Why it's on the list: The common thinking on decline is that it's for lower chest only. And while it is good for that, all-time greats, like six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates in his 6-Week Blood and Guts program, favor it because it hits the entire chest and allows them to lift heavier and more comfortably than the flat bench.

If your gym has a comfortable decline press machine, like a plate-loaded hammer strength machine, use it. Along with the traditional double-arm press, you can sit sideways and press across your body one arm at a time. This unilateral chest move emphasizes shoulder adduction, one of the primary actions of the pec major.



Decline Bench Press Variations for Chest Growth:

In your workout: Do free-weight presses early in your chest workout because they require more effort and stabilizer muscles than machines. A machine version could be the final heavy exercise in your workout before switching to lighter pump work.

Chest Chest Workout