12 Best Decline Bench Press Alternatives

With 16 years in the trenches, I can confirm that most men who join the gym want to build a barrel chest. A chest so wide and thick that it would make Arnold Schwarzenegger proud.

The pectoralis major can be divided into three heads — upper (clavicular), middle (sternal), and lower (abdominal).

You must add some meat to your lower pecs to create the coveted chest and abdominal separation.

Exercises like the flat barbell bench press and dumbbell flyes work the middle chest, which is also the biggest of the three heads. The decline barbell bench press targets the much smaller lower pecs.

That said, many people cannot perform the decline bench press due to shoulder rotator cuff discomfort. Conversely, others want to add variety to their training regimen. This article lists the 11 best decline bench press alternatives for building an expansive chest.

12 Best Decline Bench Press Alternatives

Here are the top lower chest exercises to spice up your training regime:

1. Incline Push-Up (Reverse Grip)

Let’s kick off this article with a beginner-friendly exercise. Contrary to what many people think, you don’t necessarily need a heavy barbell or dumbbell to build a diced physique. (I can already see calisthenics fans nod their heads in agreement.)

The incline push-ups bias the lower chest. You can take it a step further by using an underhand grip on the elevated platform. Most of my personal training clients report that the reverse hand placement results in better lower chest stimulation in the concentric phase than the conventional grip.

How To:

1. Find an elevated platform that is almost knee-high. I recommend performing this exercise on an incline bench as it allows you to wrap your fingers around the back pad, leading to a better grip.
2. Place your palms on top of the bench and wrap your fingers around it.
3. Extend your legs behind you and get into a high plank position on the bench. Your elbows should be fully extended at the starting position.
4. Slowly lower your chest toward the bench by flexing your elbows. Your chest should be a few inches away from the bench at the bottom.
5. Extend your elbows and contract your pecs to return to the starting position, but stop just shy of full elbow extension.
6. Pause and squeeze your pecs in the fully shortened position.

2. Smith Machine Decline Bench Press

This is an excellent decline bench press alternative as it eliminates the need to stabilize the barbell. This allows you to develop a more robust mind-muscle connection, leading to better muscle pumps.

How To:

1. Set the decline bench at the lowest setting.
2. Adjust the decline bench under the Smith machine barbell. Ensure that it is in the center.
3. Lie supine on the bench and grab the bar with an overhand grip.
4. Unhook the Smith machine’s barbell to get into the starting position.
5. Slowly lower the barbell to your chest by flexing your elbows.
6. Contract your pecs and drive through your elbows to return to the starting position.

3. Decline Dumbbell Bench Press

I prefer the decline dumbbell bench press over the conventional barbell bench press as it places less strain on the shoulder rotator cuffs. However, getting into position for this exercise is more challenging than the barbell variation; you might need a spotter’s help for the heavier sets.

Another crucial piece of advice: Always remove the barbell from the rack when doing this exercise. I’ve witnessed two incidents where individuals knocked dumbbells against the barbell, causing it to fall on their faces, leading to stitches for both. Learn from their mistakes.

How To:

1. Lie face up on a decline bench with a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Your arms should be extended and perpendicular to the floor at the starting position, with your palms facing away.
3. Slowly lower the dumbbells to your sides by flexing your elbows.
4. Explode back to the starting position.
5. Contract your pecs throughout the range of motion.

Dive deep into the decline dumbbell bench press here!

4. Decline Dumbbell Flyes

The separation between the chest is what distinguishes the men from the boys. While pressing exercises help add thickness and size to your pecs, flye movements are the most effective for building the coveted separation.

I recommend using lighter weights on this exercise than the conventional flat bench dumbbell flyes as the line of pull is slightly different, which can lead to rotator cuff injury while lifting heavy.

How To:

1. Lie supine on a decline bench while holding a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip.
2. Raise your arms toward the ceiling so they are perpendicular to the floor.
3. While maintaining a slight bend in the elbows, slowly lower your arms to your sides until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
4. Pause at the bottom to achieve a deep lower chest stretch.
5. Return to the starting position.
6. Repeat for recommended reps.

Check out our complete decline dumbbell flye guide!

5. High To Low Cable Flyes

Unlike barbells and dumbbells, cables and machines keep constant tension on the target muscle throughout the range of motion. The greater time under tension promotes muscle pumps and hypertrophy. (1)

Moving the cables at an angle is an excellent decline bench press alternative that works the lower pectoral muscles. However, you must adhere to optimal movement mechanics to engage the intended muscles effectively.

How To:

1. Attach D-handles to the cable pulley and adjust it to the highest setting.
2. Grab a D-handle in each hand, step forward, assume a staggered stance, and lean forward slightly.
3. The handles should be at your shoulder level at the starting position, with your elbows slightly flexed.
4. While keeping your head and back neutral, chest proud, and maintaining slight elbow flexion, bring your hands together in front of your belly button. Limit the movement to the shoulder joints.
5. Contract your chest in the fully shortened position.
6. Slowly return to the starting position.
7. Repeat for recommended reps.

Learn all you need to know about the high-to-low cable flyes!

6. Decline Machine Chest Press

The Hammer Strength decline machine chest press is one of the most popular machines to train the lower pecs. The machine’s seating position and unique line of the pull leave you with a sick muscle pump.

