Decline Barbell Bench Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a barbell.
Starting position
End position
How to Do Decline Barbell Bench Press
- Secure your legs at the end of the decline bench and slowly lay down on the bench.
- 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.
- As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your lower chest.
- 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).
- Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
- When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.
Muscles Worked
Alternatives to Decline Barbell Bench Press
10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.
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1
Bench Press - With Bands
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a resistance band.
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2
Decline Dumbbell Bench Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using dumbbells.
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3
Decline Smith Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a machine.
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4
Dumbbell Bench Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using dumbbells.
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5
Dumbbell Bench Press with Neutral Grip
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using dumbbells.
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6
Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using dumbbells.
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7
Leverage Decline Chest Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a machine.
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8
Machine Bench Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a machine.
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9
One Arm Dumbbell Bench Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using dumbbells.
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10
Smith Machine Bench Press
A beginner compound strength exercise that works the chest, using a machine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles do decline barbell bench press work?
Decline Barbell Bench Press primarily works the chest. The shoulders and triceps assist as secondary muscles.
What equipment do I need for decline barbell bench press?
Decline Barbell Bench Press uses barbell.
Decline Barbell Bench Press: is it suitable for beginners?
Yes. Decline Barbell Bench Press is rated beginner. Movements you can learn in a session, with a low skill floor and a forgiving failure mode.
What can I do instead of decline barbell bench press?
Bench Press - With Bands, Decline Dumbbell Bench Press, Decline Smith Press train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.
Can Fitnit count my decline barbell bench press reps automatically?
Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; decline barbell bench press can be logged manually in the app, and tracked movements are added over time.
Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.
Track Your Decline Barbell Bench Press with AI
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