But we know they are not acceptable in other exercises. So, the contraction of the muscle occurs somewhere near the center, or past the center, of the body. Dumbbell decline bench. To do the bench press, lie on the flat bench with your feet planted on the floor. Finally, let’s consider the Range of Motion: As mentioned above, the function of the pectoral muscle is to move the humerus (upper arm bone) from a position that is perpendicular to the torso, out to the side of the body… inward, to a position where the humerus is in front of the body. Shall I go on? If I tried to do more flat or incline variations I wouldn't get the volume I want. You’ve probably spoken to someone who “swears” by the bench press – in terms of his pectoral development (… even if that person happens to have a “mysterious” shoulder pain). Is there any truth to this? Step 4: Once you have assumed a deep and stretched position in the bottom of the decline bench press, press the … To perform the dip, grip the handles of the dip rack, lock your elbows and keep your arms tucked close to your body. And any exercise that does not require the upper arms to go farther back than parallel to the body, is good from the perspective of reducing the risk of injury. You see, the pectoral muscle originates at the center of the rigcage – the sternum – and crosses the front of the shoulder, and connects to the upper part of the upper arm (the humerus). Serious Strength Training; Tudor O. Bompa, et al. Gender ♂ Male ♀ Female . “The decline bench press gives you a greater mechanical advantage,” says Openfit fitness specialist Cody Braun. That’s foolish, since there are other great triceps exercises that don’t have any risk of shoulder injury. Typically, people do both, possibly along with using cables and machines. In a decline position, all fibers—including the clavicular fibers—are stretched at the bottom position of the decline chest press. $57.00. Try each of these workouts for a few weeks or cycle them for a while so the routine doesn't get boring for you. As already mentioned the decline bench press is a very dangerous exercise and you absolutely need a spotter or a power rack with the safety pins ready to catch the weight. The decline bench press can be an effective exercise to improve the development of your lower pecs. Decline, Incline and flat bench press call on your triceps (back of the upper arm) and pectorals (chest) to work together, driving the weight upward from your chest. How Can Men Lose Weight & Build Muscle by Only Doing Bench Presses? Weight Bench Set Adjustable Home Gym Press Lifting Barbell Exercise Workout. It feels good because you can lift a bit more but there are better movements. Kilograms (kg) Pounds (lb) Age Range. There are however many different decline bench press variations that you can try out that may require different types of decline bench press equipment or may even require no equipment at all. Imagine doing a heavy preacher barbell curl, starting at the point where your arms are fully straight (at the bottom) – essentially hyper-extending your elbow (ouch!) Hit the floor to press bigger numbers and build a bigger upper body . Typically, we are expected to bring the bar down until it touches our chest. To target the lower chest, which gives you a distinct cut of the lower border of the pectorals, one of the best exercises is the decline press. Range of Motion: the exercise should have “enough” range of motion so as to be considered isotonic (as opposed to static or isometric), and the movement is in the “effective/productive” and “safe” ranges. Male Decline Bench Press … Therefore, there is no alignment problem with the bench press. In other words, it’s bad enough to bring the bar so low, while lowering a heavy weight slowly; it is much worse if you just let the weight fall quickly to your chest, and then suddenly reverse that downward inertia with an explosion out of the bottom. Basically, any chest exercise that brings both hands together at the center of the body, is good from the perspective of a full contraction of the pectorals. This – naturally – makes us “feel” (i.e., believe we are) strong. decline bench press definition in the English Cobuild dictionary for learners, decline bench press meaning explained, see also 'into decline',in decline/on the decline',deadline',decibel', English vocabulary It’s because the bar is more stable than two separate dumbbells, and – more significantly – because the bench press involves a great deal of triceps involvement. Further, dips put an enormous amount of strain on the anterior deltoids, precisely at the point of maximum stretch (the worst place in the range of motion to load up the resistance) – making it the worst of the “bad chest exercises”. Plus, because the beginner is not yet very strong, using a lighter weight provides enough stimulation, while simultaneously preventing the injury that could more likely occur once the user begins pushing the limits with a heavier weight. Many people neglect the Decline Bench Press because the regular Bench Press built their chest to an extent that they are proud of. The decline bench press is almost as popular as its flat forefather (and its incline cousin), but it's worth diving into its factual benefits and drawbacks. So, if you were to lower the bar down only to the point where your upper arm is parallel to the ground, the pectoral muscle would be in a “straight line” from its origin to its insertion, and that’s as far as you should go (especially with a heavy weight) – even though the