How To:

1. Adjust the machine’s seat so the handles are below your chest level.
2. Sit on the machine and place your back flat against the pad.
3. Arch your back slightly and pull your shoulder blades back and down.
4. You must maintain a proud chest throughout the exercise to bias the lower pecs.
5. Keeping your elbows tight to the sides, extend your arms, but avoid locking out your elbows at the top.
6. Slowly return to the starting position.

7. Parallel Bar Drips

The parallel bar dips are an incredibly effective bodyweight lower chest exercise. You must follow a full range of motion to ensure maximal lower chest activation. Beginners can opt for an assisted dip machine or a resistance band.

How To:

1. Grab the parallel bars with a neutral grip (palms facing your body).
2. Extend your elbows so your feet are no longer touching the floor.
3. Lean forward so your torso is at 45 degrees. Staying upright biases the triceps.
4. Slowly lower toward the floor by flexing the elbows.
5. Your upper arms should at least be parallel to the floor at the bottom of the ROM. Pause in this position for a deep lower chest stretch.
6. Extend your elbows to return to the starting position.
7. Stop shy of full elbow extension to keep constant tension on your pecs.

8. Decline Dumbbell Squeeze Press

This exercise loads the middle and lower chest, as it requires you to actively press the dumbbells against each other during the exercise. I recommend using flat dumbbells for this exercise, as round dumbbells can cause slip-ups, increasing injury risk.

Although this is essentially a dumbbell press exercise, you cannot lift as heavy on this lift as the conventional variation.

How To:

1. Set a decline bench at the lowest setting.
2. Lie on the bench while holding a dumbbell with a neutral grip in each hand.
3. Extend your arms toward the ceiling so they are perpendicular to the floor.
4. Press the dumbbells against each other.
5. Slowly lower the dumbbells to your chest.
6. Reverse the movement to return to the starting position.

9. Floor Press with a Glute Bridge

Although this decline bench press alternative might look easy, it requires a lot of practice to perform correctly. Most exercises on this list only engage the upper body, but this movement also engages the lower body.

Since this exercise is performed while lying on the floor, it results in a limited range of motion. You must focus on contracting the pecs in the fully shortened position for maximal chest stimulation.

How To:

1. Lie supine on the floor with your knees bent and feet placed flat on the floor.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and place your upper arms on the floor so they are at 45 degrees with your torso.
3. Drive your heels into the floor and raise your hips to form a glute bridge. This will be your starting position.
4. Lift the dumbbells toward the ceiling by extending your elbows.
5. Pause and contract your pecs at the top.
6. Slowly lower your upper arms to the floor.
7. Repeat for recommended reps.

Related: Floor Press Vs. Bench Press – Which One Should You Do?

10. Decline Dumbbell Pullover

The line of pull of the pullover biases the lower pecs. Performing this exercise on a decline bench loads the lower chest further. In my experience, most people leave gains on the table in this exercise by going too heavy.

The key here is to use a weight that you can control and that allows you to contract your pecs at the top. Using a weight that is too heavy will shift the focus to your lats.

How To:

1. Set a decline bench at the lowest setting.
2. Grab a dumbbell vertically with both hands and place it on your chest. This will be your starting position.
3. Lift the dumbbell toward the ceiling and lower it toward the floor over your head in one sweeping motion.
4. Contract your pecs throughout the range of motion.
5. Reverse the movement to return to the starting position.

Check out our complete dumbbell pullover guide!

11. Staggered Hand Push-Up

We started this article with a push-up variation, so it only feels fair to end with another variation. Most flat push-up variations bias the middle pecs. However, the hand placement in this exercise loads the lower pecs.

How To:

1. Get into a high plank position on the floor. Both your hands should be at chest level.
2. Move one hand forward so it is at your ear level. This will be your starting position.
3. Slowly lower toward the floor by flexing your elbows, focusing on contracting the lower pec on the side with the advanced hand.
4. Explode back to the starting position and contract your pecs.
5. Repeat for recommended reps before switching sides.

12. Seated Decline Cable Press

You don’t have to actually be on a decline bench to achieve the ideal slightly downward angle of movement. When you use a double cable machine you are able to sit in an upright position to get the same result.

How To:

1. Place an adjustable bench a few feet in front of a double pulley machine and set the angle at about 75 degrees.
2. Set the cable handles position to be slightly above your shoulder level when you are on the seat. 
3. Grab the handles and sit on the seat with your elbows at your sides and your arms at right angles. 
4. Press the handles in and slightly down to meet at the level of your sternum.

Wrapping Up

A developed chest can improve your upper body aesthetics. The key to building a full and round lower chest is to pause and contract the target muscles with each rep. Make the reps slow and deliberate, and the results will follow.

If you have any questions about decline bench press alternatives or training the chest, drop them in the comments below and I’ll be happy to help!

Read also:

• Hammer Strength Lat Pull Alternative Exercises
• Lat Pulldown Alternative Exercises for A HUGE Back
• T-Bar Row Alternative For a Massive Back
• Chin-Up and Pull-Up Variations for a Bigger and Stronger Back
• Best Chin-up and Pull-up Alternative

References

1. Bernárdez-Vázquez R, Raya-González J, Castillo D, Beato M. Resistance Training Variables for Optimization of Muscle Hypertrophy: An Umbrella Review. Front Sports Act Living. 2022;4:949021. Published 2022 Jul 4. doi:10.3389/fspor.2022.949021

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