10 Best Decline Barbell Bench Press Alternatives for Home & Gym

The Decline Barbell Bench Press is done lying on your back with a barbell. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Barbell Decline Wide-grip Press, the Wide-grip Decline Barbell Bench Press and the Barbell Reverse Grip Decline Bench Press. Two harder versions, the Bench Press - Powerlifting and the Bench Press With Chains, are listed below as progressions rather than swaps.

Decline Barbell Bench Press

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the Decline Barbell Bench Press

The steps for the Decline Barbell Bench Press itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Pectorals, with shoulders, triceps · Barbell · Intermediate · Compound

  1. Secure your legs at the end of the decline bench and slowly lay down on the bench.
  2. Using a medium width grip (a grip that creates a 90-degree angle in the middle of the movement between the forearms and the upper arms), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. The arms should be perpendicular to the floor. This will be your starting position. Tip: In order to protect your rotator cuff, it is best if you have a spotter help you lift the barbell off the rack.
  3. As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your lower chest.
  4. After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your chest muscles. Lock your arms and squeeze your chest in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up).
  5. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
  6. When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.

The 10 Best Decline Barbell Bench Press Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Decline Barbell Bench Press on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page. Harder versions are tagged as progressions and kept out of the top spot even when they score higher.

Each link re-ranks the list below for the kit it names. Pick one to hide the substitutes you cannot set up.

  1. Barbell Decline Wide-grip PressPlay demonstration

    1. Barbell Decline Wide-grip Press

    97% match

    Pectorals · Intermediate · Compound

    The same equipment, taken with a wide grip.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Lie on a decline bench with your feet secured and your head lower than your hips.
    2. Grasp the barbell with a wide grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
    3. Lower the barbell to your chest, keeping your elbows out to the sides.
    4. Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: decline press, the same as the Decline Barbell Bench Press
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Decline Barbell Bench Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Decline Barbell Bench Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Decline Barbell Bench Press
  2. Wide-grip Decline Barbell Bench Press

    2. Wide-grip Decline Barbell Bench Press

    96% match

    Pectorals · Intermediate · Compound

    Pick this when you want to work the pectorals with more balance to manage.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Lie back on a decline bench with the feet securely locked at the front of the bench. Using a wide, pronated (palms forward) grip that is around 3 inches away from shoulder width (for each hand), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. The bar will be perpendicular to the torso and the floor. This will be your starting position.
    2. As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your lower chest.
    3. After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your chest muscles. Lock your arms and squeeze your chest in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up.
    4. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: decline press, the same as the Decline Barbell Bench Press
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Decline Barbell Bench Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Decline Barbell Bench Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Decline Barbell Bench Press
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Decline Barbell Bench Press
  4. Smith Decline Bench PressPlay demonstration

    4. Smith Decline Bench Press

    89% match

    Pectorals · Intermediate · Compound

    A good swap when you have a Smith machine to work with, and it still works the pectorals.

    • Smith-machine
    How to perform it
    1. Adjust the decline bench to the desired angle.
    2. Lie down on the bench with your feet secured under the foot pads.
    3. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
    4. Unrack the barbell and lower it slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in.
    5. Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push the barbell back up to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: decline press, the same as the Decline Barbell Bench Press
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Decline Barbell Bench Press
    • Equipment: a machine, not free weights
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Decline Barbell Bench Press
  5. Bench Press - Powerlifting

    Progression

    5. Bench Press - Powerlifting

    89% match

    Pectorals · Advanced · Compound

    Pick this when you want a harder version that still works the pectorals.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Begin by lying on the bench, getting your head beyond the bar if possible. Tuck your feet underneath you and arch your back. Using the bar to help support your weight, lift your shoulder off the bench and retract them, squeezing the shoulder blades together. Use your feet to drive your traps into the bench. Maintain this tight body position throughout the movement.
    2. However wide your grip, it should cover the ring on the bar. Pull the bar out of the rack without protracting your shoulders. Focus on squeezing the bar and trying to pull it apart.
    3. Lower the bar to your lower chest or upper stomach. The bar, wrist, and elbow should stay in line at all times.
    4. Pause when the barbell touches your torso, and then drive the bar up with as much force as possible. The elbows should be tucked in until lockout.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Decline Barbell Bench Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Decline Barbell Bench Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Decline Barbell Bench Press
  7. Dumbbell Decline Bench PressPlay demonstration

    7. Dumbbell Decline Bench Press

    88% match

    Pectorals · Intermediate · Compound

    A good swap when you have dumbbells to work with, and it still works the pectorals.

    • Dumbbell
    How to perform it
    1. Lie down on a decline bench with your feet secured and your head lower than your hips.
    2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and extend your arms straight up above your chest, palms facing forward.
    3. Lower the dumbbells slowly to the sides of your chest, keeping your elbows at a 90-degree angle.
    4. Push the dumbbells back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: decline press, the same as the Decline Barbell Bench Press
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Decline Barbell Bench Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Decline Barbell Bench Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Decline Barbell Bench Press
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Decline Barbell Bench Press

Why You Might Need a Decline Barbell Bench Press Alternative

You may substitute the decline barbell bench press for several reasons: lack of a decline bench, shoulder pain with fixed bar path, or a need for unilateral correction. Biomechanically, decline angles emphasize the sternal (lower) fibers of the pectoralis major and reduce clavicular/head involvement. Alternatives like dumbbell declines or cable low-to-high presses restore natural wrist rotation and scapular motion, lowering shoulder torque. Cue for pain-prone shoulders: keep elbows at a 30–45° tuck and avoid flaring; for unilateral weakness, use single-arm decline dumbbell presses to correct imbalances through full range of motion.

Decline Barbell Bench Press FAQ

What muscles does Decline Barbell Bench Press work?

The decline barbell bench press primarily targets the lower (sternal) fibers of the pectoralis major, with secondary load on the triceps brachii and anterior deltoids. On a decline angle you reduce upper-pec recruitment and slightly change the press vector; cue: press with a downward trajectory toward the hips to emphasize lower pec activation.

Can I build muscle without doing Decline Barbell Bench Press?

Yes. You can achieve equal hypertrophy by choosing exercises that load the lower pecs and following progressive overload principles. Use tempo (2–3s eccentrics), full ROM, and exercises like decline dumbbell presses, weighted dips, or cable low-to-high presses while tracking load and volume.

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