flat or decline bench

[ediamond]

This is probably a stupid question but I was wondering if flat or decline bench is harder

[lint]

harder or easier probably isn't the right comparison. Flat is a better overal compound exercise since it hits more muscle groups. But it all depends on what you want to do. Decline uses more chest because your shoulders don't really come into play. And for most, if you haven't done them before, the motion is a little awkward. Guess that could make them harder.

[~Leah~]

Different muscles and muscle fibers come into play, as you are training a different angle of the muscle... change it up all the time. Do incline as well... they're all beneficial

[ediamond]

yeah the reason I was asking was more for my max bench.
I have been in a fairly intense training program, which includes all 3 bench (flat, incline, decline), the problem with my program was by the time I was done incline and decline my pecs were exhausted so i couldnt push nearly as much weight on my flat as I did on decline. But then every 6 weeks or so I do my max bench based on my decline results, but would do my max bench on flat. But from your responses I'm guessing I should do my max on decline, because its different then flat? (I thought flat used both upper and lower pecs so would be easier than decline)

[lint]

Are you doing max for the sake of bragging? Then I'd go with the biggest number. Otherwise it doesn't really matter what you do it with, as long as you're consistent. ie max flat should not be compared to max decline.

Do you mix up the order at all? ie one week you do incl/decl/flat, another week you do decl/flat/incl?

[Hakkola]

I LOVE the decline bench, I can do more on the decline then I can with the flatbench, that said, who cares, I do incline, decline, and flatbench on my chest days.

[Wildcat]

you hit the lower pec doing both decline and flat. so choose one or the other, doing both is redundant. i find decline to be akward anyways, concentrate on your incline as the upper chest is much harder to develop.

[lint]

Originally posted by Wildcat
you hit the lower pec doing both decline and flat. so choose one or the other, doing both is redundant. i find decline to be akward anyways, concentrate on your incline as the upper chest is much harder to develop.

I also find dips really hit the lower pecs hard, and I'm with you. Never did like the decline bench. Blood rushing to my head.

[Hakkola]

Originally posted by Wildcat
you hit the lower pec doing both decline and flat. so choose one or the other, doing both is redundant. i find decline to be akward anyways, concentrate on your incline as the upper chest is much harder to develop.

While I'm sure you know more about this then I would, but if they both work the same muscles I find it strange that I can lift more on the decline bench, neither of these excersizes feel awkward to me.

[ediamond]

Originally posted by lint
Are you doing max for the sake of bragging? Then I'd go with the biggest number. Otherwise it doesn't really matter what you do it with, as long as you're consistent. ie max flat should not be compared to max decline.

Do you mix up the order at all? ie one week you do incl/decl/flat, another week you do decl/flat/incl?

yes, there is some bragging done, but i also just like to mentally know how much I can lift, lots of people use the max bench calculators on the internet, but you can't really say you bench that much unless you actually do it

[Wildcat]

Originally posted by Hakkola


While I'm sure you know more about this then I would, but if they both work the same muscles I find it strange that I can lift more on the decline bench, neither of these excersizes feel awkward to me.

your getting a little extra help from other muscles like your ant delts, but mostly you are able to create leverage by having your legs locked in and forcing them against the leg pad at the end of the bench while pressing. same thing goes with a seatbelt if its machine decline.

imo, decline is for amateurs, but if you are going to do it use the machine. its alright to do if you want to mix things up every now and then.

[Hakkola]

Again strange, cuz I've got a buddy who does way more then me on flatbench, but the same or less then me on decline, could be the awkwardness factor I suppose.

As for Decline being for amateurs, you could be right, I'm definately not a pro.

[Barrington]

dude... incline is clearly what you want here!!

[BloodBaneZXY]

Meh, decline is alright but dips hit way harder in my opinion. On top of that, after a total of 5 sets of Flat+Incline benching, it's a nice change up to steer away from that range of motion to move into weighted dips.

[shakalaka]

Word to what wildcat said, decline aims at the lower pecs and flat does that too. I dont bother with declines to be honest. Just inclines and flats.