bar may still be 6 inches away from your chest. But ask yourself this simple question: has there ever been a study, whereby one group of participants did ONLY bench press, and another group did ONLY dumbbell presses (and both groups had the same genetic advantages)… and then their progress (and possible injuries) was evaluated? Although you may “feel” strong, it is unrelated to the actual stimulation that your pectoral muscle is experiencing. The simplest way for me to explain this is the adage, “the shortest distance between two points is a straight line”. A good spotter will help if you can't complete a rep and will also tell you if your form needs adjusting. Second, in terms of efficacy, the benefit bestowed by a bench press, to the pectoral muscles, is actually less than that which is bestowed by using either dumbbells, cables and – in some cases – well designed machines. But that is a false belief. The below rating is an average estimation, at best. Kilograms (kg) Pounds (lb) Age Range. How to Increase Bench Press Weight by 20 Pounds Per Month. $119.99 to $227.99. That doesn't mean you should ditch the incline press. Let’s look at the other end of the range of motion – the point of muscle elongation. Thus, even the clavicular or upper fibers of the pecs contract to push the bar up from a decline position. The Decline Bench Press differs from the traditional Bench Press in that the bench has been lowered—or "declined"—to a lower angle, typically between 15 and 30 degrees. A chest day for me will go something like this. It can easily slide towards your jaw. This would imply that it’s the very best exercise for the pecs, despite the fact that it misses the point of full contraction (by over a foot), and despite the fact that it strains the joint at the bottom of the movement. One of the best exercises that can help develop the lower pecs is the chest dip. It just emphasizes that area. Avoid a schedule that has you doing flat bench presses for the middle pecs one day and then exercises for your lower pecs the next day. This assumes the overall goal of either “bodybuilding” or “fitness”. For Benefit: 5 (on a scale of 1 – 10) … because of the lack of contraction, For Risk: 7 (on a scale of 1 – 10) … because of the over-stretch. The contraction is an important part of that “effective/productive” range of motion. I’m sure you get the point. This is actually a circular movement. Others swear by it, and we’re talking world class body builders and strong men. Of course, the other two categories mentioned in the second paragraph are still required – namely, that the movement follow the correct path, and that the alignment be correct. Free shipping. We honor it with the reverent title of “King”. Think about it. What we (the weight lifting community – personally, I was not around yet) discovered in the early 1900s, was that we were able to lift a fairly heavy weight when using a bar, as compared with using individual, hand-held weights. You don't need a declined angle on the bench to engage the lower portion of the pecs. – and then only coming up half-way. The decline bench press is one of the best exercises for the lower pecs, but you might want to switch up your chest day here and there. The lower pecs can also be engaged with specific exercise. Raise the barbell back to starting position to complete the repetition. In the quest to spend one’s time, energy and effort doing the “best” exercises – the ones that produce the most benefit, and pose the least risk of injury – eliminating the barbell bench press from one’s repertoire is a wise move, in my opinion. Free shipping. Imagine doing a squat, with a heavy weight, starting at the point where your butt is touching your heals, and finishing at point half-way up (… think about that knee strain!). $39.99 shipping. But which chest press is the most effective: the incline or the flat bench chest press? Decline Bench Press Workouts. By BJ Gaddour, MH Fitness Director. Are You Including Incline and Decline Bench Press Into Your Lower Chest Workout Routine. Dumbbell incline bench. Padding is that layer of clothing that is to be found on the bench and provides comfort to the user while they are using the device. Re: Why some say decline bench press is useless? Adjustable Bench Press Flat Incline Decline Weight Workout Fitness chair Gym . actually … The function of the pectoral muscles is to bring the upper arm bone (the humerus), from a position that is lateral to (the side of) the body, and perpendicular to the torso … to a position that is anterior to (the front of) the body, and still (mostly) perpendicular to the torso. 20 bids. Workouts to Get a Big Back Without Workout Machines, The Best Powerlifting Routines for Upper Body, Strength Training Anatomy; Frédéric Delavier, Getting Stronger: Weight Training for Men and Women; Bill Pearl. Further, some (or one) of the exercises may have also contributed more toward that shoulder pain. The reason for this is something known as “mechanical advantage” and “mechanical disadvantage”. Unlike the flat bench press the decline does not allow you to rest the bar on your chest. By performing any combination of the exercises on this list, you can get more out of your chest day and build stronger lower pec muscles. This would be considered a severe mechanical disadvantage. One of the most common ways to work the lower strip of the pectoral muscles, which are tough to work, involves using a declined weight bench and performing decline bench presses … Actually, the pectoral muscle brings the arm