
1. Is doing both flat bench presses and decline bench presses redundant?
-I've read on these boards that the two exercises are one and the same in terms of targeting different portions of the pectorals; ie both work the sternal head of the pectoralis major and do so the exact same way. My trainer, however, keeps insisting that I do both. According to him, the flat bench press primarily targets the middle of your chest, while the decline is more for the lower chest. Similarly, I've also read on these forums that the lower chest can be targeted, and that dips are a good way to do it. So, what's the definitive answer, can the lower chest be targeted or not? The expert bloggers on the various bodybuilding sites can't seem to reach a consensus about this one either. For what it's worth, the two exercises do feel different in terms of how my pecs contract.

2. What is the appropriate angle for the incline bench press?
-Both the machine and barbell stations at my gym are set up at a fixed 45 degrees. I do it with dumbbells, and go for the 45 degree angle as well. However, many of the guys who do the dumbbell variant seem to go much steeper than that and end doing something in between a shoulder press and what I'm doing. Are they out to lunch, or should I be copying them?
3. Is the shoulder press enough for both anterior and lateral deltoids?
-I understand that the anterior head is the target, and the lateral is the synergist. However, unlike most other shoulder exercises, the "other" delt is at the top of ExRx's synergist list and thus, I assume, is heavily involved. So, is the shoulder press enough to work both muscles, or is a lateral delt exercise needed as well?