A well-trained lower chest is essential for achieving a full, great-shaped, muscular, and aesthetic chest. Probably one of the most trained body parts amongst gym enthusiasts, creating a sculpted and round chest is one of every gym-goer's main objectives. To fulfill such a desire, many individuals target the lower chest to get a fuller look, with the decline bench press being the most used exercise. This movement is popular thanks to its reputation of emphasizing the lower part of the chest, rather than the normal bench press where the focus is divided throughout the whole chest.
But does the decline bench truly isolate the whole muscular stress to the lower chest? Is the decline bench the best way to work the lower chest? There are many misconceptions about exercise. Thankfully, we will explain all the key aspects of both the chest and the exercise, finding out the truth about the true effects the decline chest press has.
Understanding the Anatomy of the Chest
The chest is one of the body’s most important parts when it comes to showing muscular anatomy. With a round and full look, having a muscular chest is essential to looking good. But first, we need to understand the anatomy of the chest, which parts it is made of, and how important these parts are.
The chest is mainly formed by the pectoralis major, which is a large muscle found in the upper part of the torso. The pectoralis major is responsible for a great part of the pressing and pushing motions made, not only in gym exercises but also in everyday life actions.
Essentially, the chest is divided into three parts, with each part being activated through a different motion:
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Upper Chest: Found near the collarbone, this portion of the chest (pectoralis major) is usually activated with incline presses and overhead pressing movements. Usually, movements that involve the upper chest tend to involve the shoulders as well.
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Middle Chest: the largest part of the chest, the middle chest is responsible for the great part of the pressing movements with much less stress than the upper chest. This part is responsible for the overall chest thickness and the fuller look of the chest.
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Lower Chest: located under the middle chest, the lower chest contributes to the “rounded” look of the chest. It has much less stress than the two other parts, which means that movements involving the lower chest can be done with much higher intensity and weight.
Each of the mentioned parts plays a huge role when it comes to achieving a much fuller chest, therefore, it’s very important to know when we are activating specific parts of the chest when doing concrete exercises. But how do these exercises work?
How the Decline Bench Press Works
Before diving into and discussing the true potential and the importance of the decline bench press movement, we must first explain the movement and the muscular activation when doing this exercise.
To correctly do the decline bench press, it’s important to master the basics of the exercise. The movement starts even before doing the actual motion, by positioning the bench on a downward angle (15-30º) as it provides much higher muscular stress to the lower chest whilst reducing such stress from the shoulders. Then, with the bench correctly positioned, pick the weight up and slowly move it down until it touches the lower chest, slowly moving it upwards.
Different from the flat bench press and the incline bench press, the decline bench press gives more emphasis to only the lower chest, while the two other variations, the flat and the incline press, work the middle portion of the chest and the upper portion and deltoids, respectively.
Electromyography studies have been conducted to analyze how different chest movements affect muscular activation throughout the different parts of the pectoralis major to prove the correct muscular activation of the lower chest. Although results may vary from study to study, the decline bench press slightly increases muscular activation in the lower part of the chest, although this activation is not very significant, making the decline bench press a complementary exercise.
Benefits of the Decline Bench Press for the Lower Chest
Although studies have found the decline bench press to be a more complementary exercise, it still has great importance when it comes to training the lower chest. These benefits are:
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Isolated Lower Chest Activation: Although already discussed, one of the primary reasons lifters choose the decline bench press as part of their routine is thanks to the isolated muscular activation on the lower chest. By reducing stress from the shoulders, the motion is much easier, and muscular stress is higher in the trained area.
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Improved Chest Aesthetics: A fully developed chest looks great; that’s no mystery. Therefore, using the decline bench press to train the lower chest with much more stress enables a much fuller and more aesthetic look to the chest.
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Reduced Shoulder Strain: This has already been discussed throughout this article, but one of the main reasons many gym-goers add this exercise to their routine is the reduced shoulder strain and the much lower stress on the shoulder area.
Decline Bench Press 101: Proper Technique
A great exercise is nothing if the technique isn’t great. Thankfully, mastering the motion of the decline bench press is much easier than it looks. Here’s a step-by-step guide for perfect execution:
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Set Up the Bench: Before starting the movement, put the weight bench on a downward angle between 15-30º.