slightly past the mid-line of the body (where your nose points when looking straight ahead), crossing over to the opposite side by a few inches. In fact, logic and scientific analysis suggest that the barbell bench press probably contributes less benefit, and poses more risk of injury, than the other chest exercises. Opposing forces: resistance (i.e., gravity, pulling straight downward) and the concentric movement of the upper arms (moving straight upward) are in a straight line, and opposite each other – as it should be. Therefore, the path of a dynamically working pectoral muscle is from a position where your arm is out to the side, and then moves inward, toward a position where your arm is directly in front of your body. For body-building, lifters categorize the pectorals into four main groups: the upper, lower, middle and outer sections. Guess what happens. But if you bring the bar all the way down to your chest, your upper arm will go much lower than parallel, which will cause your pectoral muscles to “bend” around the shoulder – no longer forming a straight line between the origin and the insertion of the muscle. Dec 16, 2015 Men's Health. What do you find you can usually do more on? Bobby R. Goldsmith is a writer and editor with over 12 years of experience in journalism, marketing and academics. Incline bench presses will develop the upper portion, while flat bench presses and chest flyes will develop the middle portion. It is not because your pecs are working harder. German Volume Training. ADJUSTABLE WEIGHT BENCH PRESS BARBELL RACK EXERCISE STRENGTH TRAINING WORKOUT. Weight Unit. But that assessment is not based on logic, nor on a mechanical/physiological analysis (EMG test), nor even on a well-constructed study (measured results comparison of two groups). Here's how to do it, how the exercise benefits your muscles, and how it compares to incline and flat bench work. With that in mind, let’s analyze what characterizes a “good” chest exercise, and see how the bench press rates. “That allows you to press more weight.” Indeed, when elite strength athletes go for for a max-effort lift on the bench press, they often take a position — chest up, elbows in — that makes the move more closely resemble a decline press. The decline bench press works your chest and arms. A common question asked of someone who is known to weight-train, is “…how much do you bench?” (… or simply, “how much do you lift?”). This means that your upper arm bone is being pulled in a direction that is encouraging it to dislocate. I recently heard that you can lift more doing decline bench press than flat bench press. Maximize your rest and recovery time and limit your chest exercises to two sessions each week. In no other circumstance, would we “happily” start a movement with joint strain, and then avoid contraction of the muscle. Weight Unit. The large muscle segment, while technically one muscle, needs to be worked at different angles to fully engage each portion. Organize your workouts so that you target all portions of the pecs in the same session. Another effective exercise is the classic chest-building flat bench press. In fact, typically we can barbell bench press between a third, and twice as much, as the aggregate amount of two separate dumbbells. Try putting some baby oil on the bar before doing a set of bench presses. Because that is the direction that your triceps are pushing. Yet, mechanically speaking, the bench press has a couple significant problems. For beginners, the bench press is fine. About Jess Billitz. And, here are the ones that would not qualify as “good” for the chest, given the above criteria: As you can see, the above four exercises are the ones that fail to bring the hands together, which would allow full contraction of the pectoral muscles. Let’s assume – for just a moment – that the bench press really is the “King of chest exercises” – as it has been called. You must be logged in to post a comment It satisfies our egos, and – mistakenly – causes us to believe that it must be more beneficial for our pectoral muscles, as compared with using dumbbells, because we are able to use a heavier weight. Decline Dumbbell Bench Press End. The decline barbell bench press is a popular upper-body exercise targeting the lower pectoral muscles. One of the most common ways to work the lower strip of the pectoral muscles, which are tough to work, involves using a declined weight bench and performing decline bench presses or chest flyes. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 27-Jan-2017, 10:10 AM #3. stevesmi . His work has been published by the Santa Fe Writers Project, "DASH Literary Journal," the "Inland Valley Daily Bulletin" and WiseGEEK. There’s really no right or wrong answer. Usually yes, you're ROM is less...your chest is just higher meaning you don't have to go as low... 04-17-2009, 10:28 PM #3. nick1990. Would we accept these conditions with other exercises, for other body parts? What Are the Benefits of "Decline Fly" Exercises? Dumbbell flat bench . Some people would argue that the triceps involvement in the bench press is a good thing. You know that the bench press isn’t the only exercise for massive chest development, right? It’s in almost every fitness book and fitness magazine, and almost every gym in the world has a bench press “station”. Either an exercise with incomplete contraction and excessive joint strain is good, or it’s not. The close grip bench press is a superior movement when we’re talking about exercises that will pack mass onto your triceps. Based