Exercise:

Decline Dumbbell Press

Target Muscle:

Chest (Mid/Lower)

Decline Bench, Dumbbells

Sit down on a decline bench with a pair of dumbbells resting on your thighs and with your legs securely hooked underneath the pads. The bench should be angled downward at roughly 30 degrees.

Carefully lay back on the bench and position the dumbbells at chest level, palms facing away and forearms/upper arms forming a 90 degree angle.

With your butt and shoulders firmly planted on the bench, press the weights up toward the ceiling in an arching motion until your arms are fully extended above you.

Lower the dumbbells back down until they are in line with your chest, and repeat.

- Safety should always come first, and if you find it awkward to get into position for this exercise and don't have a spotter available to help you out, simply replace it with a regular flat dumbbell press.

- Rather than flaring your arms out at a 90 degree angle to your body, keep them slightly tucked in towards your sides. This will reduce stress on the shoulder joints.

- Keep your shoulder blades slightly retracted throughout the exercise as this will further reduce shoulder stress and increase pec activation.

- If it feels more comfortable on your shoulder joints, you can stop an inch or two short of your chest rather than lowering the dumbbells all the way down.