Decline Bench Press: Potential Benefits and Drawbacks
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Pros and Cons of a Decline Bench Press

Pros and Cons of a Decline Bench Press
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Updated on August 14, 2025
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There's no doubt that the bench press is a legendary exercise, but even the most fabled legends aren't perfect. After years of gym dominance — and verifiable benefits for building strength and sculpting the pecs — the barbell bench press isn't going anywhere, but it's worth a nuanced view.

Like a flat bench, a decline bench press has the potential to build both upper body power and muscle, but it doesn't recruit key shoulder muscles and it may even cause shoulder strain. As a subtle variation on a classic, the decline bench press comes with some naturally subtle perks and drawbacks of its own, too.

Decline Bench Press: Potential Perks

The decline bench press primarily targets the lower part of the pectoralis major muscle.

 To a lesser extent, it also works the upper pectoralis major, anterior deltoids, and triceps. The biceps muscles on the front of your upper arms work as stabilizers during the movement.
Bench press die-hards invented the decline bench press for a reason: They wanted a more intense focus on stimulating the chest muscles. Though the jury is still out on whether the decline press is conclusively better than the flat bench in that regard, some may experience more stimulation — especially in the lower chest — due to the exercise's greater range of motion.

Decline Bench Press: Possible Pitfalls

Though the lowered position of the decline press aims to boost your range of motion, you can seriously stunt that range if your grip is too wide. As a rule of thumb, your forearms should be pretty much vertical at the bottom of a rep, with an overhand grip for a standard decline press.

The bench press activates the front shoulder muscles, known as the anterior deltoids as synergists, or muscles that help other muscles complete a movement, but a declined angle may reduce the focus on the delts.

Decline Versus Incline

You can't have a conversation about the decline bench press without mentioning its sibling, the incline bench press, which puts the bench at a raised (rather than lowered) angle.

Both offer similar overall engagement of the clavicular head of the chest (the upper pecs), but the flat and decline positions recruit the sternocostal head muscles (the lower pecs) a bit more than the incline press, according to research.

If you're looking to work the triceps, a secondary muscle group engaged by the bench press, decline and flat bench angles are your best bet, versus an incline bench press, which causes increased activation of the biceps brachii.

The Takeaway

  • To maximize physical performance, include incline, flat, and decline bench presses in your training routine.
  • As an added bonus, varying this exercise can reduce overall stress through your shoulders, elbows, and wrists, as each one targets chest and arm muscles a little differently.
  • When introducing a new exercise into your routine, it’s a good idea to check with a healthcare provider or physical therapist to make sure it’s right for you.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Rodríguez-Ridao D et al. Effect of Five Bench Inclinations on the Electromyographic Activity of the Pectoralis Major, Anterior Deltoid, and Triceps Brachii during the Bench Press Exercise. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. October 8, 2020.
  2. Saeterbakken AH et al. The Effects of Bench Press Variations in Competitive Athletes on Muscle Activity and Performance. Journal of Human Kinetics. June 22, 2017.
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Scott Haak, PT, DPT, MTC, CSCS

Medical Reviewer

Scott Haak, PT, DPT, has been a member of the Mayo Clinic staff since 2000. Dr. Haak serves as faculty for the Sports Medicine Fellowship program at Mayo Clinic Florida. He is certified by the NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association) as a CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist), is a Certified USA Weightlifting Coach and Certified USA Football Coach, and possesses a MTC (Manual Therapy Certification) from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences.

Haak is an exercise enthusiast and enjoys running, weightlifting, and sports performance training. He is the president and director of coaching of a youth tackle football organization, JDL Providence Football, and currently coaches high school football and weight lifting.

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In addition to fitness experience including USFCA fencing discipline, stage combat, track and equestrian training, Dan has contributed health and fitness-oriented content to AZCentral, SportsRec, JillianMichaels.com, ModernMom, The Nest and more.

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