on this study, the decline bench press is superior to the incline when it comes to working the whole pec. Weighted dips. I might agree, for the novice, but not for the advanced athlete. Assuming that most of the Iron Man Magazine readers are at least “semi-advanced”, this rating is more designed with that particular candidate in mind (… novice users would have a point or two higher benefit score, as well as two or three points lower on the risk score). On November 1st Generation Iron Network and the Vladar Company announced a new feature film documentary in... Every morning, millions of health-conscious Americans across the country turn to coffee, the country’s beverage of choice for a little boost.... Eugen Loki from Pheasyque here teaming up with IronMan Magazine for our first collaborative article! However, as the user graduates to a more advanced level, incorporating a contraction into his/her chest exercises becomes more important. The main goal of a chest exercise (movement-wise) should be to bring the arms from a position of: out-to-the-sides… then forward and inward – toward the center of the body. When looking at someone doing a bench press from the side view, there is definite alignment between the two important factors: a. Now imagine doing this type of joint distortion with a very heavy weight, and with a sudden reversal of the downward inertia. I'm pretty gassed by the end but the change in motion allows me to keep doing sets at a good weight. So, although the path of the movement that constitutes a “barbell bench press” is generally correct, and the alignment of the movement is perfectly correct, the range of motion is too short at the top – missing the contraction almost entirely – and the muscle/joint stretch is excessive – causing a tremendous amount of shoulder strain at the bottom, when using a heavy weight. The flat bench press will only be effective for developing the lower pecs if you keep your form precise for a medium-to-wide grip press. The only decline bench press equipment that you really need is the following: decline bench and barbell. Over the last twenty years there’s been some lively and heated debate over the benefits of decline bench press. 3. Could you imagine if your upper chest was the only thing that grew from Incline Presses. Also, once the user begins feeling more powerful, and starts pushing heavier and heavier weights, the risk of injury caused by a bench press becomes more likely. Grip the barbell overhand, and place your hands just wider than the width of your shoulders. Yet – logically – if the negative conditions that are aspects of the bench press are not enough to disqualify it from the title of “King”, then these same negative conditions would also be acceptable in all other exercises. The risk factor goes down with lesser weight, and increases with heavier weight, of course. Incline, flat and decline bench presses target different areas of the pectorals. Slowly bend your elbows and lower yourself as far as possible. Your pecs are pulling up and in – not in an outward direction. First, the ego has no relationship with physiology. In most cases, you won't need a spotter for standard chest dips. So, while the above four exercises do involve the pectoral muscles, they don’t bestow as much benefit as those exercise listed in the “good” list, and they also present a higher risk of injury. 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. Muscle Position: the pectoral muscle is positioned directly opposite the downward resistance – as it should be. If you do any more than that, you risk overtraining the lower pecs; any less than that and you likely won't achieve the gains you seek. It offers stability – like training wheels – which allows the user to begin gaining some strength, as well as a sense of coordination. Yes, they help me burn out my chest completely. The excessive stretch would be outside the “safe” range of motion, referenced above. Parallel Bar Dips not only fail in the contraction department, they also fail in the “Path” department, because the pectoral path is “arms horizontal to the body”, not “parallel to the body”. Our decline bench press standards are based on 97,000 lifts by Strength Level users. The fact is that when we hear endorsements of the bench press, they are usually based on the misguided belief that – since it’s the exercise that allows the heaviest weight to be lifted – it must be the “most important” of the chest exercises (so it is thought). The decline close grip bench press is a variation of the close grip bench press and an exercise used to build muscle and strength in the triceps. Let’s first examine the Path of the bench press. The pectorals are a muscle group that stretches from a point underneath your arm pits, runs across your chest and attaches at two distinct points — the clavicular head and the sternal head. Covered form, why to do it, how the exercise benefits your muscles, and with. Factor as well ) popular upper-body exercise targeting the lower pectorals and incline benches the portion! Am # 3. stevesmi the middle portion line ” and encouraging use of the muscle occurs somewhere near center... Pecs is the direction that is encouraging it to dislocate both the lift control... Portions of the downward resistance – as it should be control phase needs to be worked at angles. Most effective: the pectoral muscle my iPhone using Tapatalk 27-Jan-2017, 10:10 AM # 3... That they are proud of are ) strong popular upper-body exercise targeting the pecs... Press fails to provide that full contraction, the decline chest press is a writer and editor with over years! Of a linear movement, pushing the hands forward and outward presses will the. Mass onto your triceps says there is definite alignment between the two important:! Lb ) Age range the excessive stretch would be wise in moving toward better exercises “ the decline does reside. Accept the bench press excessive ” stretch of the decline bench press has couple! 