Decline Way Higher Than Flat!!

So I haven’t flat benched in a while. It really sucks so I took about 6 months off working on other lifts. I increased my incline by 50, decline by frigging 70. Dip up about 20.

So today the decline wasn’t available so I thought I’d try flat again and see what I’m at. I threw on a pretty light weight hoping to get like 12 reps. Nope. Failed first rep.

Later the decline was available so I hopped on and did 20 pounds more 20 pounds more than what I failed on flat for 6 reps.

It’s pretty weird eh? What area must be weak?

A lot of people use a shorter range of motion on the decline, so that can add some pounds.

If you are a tricep dominant bencher then it will also get them more involved which can, I assume, give you a few pounds that way as well.

I touch the chest on both.

[quote]TVG wrote:
I touch the chest on both. [/quote]

Yes, but the decline is still a shorter ROM.

I went through this exact same thing about 3 months ago, it crushed my ego. I assumed my flat bench would be about the same as my decline. haha, Not even in my wildest dreams.

you can always do a decent amount more on decline unless you arch like a crazy person on flat bench

When I decline I can easily hit 300 and feel pretty manly but when I do flat bench well… it’s significantly less than that. The ROM is definitely a big factor because I have fairly long arms.

This is why powerlifters use a big arch. It essentially makes flat bench a decline press.

I mush prefer decline, I’ve heard it hits more muscle fibers that way (dunno how true that is though)

I certainly ‘feel’ it alot more than flat bench.

You incorporate more shoulders when doing the decline bench. Three muscle groups are better than two. My decline has always outpaced my flat (which, by the way, I hold in contempt).

[quote]kroby wrote:
You incorporate more shoulders when doing the decline bench. Three muscle groups are better than two. My decline has always outpaced my flat (which, by the way, I hold in contempt).[/quote]

that isnt how it feels with me though?

my shoulders feel alot more worked on flat than decline?

I find it’s easier for chest to take control better on decline than flat.

huh,i can use 90lb dbs on flat bench but only like 50-60lb dbs on delcine…hell i can get 70lb dbs on incline…so what the hell have I done?

[quote]jmwintenn wrote:
huh,i can use 90lb dbs on flat bench but only like 50-60lb dbs on delcine…hell i can get 70lb dbs on incline…so what the hell have I done?[/quote]

You’re holding the weights upside down obviously.

That’s interesting. Thanks guys!

I still think it’s weird that my incline and decline have increased by so much and my flat hasn’t. I guess it doesn’t matter as long as I am getting bigger. I just hate saying when people ask what my bench is, “well my bench is 90…BUT WAIT my decline is 350!!” lol jk

shouldn’t a decline bench be 20% more than a flat bench … and an incline bench about 15% less than a flat bench?