Decline press- most underrated exercise

[Fatpanda]

in one of those studies he posted it showed that the upper chest isnt activated any more during incline press than it is activated during decline press, the only difference was more lower chest activation during the decline press. so based on that study, the decline press activates every section of the chest (upper middle and lower) just as good as any other angle of press, and hits the lower chest even better than any of the other angles can.

of course i do feel more upper chest activation during inclines, and i think panda has a different study in that same post that showed the pectoralis minor , which would be the upper chest,  was hit best by incline dumbells.  


personal experience, declines hit the lower chest.. both inner and outer.. very well. they do not hit the center middle of the chest and center upper chest as well as i would like. one incline or some kind of other movement for chest to hit this area(upper/middle inner) seems necessary.

yeah candy - that sudy only looked at pec major (top and bottom) but not pec minor.

the other one looked specifically at pec minor - hence the inclines being best - they also work the front delt well ( which also stretches across the top of the pecs ) see this levrone pic for a visual idea of what i'm talking about in regard to how the delt stretches over the top of the chest:


those lines that seperate the pec area is a combination of pec minor/front delt - which inclines hit best. the rest of the pec area ( larger area below the line) is hit best by declines.

[tbombz]

thats a good visual there panda. i wasnt aware of the pec major/pec minor differences. i guess when talking about upper/lower chest we are really talking about upper/lower pec major. and when we are talking about the "shelf" at the top of the chest that everyone wants and refers to as the upper chest, we are really talking about the whole of the pec minor.  that distinction is helpful.

[Fatpanda]

thats a good visual there panda. i wasnt aware of the pec major/pec minor differences. i guess when talking about upper/lower chest we are really talking about upper/lower pec major. and when we are talking about the "shelf" at the top of the chest that everyone wants and refers to as the upper chest, we are really talking about the whole of the pec minor.  that distinction is helpful.

np 

[disturbia]

I didn't know a part of getbig existed anymore where people were helpful and polite!   

My chest and ribcage is shaped a lot like tbombz I think.  I remember a picture he posted a while back.

would you be at all interested in joining the challenge between me and goodrum?

Im not being a dick here--its a genuine proposal as I know you are losing weight also and getting in shape

[BodyMachine]

What "shelf" at the top? Please illustrate on fatpanda's pic of Levrone

[theworm]

i think decline dumbells are pretty damn awesome.

the problem with that they can be very hard to get in place. but here is what i did today, and 8 hours later my chest is very sore already!

after all the flat and incline pressing movements, i finshed my workout with decline flies.  only using the 55lb dumbells.  i would stretch all the way at the bottom, and contract the hell out of my pecs at the top.  after doing about 12, i would then (without a break), "press" them for about 8-10 reps.  talk about a burn.  felt amazing.  i did that for a total of 3 sets.  really felt like it hit the pecs really well.

[Master Blaster]

the idea that thick lower pecs will not look aesthetic, or will somehow look feminine and like "boobs" is just plain rediculous. show me ONE bodybuilder with a massive lower chest and non existant upper chest. and lets see if it looks bad. even in that case, which you wont find because in order for the lower pecs to be massive the upper pecs would have to have gotten worked pretty good as well, the dudes pecs wouldnt look ugly, they just wouldnt look ideal when compared to the top bodybuilders.

That dude in pumping iron, that school teacher guy? Oh yeah Mike Katz...that dude had fucked up lower pec-titts.

[FREAKgeek]

It'll give you tits bro.  I do them randomly maybe 1-2 every couple of months, but when I used them every week, I was only 210-215 and pretty lean, but I developed tits. It is cool to flex them and watch them bounce around and back then some of then girls that hung around thought it was great, but I didn't really dig the shape of my chest like that, so I cut down on them and used more flat and upper movements.

You have before and after pics?

I think it's all in your head. You probably put on some body fat and you tend to distribute it there more.

I can't tell you how many times I needed more "outer" calves, "upper" pecs, "lower" biceps, etc, only to realize the reason I didn't have any was because they simply weren't big enough to begin with.
I mean really. Think about it. Do you claim to possess a better understanding of your muscular anatomy than your own genetic administration?

Do you think your training is sooo unorthodox and haphazard as to be developing such unaesthetic builds?
What’s more plausible?

[chaos]

You have before and after pics?

I think it's all in your head. You probably put on some body fat and you tend to distribute it there more.

I can't tell you how many times I needed more "outer" calves, "upper" pecs, "lower" biceps, etc, only to realize the reason I didn't have any was because they simply weren't big enough to begin with.
I mean really. Think about it. Do you claim to possess a better understanding of your muscular anatomy than your own genetic administration?

Do you think your training is sooo unorthodox and haphazard as to be developing such unaesthetic builds?
What’s more plausible?

LOL That happened to be one of the leanest times of my life.

Has absolutely nothing to do with unorthodox training or haphazard training, it has to do with the overdevelopment of the muscle by working from one angle. One reason "mixing it up" is so important.

However I invite you to give it a shot yourself, only do declines on chest day for the next 6-8 weeks and let us know what happens with the shape of your chest.

[WillGrant]

Most BB should be focusing more on upper and outter pecs..\

Declines are an ok execise , but are just that another exercise , on the majority of us the lower pecs develop quickly and if you dont keep the upper pecs in balance this will just make you look narrow.
Why you are stronger on declines is because the ROM is limited or shorter and the angle of your body activates quite a bit of lat involvement to help with execise movement.

[FREAKgeek]

LOL That happened to be one of the leanest times of my life.

Has absolutely nothing to do with unorthodox training or haphazard training, it has to do with the overdevelopment of the muscle by working from one angle. One reason "mixing it up" is so important.

