5 Smith Wide Grip Decline Bench Press Alternatives (2026)
If you can’t use the Smith wide-grip decline bench press, choose decline barbell or dumbbell presses, weighted chest dips, low-to-high cable presses, or decline push-ups. Use a controlled 3-1-1 tempo and tuck your elbows 30–45° to bias the sternal (lower) pec fibers and limit shoulder shear.
Original Exercise: Smith Wide Grip Decline Bench Press
How to Perform Smith Wide Grip Decline Bench Press
- Adjust the decline bench to the desired angle.
- Lie down on the bench with your feet secured under the foot pads.
- Grasp the barbell with a wide grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Unrack the barbell and lower it slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows pointed outwards.
- Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest.
- Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Best Smith Wide Grip Decline Bench Press Alternatives
1. Assisted Wide-grip Chest Dip (kneeling)
91.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Adjust the machine to your desired height and secure your knees on the pad.
- Grasp the handles with a wide grip and keep your elbows slightly bent.
- Lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
- Push yourself back up to the starting position by extending your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
2. Barbell Decline Wide-grip Press
86.8% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie on a decline bench with your feet secured and your head lower than your hips.
- Grasp the barbell with a wide grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lower the barbell to your chest, keeping your elbows out to the sides.
- Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
3. Barbell Decline Bench Press
86.8% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie on a decline bench with your feet secured and your head lower than your hips.
- Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Unrack the barbell and lower it slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push the barbell back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
4. Decline Barbell Bench Press
86.1% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Secure your legs at the end of the decline bench and slowly lay down on the bench.
- 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.
- As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your lower chest.
- 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).
- Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
5. Dumbbell Decline Bench Press
84% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie down on a decline bench with your feet secured and your head lower than your hips.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand and extend your arms straight up above your chest, palms facing forward.
- Lower the dumbbells slowly to the sides of your chest, keeping your elbows at a 90-degree angle.
- Push the dumbbells back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
6. Decline Dumbbell Bench Press
82% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Secure your legs at the end of the decline bench and lie down with a dumbbell on each hand on top of your thighs. The palms of your hand will be facing each other.
- Once you are laying down, move the dumbbells in front of you at shoulder width.
- Once at shoulder width, rotate your wrists forward so that the palms of your hands are facing away from you. This will be your starting position.
- Bring down the weights slowly to your side as you breathe out. Keep full control of the dumbbells at all times. Tip: Throughout the motion, the forearms should always be perpendicular to the floor.
- As you breathe out, push the dumbbells up using your pectoral muscles. Lock your arms in the contracted position, squeeze your chest, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up..
7. Dumbbell Decline Hammer Press
82% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie on a decline bench with your feet secured and your head lower than your hips.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing each other and your arms extended above your chest.
- Lower the dumbbells to the sides of your chest, keeping your elbows slightly bent.
- Press the dumbbells back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
8. Decline Smith Press
81.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Place a decline bench underneath the Smith machine. Now place the barbell at a height that you can reach when lying down and your arms are almost fully extended. Using a pronated grip that is wider than shoulder width, unlock the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms extended. This will be your starting position.
- As you inhale, lower the bar under control by allowing the elbows to flex, lightly contacting the torso.
- After a brief pause, bring the bar back to the starting position by extending the elbows, exhaling as you do so.
- Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
- When the set is complete, lock the bar back in the rack.
9. Barbell Reverse Grip Decline Bench Press
81.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie on a decline bench with your feet secured and your head lower than your hips.
- Grasp the barbell with a reverse grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Unrack the barbell and lower it slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push the barbell back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
10. Barbell Wide Bench Press
76.8% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Grasp the barbell with a wide grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
- Lower the barbell slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows slightly flared out.
- Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest, then push it back up to the starting position.
Why You Might Need a Smith Wide Grip Decline Bench Press Alternative
You might substitute the Smith decline for equipment limits, shoulder pain from the fixed bar path, or to increase stabilizer activation and range of motion. Free-weight declines and dips recruit more scapular stabilizers and force unilateral control, while cables keep constant tension across the arc. If a fixed Smith bar aggravates your shoulders, choose dips or dumbbell declines and focus on scapular retraction and a slow eccentric to reduce joint strain and maintain lower-pec activation.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Pick a substitute based on equipment, stability needs, and the specific lower-pec stimulus you want. Choose decline dumbbells for increased stretch and unilateral balance; select weighted dips for a vertical pressing pattern that shifts load to the lower sternal fibers; use low-to-high cables for continuous tension throughout the concentric and eccentric phases. Cue: maintain scapular retraction, tuck elbows ~30°, and press through the midline to maximize lower pectoralis major recruitment while protecting the anterior shoulder.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Smith Wide Grip Decline Bench Press work?
It emphasizes the sternal (lower) head of the pectoralis major, with secondary recruitment of the anterior deltoids and triceps brachii. A wide grip increases lateral pec activation and reduces triceps involvement; cue a controlled eccentric to maximize pec tension.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Smith Wide Grip Decline Bench Press?
Chest dips are the top bodyweight substitute—lean forward about 20–30° and tuck elbows ~30° to load the lower pecs. If dips aren’t available, use decline (feet-elevated) push-ups with a slow 2–3 second descent to increase lower-pec activation.
Can I build muscle without doing Smith Wide Grip Decline Bench Press?
Yes. Progressive overload via decline dumbbell press, weighted dips, or cable low-to-high presses will stimulate the lower pecs effectively. Focus on full range of motion, deliberate eccentrics, and consistent load progression to drive hypertrophy.
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