Decline Barbell Bench Press

How to do the Decline Barbell Bench Press

1. Secure your legs at the end of the decline bench and slowly lay down on the bench.
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. As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your lower chest.
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. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
6. When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.

Muscles worked

Role	Muscles
Primary	chest
Secondary	shoulders, triceps
Equipment	barbell
Difficulty	beginner
Type	compound

No barbell? Train the same muscles with these

Ordered by how likely you are to own the 6 options.

Clock Push-Up Bodyweight Decline Push-Up Bodyweight Incline Push-Up Bodyweight Incline Push-Up Medium Bodyweight Incline Push-Up Reverse Grip Bodyweight Incline Push-Up Wide Bodyweight

Harder than the Decline Barbell Bench Press

Plyo Kettlebell Pushups expert · Kettlebell Flat Bench Cable Flyes intermediate · Cable Machine Incline Cable Flye intermediate · Cable Machine

Superset the Decline Barbell Bench Press with

Opposing middle back work — alternate sets without extra rest.

Bent Over Barbell Row middle back Bent Over One-Arm Long Bar Row middle back One-Arm Long Bar Row middle back Straight Bar Bench Mid Rows middle back

Common questions

What muscles does the Decline Barbell Bench Press work?

The Decline Barbell Bench Press primarily works the chest, with the shoulders and triceps as secondary movers. Alternating Floor Press, Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip, and Barbell Guillotine Bench Press train the same muscle, across 11 equipment types.

What equipment do you need for the Decline Barbell Bench Press?

A Barbell. Without a barbell, Clock Push-Up, Decline Push-Up, and Incline Push-Up train the same muscle, and 17 of the catalogue's options for this muscle need no equipment.

Is the Decline Barbell Bench Press suitable for beginners?

Yes, the Decline Barbell Bench Press is rated beginner. Plyo Kettlebell Pushups, Flat Bench Cable Flyes, and Incline Cable Flye are the progressions from here.

Where should the Decline Barbell Bench Press go in a workout?

Early — the Decline Barbell Bench Press is compound, working 3 muscle groups, so run it first or second while you are fresh, then superset Bent Over Barbell Row and Bent Over One-Arm Long Bar Row later.

Similar exercises

Alternating Floor Press Kettlebell Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip Barbell Barbell Guillotine Bench Press Barbell Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip Barbell Bench Press - With Bands Resistance Bands Bent-Arm Dumbbell Pullover Dumbbell