Leverage Decline Chest Press

What it is

This machine exercise effectively targets your chest muscles, particularly the lower pectorals. It is a compound pushing movement that also engages your shoulders and triceps. You'll press the weight forward in a decline path, maximizing pectoral activation.

Technique tips

• Adjust the seat so the handles align with your lower chest.
• Keep your chest high and shoulder blades retracted throughout.
• Press the handles forward, fully extending your arms without locking.
• Briefly pause at the top of the movement to maximize contraction.
• Control the weight on the return, do not let the stack touch down.
• Maintain constant tension on your chest muscles during the set.

How to track your progress

Log the weight and reps of each set. Straddly turns every set into an estimated one-rep max, so a heavier single and a strong set of eight both count as progress, and it flags a personal record the moment you beat your best.