An adjustable weight bench can be used for more than just decline bench presses. A decline weight bench set is a crucial part of any home gym and can be used for free weight and bodyweight exercises, as well as upper and lower body movements.

By varying the angle of the decline, you can be more specific when targeting different muscle groups. We’ve put together a list of some of our favourite decline bench exercises.

Barbell Decline Bench Press

Let’s get stuck in with the first and most common Adjustable Gym Bench exercise. The barbell decline bench press allows a greater range of motion than a regular bench press as it targets the lower part of the pectoralis major.

Russian Twists

Russian twists target the internal and external obliques and work on rotation in the core. To make the exercise easier, stay in a more upright position and complete it without a weight. To make it harder, lean back further and load the exercise by using a dumbbell or bumper plate and rotating it side to side.

Dumbbell Decline Bench Press

Similar to the barbell variation, the dumbbell decline bench press targets the lower pectoralis muscles. An added benefit of using dumbbells is that it requires more stability in the chest and shoulder muscles, reducing any muscular imbalances.

Sit Ups

If you want to progress from under-door Sit Up Bars, you can perform it on a decline sit up bench which increases the range of motion and makes it more challenging. Sit ups work the rectus abdominis (external) and transverse abdominis (internal) muscles. You can hold a dumbbell in a goblet position to make the exercise more difficult.

Crunches

Crunches are similar to sit ups, but with a smaller range of motion, only performing the first half of the movement. They can also be made more difficult by using a decline bench.

Skull Crushers

This is a single-joint movement that primarily targets the medial head of the triceps, but all three heads are worked during the movement. Skull crushers are a variation of an overhead triceps extension and allow full range of motion during the eccentric contraction of the movement, which is what makes it so effective for muscle hypertrophy. You can use a ez barbell or dumbbells to perform decline skull crushers.

Decline Chest Flyes

You can use the decline bench to do a variation of a chest flye. This is a single-joint exercise that targets the pectoralis major and minor. Unlike most other exercises, it solely focuses on the chest and doesn’t include the shoulders and triceps. This makes it a great exercise to fatigue the chest muscles and is often used as a pre-fatigue exercise to the chest press.

Candlesticks

Candlesticks are a more advanced core exercise and are a great way to progress from a leg raise core exercise. You can grip the footpad with your hands to stabilise and support yourself. As you advance through the movement you can lower the decline further to increase the range of movement. Candlesticks work the rectus and transverse abdominis.

Decline Dumbbell Pullovers

The decline dumbbell pullover is an accessory exercise that works the latissimus dorsi. It can be used as an alternative to a lat pulldown if you don’t have the equipment available in your home gym. A dumbbell pullover is a great accessory movement that targets the posterior chain.

Single Arm Decline Bench Press

Single-arm movements not only allow you to focus on muscle imbalances, they also often require more core stability than bilateral exercises. When doing a single-arm bench press on a Home Gym Bench you will be required to drop the weight but you’ll be giving your core a good workout. This can also be classed as an anti-rotation movement.

Now you know, the decline bench is useful for a range of exercises. The FID adjustable weight bench would be a great addition to any home gym, whatever your training goals.

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Tags: Equipment > Bars and Weight Plates ; Equipment > Benches ; Equipment > Dumbbells ; Exercise Type > Strength