If you’ve read any muscle magazine in the last ten years, you’ve probably noticed a trend when it comes to their chest training articles. They often detail workout routines which emphasize the upper pectorals. This is to be expected. After all, the upper chest is that thick shelf of muscle upon which the eyes land as one poses. Arnold Schwarzenegger could balance a full glass of water upon his upper pecs, and every bodybuilder since has emphasized incline movements as a means of developing this area. As a result, lower pecs are often neglected, and don’t receive a great deal of training attention from bodybuilders.

Additionally, there are the logistical limitations. Most home gyms – including the Weider benches that we all started with in the garage or basement – possess both flat and incline bench settings. Very rare do they have the decline angle featured. Therefore, many bodybuilders don’t even realize that a decline feature exists until they’ve been training for 2 or 3 years. For this purpose, if there is a deficiency in the lower pectoral area, a routine emphasizing this area can be very useful in solving an imbalance. Here is a sample routine.

Lower chest specialization workout

Decline bench Press
Set 1 - 10 repetitions with light weight (70% of 1 RM)
Set 2 - 8 repetitions with medium weight (78% of 1 RM)
Set 3 - 5 to 6 repetitions with heavy weight (90% of 1 RM – with spotter)

Practice this movement with an empty bar – the range of motion is very different from flat bench press.

Flat bench press
Set 1 - 10 repetitions with light weight (70% of 1 RM)
Set 2 - 8 repetitions with medium weight (78% of 1 RM)
Set 3 - 5 to 6 repetitions with heavy weight (90% of 1 RM – with spotter)

Complete as normal. Use a spotter if possible.

Decline dumbbell flyes
Set 1 - 10 repetitions with light weight (70% of 1 RM)
Set 2 - 8 repetitions with medium weight (78% of 1 RM)
Set 3 - 5 to 6 repetitions with heavy weight (90% of 1 RM – with spotter)

Use these on a decline bench and allow dumbbells to nearly touch floor on descent.

Incline dumbbell press
Set 1 - 10 repetitions with light weight (70% of 1 RM)
Set 2 - 8 repetitions with medium weight (78% of 1 RM)
Set 3 - 5 to 6 repetitions with heavy weight (90% of 1 RM – with spotter)

Complete these as normal. A weight reduction might be necessary after the preceding routine.

Cable crossovers from floor
Set 1 - 10 repetitions with light weight (70% of 1 RM)
Set 2 - 8 repetitions with medium weight (78% of 1 RM)
Set 3 - 5 to 6 repetitions with heavy weight (90% of 1 RM – with spotter)

Completed as normal, except the crossover machine is set at floor level, instead of above head.

Mix up the movements for variation until your lower chest is on par with middle and upper pectorals. Always include two decline movements per workout until the imbalance is corrected. Good luck!

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