CHEST - Decline Dumbbell Chest Press

1. Sit with your buttocks at the top angle of the decline bench (angled at 15-30 degrees) and position your feet under the ankle rolls. Suitable weight dumbbells should be sitting upright on the thigh muscles just above your knee cap. This means the palms are facing each other.

2. Slowly lower your torso backwards onto the bench into the lying position with dumbbells at the sides of shoulders.

3. Rotate your wrists so that your palms face forward, retract your shoulder blades and arch your back slightly. This is the starting position,

4. To commence the movement, raise the dumbbells over 1-2 seconds as you breathe out, pushing from your chest.

5. Hold the arms extended for a second then slowly return to the starting position over 2 seconds as you breathe in, feeling the stretch through your chest and stopping the movement when the dumbbells are adjacent to your shoulders.

6. Dismounting from a Decline Dumbbell Chest Press can be difficult. If your core is strong enough, from the starting position, use your abs to lift your torso in a sit-up motion and return the dumbbells to your thighs. You can then place them on the floor from the seated position. If using a heavy weight or if your core is not strong enough to raise your torso, you can dismount by dropping the weights to the floor so long as it is in a controlled manner. If it is not controlled, you risk damaging your shoulder. In this circumstance, you would be better to select an alternate exercise.