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Position Your Body: Secure your legs under the padding, locking your feet so there isn’t any movement whilst performing the exercise.
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Grip the Bar Correctly: before picking up the weight, ensure your hands are positioned slightly wider than the shoulders.
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Lower the Bar with Control: Once positioned, lower the bar down towards the lower chest, keeping your elbows at a 45º angle to prevent any possible injuries and ensuring the correct realization of the exercise.
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Press the Weight Up: Once the weight is brought down, push the weight upwards, engaging the chest and the triceps during the movement.
Now that you know how to do the exercise properly, you must look for many common mistakes made during the exercise to ensure correct muscular stress:
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Excessive Back Arch: Overarching the lower back can reduce the exercise’s effectiveness whilst increasing the possible risk of injury.
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Incorrect Bar Placement: try maintaining consistent movement; lowering the bar too high will result in other muscles being activated and much less stress being targeted to the lower chest.
Decline Bench Press vs Other Chest Exercises
Now that we know and master everything regarding the lower chest press, it’s important to differentiate the movement from other chest-related exercises:
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Flat Bench Press: Compared to the flat bench press, the decline bench press has several benefits when it comes to working the lower chest. Although the flat bench press activates the lower area of the chest, it doesn’t do so with as much stress as the decline bench press, as it works the chest much more evenly. However, the flat bench press is the go-to exercise for many beginners because it is performed at a more natural pressing angle.
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Incline Bench Press: The decline and the incline bench presses differ drastically from one another. Both exercises complement each other, as they both allow for fuller chest development. The incline bench press allows for a greater activation of the upper chest.
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Alternative Exercises: Many different exercises can be done to train the lower chest, especially when it comes to training at home. Exercises such as push-up variations or cable crossovers work excellently when it comes to activating the lower chest, making them great alternatives.
Does the Decline Bench Press Build the Lower Chest Effectively?
There are many questions surrounding the decline bench press and to what extent it works the chest out. Thankfully, there have been many studies that have carefully looked at the true activation of the chest when doing the decline bench press. However, these studies have failed to show that the decline bench press is truly superior to other pressing movements, making it a more complementary exercise, as other exercises can provide similar or better results.
Expert gym-goers tend to recommend other exercises to train the lower chest, with dips being the most popular exercise for lower chest activation amongst health experts and professional bodybuilders. This is thanks to the ability to engage the whole chest in a natural range of motion, totally different from the decline chest press, which must be done in an unnatural position.
How and When to Add the Decline Bench Press to Your Workout Routine
The decline chest press, as stated before after analyzing different studies, is a great complementary exercise that can be done alongside other movements to achieve a much better chest. But when should I do this exercise? How much volume? Which exercises do I combine the decline bench press with?
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When to Use: ideally after flat or incline presses, as it provides for a much-varied workout.
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Frequency and Volume: 2/3 times per week for faster and balanced growth, ideally 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps.
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Other Exercises to Combine With: dips, normal chest presses, push-ups, cable crossovers…
Sadly, there are many limitations when it comes to doing the decline bench press, one of the main reasons being the lack of equipment to do such a movement. If you are planning to choose a fitness bench, among the many fitness benches on the market, you can take a look at Flybird's bench. FLYBIRD provides one of the best decline benches on the market at a very competitive price, providing quality for all budgets. The FB299 is a very popular one among consumers on the market because it is one of the most versatile benches that can be used for all types of workouts.
Include:
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Decline push-ups: great bodyweight option with no equipment.
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Dips: Regarded as the best alternative, thanks to its natural range of motion.
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Dumbbell Pullovers: Provide for a much better stretch of the lower chest.
Conclusion
The decline bench press is a great exercise that helps create a much fuller look to the chest whilst providing great muscular stress on the lower chest area. Although scientific studies question its true potential, with other exercises providing equal or greater muscular activation, it’s still a great complementary exercise that works well on any chest routine.
Now that you know all the basics and the theory is out of the way, if this exercise interests you, why not put the decline press into practice? If you have any feedback on the decline press, please leave it in the comments section. We’d love to hear from you!
