opinions on decline please

[p0ink]

i just recently started doing decline's since i have not done them for close to a year, and I really feel like my pecs get hit much harder from deline versus flat. even using IEMG shows that declines recruits more muscle fibers in pectoral major than flat benching. what do you guys think of declines

 

[tzan]

I haven't done decline barbell presses in years because it hurts my shoulder and I think there are other exercises that work the chest better. Every once in awhile though I will do some decline cable flys to really stretch the shit out of them.

 

[beastboy]

I like the decline flys also.....the decline hammer machine feels like it puts allot of stress on my shoulders....

How are you doing them...i.e., DB, BB, smith, hammer??

 

[sysopt]

If it doesnt irritate your shoulder, than its a perfectly good chest movemen-- certainly more efficient than inclines.

 

[beastboy]

certainly more efficient than inclines.

Why do you say that??

 

[supersizeme]

declines are a pretty useless exercise if you ask me. i haven't done them in i don't know how long. people generally do declines for an ego boost since you can use heavier weight than you can on flat or incline. you don't have to move the weight as far and it hits your front delts as hard or harder than your pecs.

you should concentrate more on inclines. learn to love them. swallow your pride and incline at the beginning of your chest day. heavy inclines build up the cartoon superhero look of a powerful upper chest, plus it's a terrific exercise for your front delts. you can never have too powerful of an upper chest. everyone in my gym always starts on flat bench and then goes to incline because of their egos. i made this mistake when i first started lifting...always starting on flat bench because i could obviously lift more on that than i could on incline. then i would get to my incline and not lift jack. flat benching is overrated in my opinion.

 

[Love Bone]

Declines are suppossed to target lower chest but weighted dips are better. Lean forward just a bit on the dips to target lower chest and I agree with falling in love with inclines. It will give you the seperation at the top of your chest giving you a more massive look.
If you do not have a dip bar do reverse grip flat benches. Still better than declines.

 

[GreekGodGenetics]

I have to agree with supersizeme about the inclines...I think that every young buck makes that decision better yet every ego base lifter makes that decision about flat and incline....I have learned to love inclines and now do them faithfully first each chest day. But I do disagree with declines being useless. I think that its a great chest exercise and I benefit from it quite abit. I do weight dips but I think that you have to lean so far over to get them to hit your chest more than your triceps that you would fall on your face....literally.

but I am just another lifter and that is my opinion and shit works different for everyone...right!

 

[p0ink]

oh, I'm doing inclines as well, but i tossed the flat for decline. the reason I am questioning this is because most people don't seem to do them, except for the people that do need a boost in ego. My thing I don't get is, why would some people say flat is better if EMG tests shows more muscle fiber recruitment than flat?

 

[Vegaman]

I talked to a personal trainer who said that declines aren't doing anything more than regular flat bench. It's just nice to throw it in there to mix things up. Don't think it's gonna harm anything but I would rely on flat bench more and throw declines in once every few weeks or so.