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Decline dumbbell press

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Muscles worked

High load
Chest · Lower
Low load
Delts · Front and Triceps

Primary muscles

Secondary muscles

How to do it

Lock the legs into a decline bench and bring the dumbbells to the shoulders with the shoulder blades set. Press up over the lower chest and lower under control with the elbows tucked around 45 degrees to bias the lower sternal fibres. Have a partner hand you the bells if they are heavy — getting into and out of the decline position is the riskiest part of the movement.

Form cues

  • Lower sternal fibres bias
  • Keep the elbows tucked ~45 degrees

Safety

Talk to a professional before this exercise if you have any of the following:

ShoulderElbowWrist

This is general exercise reference, not medical advice. Stop and consult a qualified professional if an exercise causes pain, and never work through joint pain.