However I invite you to give it a shot yourself, only do declines on chest day for the next 6-8 weeks and let us know what happens with the shape of your chest.

I invite you to overdevelop your lower pecs again, take plenty of pics and documentation, and shock the scientific community. You could capitalize on it and get plenty of of recognition.

[chaos]

So that's a "no"?
If the pec was attached at two points I might agree that you can't overdevelop a specific area, however the pec is attached like a fan and you would have to be naïve to think you can't overdevelop a specific direction of muscle fibers. Go back and take a close look at the chart I posted and think about it.

[tbombz]

Most BB should be focusing more on upper and outter pecs..\

Declines are an ok execise , but are just that another exercise , on the majority of us the lower pecs develop quickly and if you dont keep the upper pecs in balance this will just make you look narrow.
Why you are stronger on declines is because the ROM is limited or shorter and the angle of your body activates quite a bit of lat involvement to help with execise movement.

there is zero lat involvement during any type of press - incline, flat, decline.  the decline actually offers a greater range of motion if your bringing the bar down to mid chest instead of the sternum. 


let me try to get this point across once more for everybody..    the function of the pectoralis is to pull the arm down and across the body.

[tonymctones]

there is zero lat involvement during any type of press - incline, flat, decline.  the decline actually offers a greater range of motion if your bringing the bar down to mid chest instead of the sternum.  


let me try to get this point across once more for everybody..    the function of the pectoralis is to pull the arm down and across the body.

actually dizzle there is, while it may not be the muscle that is being targeted the lats play a very big role in benching...

[tbombz]

thats like saying theres tricep involvement in dumbell curls or hamstring involvement in leg extensions. the lats move during bench because the arms are being pushed backwards by the weight of the bar, the lats arent doing any lifting.

[tonymctones]

thats like saying theres tricep involvement in dumbell curls or hamstring involvement in leg extensions. the lats move during bench because the arms are being pushed backwards by the weight of the bar, the lats arent doing any lifting.

LOL i never said they were doing any lifting but you said that "there is zero lat involvement during any type of press" which is ignorant beyond belief...

the lats play a big role in bench presses...

http://www.bench-press.net/increase-bench-press.html
"The lats play a bigger role in increasing your bench press than most people give them credit for! By increasing the strength of your lats you can increase bench press. When benching squeeze your lats as if your were pushing the bar with them, keep them tight and flexed for the whole movement."

[tbombz]

there is zero lat involvement in lifting the weight. the reason they are saying to squeeze your lats together is because doing that puts your pecs in a mechanically stronger position.

[Fatpanda]

2 things come 2 mind@

1. stable base
2. reciprocal innervation

[tonymctones]

there is zero lat involvement in lifting the weight. the reason they are saying to squeeze your lats together is because doing that puts your pecs in a mechanically stronger position.

agreed that again the lats dont lift the weight...

yes thank you dizzle, thats not the only purpose the lats serve in the bench...you do know that right?

do some research dizzle if youre bench can go up by strengthning your lats you really think they only purpose they serve it to retract the scapulas?

do some research broham

[tbombz]

theres also trap, forearm, bicep, neck, fingers, lungs, heart, brain, even your feet are getting some involvement too, being pressed on the floor and all.  yes, all these get "worked" during a bench press. 

[tonymctones]

theres also trap, forearm, bicep, neck, fingers, lungs, heart, brain, even your feet are getting some involvement too, being pressed on the floor and all.  yes, all these get "worked" during a bench press. 

LOL ill take that as you didnt do any research on this?

LOL dont get cocky son youre still the same dumb ass you were a year ago...simply b/c youve been lifting for one more year doesnt mean you know all the shit there is to know...

[tonymctones]

LMAO and after reading this thread a little more dizzle someone that didnt know that inclines hit the delt chest tie in shouldnt be making any assumptions...

[tonymctones]

Dont let facts get in the way dizzle 

more proof that simply lifting weights doesnt mean you know anything about lifting weights...

http://www.texaspowerscene.com/articles/bodybuilding/benchpress.html

The lats in this case, act as an adductor by pushing the arm toward the midline of the body. The lats however, are thought to play only a very minor part in the actual moving of the bench press. They have been shown to be effective just prior to the bottom phase of the lift (Barnett, 1995)

"Many of us were probably unaware that the lats were even involved in the bench press. However, EMG studies do show that the lats are activated for a short period of time just prior to the start of the bottom phase of the lift. Robinson states, "There is no doubt in my mind that the lats are used to help get the weight moving off the chest." However, while the lats are activated briefly in the pressing movement, it should be noted that this activity is considered to be very small when compared to that of the other muscles used in the bench press. In any case, the decline bench seemed to activate the lats much more that either the flat of incline positions. Also the wider the grip the greater the activation of the lats. "While the lats are not so much directly related to the push motion of the bench press, they are directly related to the stabilization of the torso," says Dr. Arria. "This is very important because greater trunk stabilization means that the dynamic load on the muscle is more specific.""

[tonymctones]

quote from ryan kennelly

http://www.criticalbench.com/powerlifting-bench-press.htm

"Shoulders, pecs, lats, and triceps are the muscle groups primarily used in benchpressing. Lats are most important because they are first used when lowering the weight. Your upper back/lats are also where the all the weight is transferred. Your shoulders and pectorals are then employed at the bottom of the lift and then the triceps will be the muscles that press your arms (and the bar) into lockout position which finishes the lift. You must use the chest, shoulders ,and triceps equally (full force) when pressing the weight; these three muscle groups working together throughout the concentric part of the lift is how you should be pressing."

[chaos]

Ouch, I see Tonymc is bringing some good facts to the thread, nice.