Decline bench press: Necessary part of pec workout? (muscles, gym, push-ups)

[pbergen]

my routine for working out my pecs has always been pretty simple:

-incline bench press
-flat bench press
-decline bench press

then, i follow up the bench press exercises with some chest fly exercises:
-incline chest fly
-flat chest fly
-decline chest fly

sometimes, i'll also mix in a few sets of push-ups at different angles.

but recently, a trainer at my gym noticed what i was doing and told me not to bother with the decline bench press/chest fly exercises. he said that that the decline motion doesn't really provide much benefit beyond what the flat bench press/chest fly already do (i.e. targeting the lower and outer pec muscles). he also said that if i really want to incorporate the decline exercises into my workout, i should do so only once every few workouts, just to shake things up - but utilizing them every week would be a waste of my time and energy.

any thoughts on this?

[Gplex]

Originally Posted by pbergen

my routine for working out my pecs has always been pretty simple:

-incline bench press
-flat bench press
-decline bench press

then, i follow up the bench press exercises with some chest fly exercises:
-incline chest fly
-flat chest fly
-decline chest fly

sometimes, i'll also mix in a few sets of push-ups at different angles.

but recently, a trainer at my gym noticed what i was doing and told me not to bother with the decline bench press/chest fly exercises. he said that that the decline motion doesn't really provide much benefit beyond what the flat bench press/chest fly already do (i.e. targeting the lower and outer pec muscles). he also said that if i really want to incorporate the decline exercises into my workout, i should do so only once every few workouts, just to shake things up - but utilizing them every week would be a waste of my time and energy.

any thoughts on this?

I have to agree, the only thing that hits the lower chest hard for me is weighted dips.

[Crustedfilth]

I'd agree as well. Push ups would be a better follow up. Even the incline bench can put pressure on your shoulders enough to hurt yourself.

If I were you I'd just keep it flat.

Make sure you are doing something for your upper back as well to keep a good balance.
Rows, face pulls, etc.

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[brubaker]

What is the old advice? Incline works the bottom of the pecs and decline works the tops...so yeah, if you really want round, well defined pecs I'd stick with the variety. Depends on how far along you are though and what your goals are.

[Jumpman023]

Here's another idea: what if you did only incline and decline bench? Would the middle chest be worked out somewhere between those two?

[DennyCrane]

Originally Posted by Gplex

I have to agree, the only thing that hits the lower chest hard for me is weighted dips.

I second this. Dips are underrated.

[TheCaliforniaBear]

Your lower pecs get worked a lot from standard benching.

Dips are probably the best exercise for isolating lower chest.

I don't even know anybody that does decline bench. I'm sure it works well, but definitely not necesarry.

[ogre]

Like several others here, I really like dips. I couldn't tell you from experience about how well decline presses work, because I've never done them. Dips, though, definitely. They're a great all-around chest exercise, and they really work the lower chest especially well.

[pbergen]

thanks for the tips, everyone. i'm definitely going to incorporate dips into my regular chest workout from now on.

up until now, it's been an exercise that i'd only do once in a while (not sure why).

quick question, though:
i've heard that when doing dips, you should tuck in your chin, which will keep the focus on your chest. supposedly, if you don't tuck in your chin (i.e. by looking straight ahead or even toward the ceiling), the impact on the chest is lessened and the focus on the triceps increased. is this true?