Decline bench - any good???

[LiftEaTsLeEpRePeAt]

any good.  I can bench a lot on decline.

[FermiDirac]

Good for ruining your shoulders. HTH

As retarded as upright row.

[visualizeperfection]

replace those with dips.

hth

Good for ruining your shoulders. HTH

As retarded as upright row.

I do uprights.

but I do them wide, and bring the bar out pretty far. I see kids go super narrow and bring it right up to their chest and I cringe.

[polychronopolous]

Close grip declines hit the triceps rather nicely.

[FermiDirac]

replace those with dips.

hth


I do uprights.

but I do them wide, and bring the bar out pretty far. I see kids go super narrow and bring it right up to their chest and I cringe.

Yes, wide grip removes a lot of the pressure on the rotator cuffs. Kids have basically their palms together, using too much weight and swinging for their lives. 

[SF1900]

replace those with dips.

hth


I do uprights.

but I do them wide, and bring the bar out pretty far. I see kids go super narrow and bring it right up to their chest and I cringe.

How do you do dips to put the stress on the chest and off of the triceps?

[Roger Bacon]

Close grip declines hit the triceps rather nicely.

YES and reverse grip  

How do you do dips to put the stress on the chest and off of the triceps?

I get my feet out behind me and lean forward pretty far.

[Skorp1o]

You wana build a thick chest with a good hang when you're standing relaxed? Heavy declines, best with dumbells as its easier on the shoulders.

[visualizeperfection]

How do you do dips to put the stress on the chest and off of the triceps?

.what big rog said.

[trapz101]

.what big rog said.

what did he said?

[visualizeperfection]

what did he said?

YES and reverse grip 

I get my feet out behind me and lean forward pretty far.

[trapz101]

i tried reverse grip,with a smith machine and i can feel it more in my delt than my chest
decline hammer @ hammer wide chest press,that's another story

[Simple Simon]

you get a better range of motion and more contraction in the pecs with declines.

[oldtimer1]

Declines like someone mentioned before is so much easier on the shoulder joint. Many guys that can't bench anymore find they can decline. You just need a spot every time you use it.

 I'm really beginning to question the whole inclines for upper chest reasoning from a kinesiology stand point. It certainly engages more delt but upper chest I would say no. The pectoralis is really one muscle. The pectoralis minor isn't really the upper chest but a slim muscle that goes diagonal across the chest. So there isn't a upper chest muscle and a lower chest muscle. It's one muscle. Out of the three presses incline, flat and decline I would say the decline has the most chest involvement.
 

[breakmore]

Declines like someone mentioned before is so much easier on the shoulder joint. Many guys that can't bench anymore find they can decline. You just need a spot every time you use it.

 I'm really beginning to question the whole inclines for upper chest reasoning from a kinesiology stand point. It certainly engages more delt but upper chest I would say no. The pectoralis is really one muscle. The pectoralis minor isn't really the upper chest but a slim muscle that goes diagonal across the chest. So there isn't a upper chest muscle and a lower chest muscle. It's one muscle. Out of the three presses incline, flat and decline I would say the decline has the most chest involvement.
 

I think you are right, i believe something like this was shown once, atleast more muscle recruitment:

But there seems to be conflicting data,(A lot of interesting study s referenced here):
http://www.strengthandconditioningresearch.com/2013/04/03/bench-press-emg-activity/

But:
The researchers found no significant difference in EMG activity of the clavicular head of the pectoralis major between the incline and decline bench press. This lack of significant finding was in direct contradiction to the findings of Barnett (1995) and may have been related to the smaller difference in inclines used (30 vs. 40 degrees for incline and 15 vs. 18 degrees for decline). The researchers also found that the decline bench press produced significantly higher EMG activity of the lower portion of the sternocostal head of the pectoralis major than the incline bench press.


See practical uses of abstract.
http://www.researchgate.net/publication/232218111_Electromyographical_Activity_of_the_Pectoralis_Muscle_During_Incline_and_Decline_Bench_Presses

[_aj_]

I get my feet out behind me and lean forward pretty far.

Yes, when I am doing dips for chest, I lean so far forward that it looks like I am doing a push-up.

[Donny]

Declines like someone mentioned before is so much easier on the shoulder joint. Many guys that can't bench anymore find they can decline. You just need a spot every time you use it.

 I'm really beginning to question the whole inclines for upper chest reasoning from a kinesiology stand point. It certainly engages more delt but upper chest I would say no. The pectoralis is really one muscle. The pectoralis minor isn't really the upper chest but a slim muscle that goes diagonal across the chest. So there isn't a upper chest muscle and a lower chest muscle. It's one muscle. Out of the three presses incline, flat and decline I would say the decline has the most chest involvement.
 

Great post.. this was shown in studies here in Germany by Prof.Dr.sportwiss. Wolfgang Buskies and Wend-Uwe-Behrens  Director Sport studies University Bayreuth.. to be 100% correct. This study is in their book " Fitness Krafttraining" ISBN 3-499-19481-3

[Grape Ape]

Declines like someone mentioned before is so much easier on the shoulder joint. Many guys that can't bench anymore find they can decline. You just need a spot every time you use it.

This guy disagrees:

Good for ruining your shoulders. HTH

As retarded as upright row.

Can you two please settle this, for the good of the forum and those seeking knowledge?

[wes]

Decline to neck/throat are = far far superior to regular declines bounced off the lower ribcage.

Less weight will have to be used,but more pec involvement by far.

[Grape Ape]

 I'm really beginning to question the whole inclines for upper chest reasoning from a kinesiology stand point. It certainly engages more delt but upper chest I would say no. The pectoralis is really one muscle. The pectoralis minor isn't really the upper chest but a slim muscle that goes diagonal across the chest. So there isn't a upper chest muscle and a lower chest muscle. It's one muscle. Out of the three presses incline, flat and decline I would say the decline has the most chest involvement.
 

Agreed - I've questioned this about most exercises, let alone chest.  Can see how the body would react any different to curls vs concentration, inclines, declines, etc....

[Grape Ape]

Decline to neck/throat are = far far superior to regular declines bounced off the lower ribcage.

Less weight will have to be used,but more pec involvement by far.

Flat bench to the neck was how I separated my shoulder.  You are correct in that the weight needs to be very light.

[Donny]

Flat bench to the neck was how I separated my shoulder.  You are correct in that the weight needs to be very light.

yes Vince Gironda liked These but on a flat bench. Decline Bench but to your middle chest area is effective and safer.

[wes]

Flat bench to the neck was how I separated my shoulder.  You are correct in that the weight needs to be very light.

For sure......it puts a ton of stress on the shoulders........just can`t be done using big weight unless your joints are made out of Adamantium.

I use a Smith Machine,wide grip,slow rep cadence, and a good mind/muscle connection.

[Mawse]

Low , 10 degree, decline is ok but no better than a flat bench in terms of safety. Deeper inclines are retarded imo especially with the groove most people use, lowering towards their upper chest , doing a half rep with far too much weight and wobbling around...

No reason to do it at all other than an ego boost from heavier weight than you can use.

[wes]

Most guys I have seen doing heavy declines,bounce the weight off their lower ribcage/ diaphragm area.

You can see how much more pec involvement declines to the neck would be just by mimicking the movement from your chair at home...........way more of a stretch on the pecs.

I`d advise doing it at the end of a chest workout where lighter weight will feel pretty tough due to the pecs being exhausted from the earlier work performed.


Or,just do fucking Dips!