly 80-90 degrees of shoulder flexion. All rights reserved. decline is good because you use more chest and less front delts. To a lesser extent, it also works the upper pectoralis major, anterior deltoids and triceps. If your goal is a lean physique and serious striations, take these tips from The King. Why … Use a regular grip on the bar. To stabilize the weight overhead in an incline position, the lower-pec fibers must not contract fully. The reason why comes down to the shoulder blades. It's reached almost mythic status among lifters, and most would be gravely concerned if a potential training program didn't include it. The bench press activates the front shoulder muscles known as the anterior deltoids as synergists, or muscles that help other muscles complete a movement, but a declined angle may reduce the focus on the delts. Because of the structure of the pectoralis muscle, it can and should be trained at a variety of angles. In actuality, the Decline Bench may be more beneficial than the standard Bench Press for building chest … Read more: Alternative Exercises for Bench Pressing. Archived. AT A GLANCE. Aubrey Bailey is a Doctor of Physical Therapy with an additional degree in psychology and board certification in hand therapy. 03-14-2007, 06:09 PM #6. parkerbro1. If they were, professional athletes would not be doing them, and instead be doing a different type of chest and tricep workout. The flat bench press does a better job of developing your pecs. The decline bench press primarily targets the lower part of the pectoralis major muscles. Sign up below to receive our newest workout routines, recipes, news stories, and offers from our partners, Don't let the lack of the short term energy supply kill your goals and gains. www.mindandmuscle.net. Eric Cressey noted this point yesterday during a staff in-service and is something he’s goes into much more detail on in his Elite Training Mentorship series. Consider adding it to work the lower portion of your chest. If you want your legs to grow, the leg press can be a good way to add volume to your workouts without risking failure under the bar. User account menu. Follow these fit women we're crushing on for inspiration, workout ideas, and motivation. What Are the Benefits of a Decline Dumbbell Press? Read more: Decline Crunches vs. Decline Sit-Ups. Voters 18. You can't have a conversation about the decline bench press without mentioning its sister, the incline bench press, which puts the bench at a raised (rather than lowered) angle. Posted by 5 years ago. Muscles Worked The incline version allows you to work on the anterior deltoid… Unlike the bench press, bridging or even just arching is not really possible. The material appearing on LIVESTRONG.COM is for educational use only. Does anyone incorporate this into their chest workout? Decline bench press strength standards help you to compare your one-rep max lift with other lifters at your bodyweight. Decline bench presses induce greater overall activation of the pecs compared with the incline bench. In addition to fitness experience including USFCA fencing discipline, stage combat, track and equestrian training, Dan has contributed health and fitness-oriented content to AZCentral, SportsRec, JillianMichaels.com, ModernMom, The Nest and more. Let's talk about decline bench. Log In Sign Up. 1 decade ago. It is alot more beneficial to have a spotter because you can really push yourself on the last 2 or 3 reps. 0 0. Strength and Conditioning Research: "Bench Press", PARTNER & LICENSEE OF THE LIVESTRONG FOUNDATION. The same study found that decline bench press six-repetition max performance improved with a wider grip position versus narrow or medium grips. . Because of the direction of the fibers making up the lower half of the pec, their contraction pulls the arms toward the feet. Even good technique will only get the second group so far. Leaf Group Ltd. As a rule of thumb, your forearms should be pretty much vertical at the bottom of a rep, with an overhand grip for a standard decline press. Decline-pressing movements target only the lower pecs, leaving the upper chest underdeveloped. It should not be Use The Leg Press If… You need assistance work. After 50 years of gym dominance — and verifiable benefits for building strength and sculpting the pecs — the barbell bench press isn't going anywhere, but it's worth a nuanced view. View Poll Results: Is the decline bench press good or bad? The decline bench press targets your lower chest. and | Livestrong.com When doing decline bench press, you may notice it’s much easier to get the weight up. You are somewhat mimicking the bench press of a decline by doing an arch. With the right plan and the right discipline, you can get seriously shredded in just 28 days. Anonymous. Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the LIVESTRONG.COM advertisements are served by third party advertising companies. If the bar slips, it is game over. 80. Able To Use Heavier Weights. Using A Decline On Bench Can Carry Over And Improve Your Arch Benching If you “Arch” when you bench press it’s great to train with a decline. If you like flat barbell bench pressing and want to add in some incline spice: Test the waters and see if you prefer barbell or dumbbell incline bench pressing. Like a flat bench, a decline bench press has the potential to build both upper body power and muscle, but it doesn't recruit key shoulder muscles and it may even cause shoulder strain. The decline bench press is a pressing exercise that may or may not find its way into your training routine. The bench press is one of those movements with seemingly endless alterations and variations. 80. Though the lowered position of the decline press aims to boost your range of motion, you can seriously stunt that range if your grip is too wide. Always make sure you have a spotter when you do decline bench presses. For the latter, a bench angled between -18 and 0 degrees offers the most impact. When having to choose between incline or decline presses, be mindful that because the upper pecs are engaged during both incline and decline bench positions, while the lower pecs are only engaged during decline pressing, incline bench should not serve as the sole pec movement if full pec development is the goal. There's a gym myth that doing the Decline Bench Press actually flattens your chest. used as a substitute for professional medical advice, As an added bonus, varying this exercise can reduce overall stress through your shoulders, elbows and wrists as each one targets chest and arm muscles a little differently. The first incline benches available were generally garbage. SENTENCING Because of the structure of the pectoralis muscle, it can and should be trained at a variety of angles. any of the products or services that are advertised on the web site. Our decline bench press standards are based on 97,000 lifts by Strength Level users. Thus, even the clavicular or upper fibers of the pecs contract to push the bar up from a decline position. Bench press die-hards invented the decline bench press for a reason, and that reason is that they wanted a more intense focus on stimulating the chest muscles. The LIVESTRONG Foundation and LIVESTRONG.COM do not endorse Ultimately, it’s a matter of preference and what your goals are. is this good or bad? On the other hand, the decline bench press is performed by lowering the bench to an angle of about 15-30 degrees. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Copyright Policy The decline bench press is an effective flat bench alternative that will change the angle and tension placed on the chest; increasing the likelihood of new stimulus to the working muscle and therefore an increased probability of muscle growth in size and strength. Put even more bluntly, the bench press doesn't promote healthy shoulders. Many guys enjoy benching because it's a great way to get their man card from their gym buddies or get a much-needed ego boost every now and then. The decline bench press works your chest and arms. If you're looking to work the triceps, a secondary muscle group engaged by the bench press, decline and flat bench angles are your best bet, versus an incline bench press, which causes increased activation of the biceps brachii. Both offer similar overall engagement of the clavicular head of the chest (the upper pecs), but the flat and decline positions recruit the sternocostal head muscles (the lower pecs) a bit more than the incline press, according to a June 2017 study published by Journal of Human Kinetics. You may not vote on this poll. Whether the bench press is good, bad, or ugly, let's lower the premium placed on the bench press and put athletic training priority in its proper order, the bench press should be last on the list. I never really have. There is also a general consensus among professionals that regular bench pressing can lead to reduced "bad" cholesterol and an increased amount of "good" cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart-related diseases. They may simply be contraindicated for benching, due to the nature of that lift and their body. Close . As a subtle variation on a classic, the decline bench press comes with some naturally subtle perks and drawbacks of its own, too. With an arch bench press you are trying to almost put your body in a decline position. A Doctor of physical Therapy with an additional degree in psychology and board certification hand! N'T promote healthy shoulders no Ka … even good technique will only get the weight overhead an! The overhead demands of weightlifting, the shoulders need to be more of a decline position seriously in. And had no attached racks the chest that flat and incline benches don ’ t, ” says. 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