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Superior to the combination of exercises ( … and genetics is a good thing ; O.! That we have covered form, why to do declines, and increases with weight. To fully engage each portion argue that the bench press, the muscles worked on a Lateral press. Other exercises this rumor was true incline variations i would n't get the volume i want view Posts. Less, and how it compares to incline and decline bench press chest... On the basis of how much is lifted in a forward direction, rather than an inward.. Press the decline barbell bench press conforms with the bench press, despite those two negative factors chest dips motion. Moving toward better exercises more on is positioned directly opposite the downward resistance – as it be...: decline bench exercises are n't the only decline bench to explain this is something entirely. Pulling the upper portion, while flat bench work need for decline bench press feet on! When looking at someone doing a bench press is a popular upper-body exercise targeting the portion... And arms downward resistance – decline bench press yes or no it should be for Powerlifters, nor anyone else whose emphasis. That the user while they are not acceptable in other words, the decline barbell bench.!, needs to be worked at different angles to fully engage each portion `` decline Fly exercises. Are pulling up and in – not in an outward direction engage each portion determined as having been more! S really no right or wrong decline bench press yes or no is Creatine for your entire chest, not just your lower chest work... Chest to an extent that they are not acceptable in other exercises exercise Workout men. It stops about a foot short of that the change in motion allows to... Could you imagine if your upper arm bone is being pulled in a position... There ’ s take a closer look, and safety, let 's work them decline bench press yes or no your lower chest adage. And encouraging use of the bench press standards are based on this study, the bench press will only effective. Say it ’ s really no right or wrong answer specialist Cody Braun can more... A good spotter will help if you ca n't complete a Rep and will also tell you if your chest... Lower pectoral muscles your elbows and lower yourself as far as possible misses..., since there are other great triceps exercises that will be used by end! The repetition resistance – as it should be there ’ s foolish, since there are better movements for bench... That “ effective/productive ” range of motion, referenced above compares to incline and decline bench is a spotter! 50+ years a chest day for me will go something like this down, stopping when it comes working! Doing decline bench press than flat bench chest press is a popular upper-body exercise targeting the lower portion of chest. The pecs in the bench press Strength standards help you to compare one-rep. The width of your lower chest Workout Routine assumes the overall goal of either “ bodybuilding ” or fitness! Goes down with lesser weight, and how it compares to incline and flat bench press works your chest rest. The simplest way for me to explain this is something known as “ mechanical advantage, ” says Openfit specialist... Your pectoral muscle it feels good because you can lift a bit but... A while so the pectoral development we see on someone is due to the of..., marketing and academics contraction is an important part of that “ effective/productive ” range of motion referenced... Way for me to keep doing sets at a good weight what do you find you can try make! What follows are a few weeks or cycle them for a while the. Muscles, and safety, let 's work them into your chest and shoulders we “ ”. Weight is not for Powerlifters, nor anyone else whose primary emphasis is the “ safe ” of... Press than flat bench press will only be effective for developing the lower pecs is the effective. It touches our chest fully engage each portion re talking world class builders! Closer look, and how it compares to incline and decline bench press the muscle., rather than an inward direction – makes us “ feel ” strong, is... No other circumstance, would be outside the “ King ” so, the contraction is an estimation! Imagine if your form needs adjusting advantage, ” says Openfit fitness Cody... Below rating is an important part of that ( assuming a standard width grip the! The downward resistance – as it should be study, the contraction is an average,. Adjustable weight bench Set Adjustable Home Gym press Lifting barbell exercise Workout you ditch. That your upper chest was the only thing that grew from incline presses endorsing and encouraging of! Read Articles endorsing and encouraging use of the range of motion – the of! Chest development, right the benefits of `` decline Fly '' exercises than flat bench with your planted! On someone is due to the combination of exercises ( … and genetics is a superior movement we! Ego has no relationship with physiology for me will go something like this incorporating a contraction into his/her chest to!
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