Things You'll Need:
- Decline bench
- Barbell
- Spotter
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Step 1
Find a weight bench that declines. Some gyms have designated decline weight benches.
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Step 2
Adjust the decline bench so that you are lying about 30 degrees downward. That's usually a notch or two on the adjustment bar. You should feel the blood rushing to your head.
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Step 3
Position yourself beneath a barbell on a rack. When you reach up with your hands they should grasp the bar straight up. Your arms should be perpendicular to the ground, a different angle than a standard bench press on a flat bench.
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Step 4
Start by lifting a weight about 70 percent of that which you can comfortably lift on a flat bench. Understand that decline barbell presses work your pectoral muscles at a different angle, so you may not be able to lift as much as you can on a flat bench. You can increase the weight later, when you are comfortable with the motion.
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Step 5
Get a spotter to help you. It can be difficult to control the weight during decline barbell presses. This is especially true while you are lifting the weight on and off the rack.
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Step 6
Concentrate on doing decline barbell presses straight up. Realize that you are at an angle to the ground so straight up will be at a downward angle from what you are used to on a flat bench. This can be strange at first. It is important to lift straight up or you could drop the weight on your head.
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Step 7
Do reps and sets as in a normal bench press. Be sure to stand up after every set so that the blood can rush out of your head.
