Decline Dumbbell Bench Press
How to do the Decline Dumbbell Bench Press
- 1
Secure your legs at the end of the decline bench and lie down with a dumbbell on each hand on top of your thighs. The palms of your hand will be facing each other.
- 2
Once you are laying down, move the dumbbells in front of you at shoulder width.
- 3
Once at shoulder width, rotate your wrists forward so that the palms of your hands are facing away from you. This will be your starting position.
- 4
Bring down the weights slowly to your side as you breathe out. Keep full control of the dumbbells at all times. Tip: Throughout the motion, the forearms should always be perpendicular to the floor.
- 5
As you breathe out, push the dumbbells up using your pectoral muscles. Lock your arms in the contracted position, squeeze your chest, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up..
- 6
Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions of your training program.
How to program the Decline Dumbbell Bench Press
Sets and reps
As a compound movement, the Decline Dumbbell Bench Press responds well to heavier loading. For strength, work in the 3–5 sets of 4–8 reps range with 2–3 minutes of rest between sets. For muscle growth, 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps with 90 seconds of rest is the classic hypertrophy zone. Place it early in your session, when you're freshest, and leave 1–3 reps in reserve on most sets.
Progression
The Decline Dumbbell Bench Press is beginner-friendly. Start with a load (or rep count) you can complete with clean form on every set, then add a small amount of weight or 1–2 reps each week. When you hit the top of your rep range on all sets, increase the load and drop back to the bottom of the range — simple double progression.
Secondary muscles worked
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Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Decline Dumbbell Bench Press work?
The Decline Dumbbell Bench Press primarily targets the Chest. It also recruits the Shoulders, Triceps as supporting muscles.
What equipment do I need for the Decline Dumbbell Bench Press?
You need Dumbbell. Difficulty level: Beginner.
How many sets and reps of the Decline Dumbbell Bench Press should I do?
For strength, do 3–5 sets of 4–8 reps with 2–3 minutes rest. For muscle growth, do 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps with about 90 seconds rest.
