Cutting out flat bench completley

[scotty51312]

Ok what do you guys think about getting rid of flat bench all together? Thinking my chest day would consist of Inclines, declines, flies and pullovers possibly weighted dips.

I'm not built to bench heavy I put up over 300lbs and thats enough for my ego.

Any input?

[BigBuck6]

Any injuries that prevent you from benching? Are you talking about also taking out the dumbbell bench press? I personally think that you should use the bench as a tool to shape rather than eliminate it completely. There was a year in my life where I would not go over 225 on the bench and worked on form, reps, and the feel of the movement. That type of thing may be more beneficial to you rather than eliminating it completely.

[scotty51312]

No real injuries preventing it, other than when i'm lifting heavy its another movement that puts stress on my shoulders which start to ache by the end of my split. I've been doing chest/bicepts in this order Incline BB/preacher curls/Dumbell flat bench/hammer curls/decline BB/concentration curls/DB flies

I get what you're saying about form. Its only been over the past few years that I've learned to concentrate more on moving the weights with my shoulderblades and not with my arms. And i really concentrate on pinching my shoulderblades together at the bottom of the rep.


Just looking at a different approach, i've kinda got bored with my last few chest routines

[BigBuck6]

I suggested crazy eights to a guy on here a few weeks ago those will make any chest routine interesting if you've never done them.

[scotty51312]

might have to give em a shot

[Machdiesel]

If your feeling discomfort in your shoulders after flat bench that you don't feel after incline and decline take out Flat bench. Your body is telling you something and you should listen. I don't think taking out Flat will set you back or take anything away from your chest development, But I do think if you hurt your shoulder and cant do pushing exercises for a month or longer that will set you back. 99% of guys upper chest is a week spot, so doing mostly incline type stuff will prob do good things for your chest development.

[BUTTERYGOODNESS]

ive ripped both my rotator cuffs so i dont use it at all, maybe once every 6 months. I only use it for close grip now. Just be careful with form because that was my mistake and i had to learn the hard way.

[BgMc31]

I've always told people the bench press is the most over rated exercise in the weightroom. If you aren't a powerlifter (like I am) there are better ways to develop the chest. As a matter of fact, the way we powerlifters bench, it isn't really a chest lift, its more of a shoulder, tricep, upper back movement (yes upper back).

[Gaspari1255]

^^^He's right. I didn't stop the flat bench because of injuries, I stopped it because its a bs ego exersize that gave my chest little results. I stick to Decline BB and 15-20 degree incline presses (Keep the bar slightly above the nipple and this will hit your middle and upper chest in one exersize).

[scotty51312]

I think I'm really over the ego aspect of it. I've recently realized i'm just not built to bench alot of weight. Just looking for different ways to improve my chest.

[DFRELAT]

Dropping flat bench for your chest is like dropping squats for your legs! Nothing gives me more results or insane pumps as the flat bench. All you guys are doing something terribly wrong! There's tons of variations you can do to mix things up on your bench if it's stalling. For example, I like to work myself up heavy for triples and doubles and then go lighter for a big drop set or to go lighter the whole workout but do reps to failure, do them as fast as you can like you're a machine gun, all out intensity. If things like that don't pump your chest like crazy, stay home! BgMc31 has a point, don't bench like a powerlifter if you wanna build a bodybuiler's chest!!!

Here's two examples of what I was saying, one clip is my last two sets on the bench, a heavy double followed right away by a big drop set, the pump that gave me was ****ing amazing!
The other is a day I wasn't feeling so strong so I did more reps instead of doubles and triples, again a freaking huge pump in the chest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1KC8...el_video_title
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vrB6...el_video_title

[bruary17]

Never leave out flat bench if you want to make continual progress in muscle growth. Chang it up some, dumbells, machines, smith machine....but it is an important staple you NEED if your strength and a powerful look your going for..

[Damienm05]

I definitely wouldn't cut it completely. Maybe just do low-weight DB flat after you've done your heavy incline/decline sets. Really focus on the contraction and a nice, slow 3-count on the way down. I wouldn't say it's like cutting out squats from leg day but more like removing bent over rows from back day - still a huge loss. Also, if you respond well to pullovers, that's one thing but I find it to be a very overrated exercise. Also doing both dips and decline in the same chest workout is a bit lopsided IMO.

[Darksyde]

for the last year or two ive been usually starting with an incline press then doing a decline or weighted dip for my power moves and no flat pressing except close grips.

[terraj]

^^^He's right. I didn't stop the flat bench because of injuries, I stopped it because its a bs ego exersize that gave my chest little results. I stick to Decline BB and 15-20 degree incline presses (Keep the bar slightly above the nipple and this will hit your middle and upper chest in one exersize).

Hell yeah^^ declines and weighted dips are me, sometimes I will do a DB flat press.

[BgMc31]

Dropping flat bench for your chest is like dropping squats for your legs! Nothing gives me more results or insane pumps as the flat bench. All you guys are doing something terribly wrong! There's tons of variations you can do to mix things up on your bench if it's stalling. For example, I like to work myself up heavy for triples and doubles and then go lighter for a big drop set or to go lighter the whole workout but do reps to failure, do them as fast as you can like you're a machine gun, all out intensity. If things like that don't pump your chest like crazy, stay home! BgMc31 has a point, don't bench like a powerlifter if you wanna build a bodybuiler's chest!!!

Here's two examples of what I was saying, one clip is my last two sets on the bench, a heavy double followed right away by a big drop set, the pump that gave me was ****ing amazing!
The other is a day I wasn't feeling so strong so I did more reps instead of doubles and triples, again a freaking huge pump in the chest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1KC8...el_video_title
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vrB6...el_video_title

Gotta disagree with this comment. Squats do so much more for the body than just develop the legs. I've talked to Jay Cutler on several occasions and he never benches, and neither do most of the bodybuilders here in Vegas. Again, I think its the ego that keeps people benching. Plus the bodybuilding version of the bench press (high bar placement around the nipples, flared elbows, stopping 2-3 inches above the chest) puts a tremendous amount of stress on the rotator cuff and labrum.

[DFRELAT]

Flat benching has alot of carry over too, just not as much as squats. It's great for your pecs of course but has the added bonus of being good for your delts and triceps too. So what if the Vegas boys don't like it, doesn't make it any less good of an exercise! Just look around you'll find alot more bodybuilders benching than not doing it!

[BgMc31]

Flat benching has alot of carry over too, just not as much as squats. It's great for your pecs of course but has the added bonus of being good for your delts and triceps too. So what if the Vegas boys don't like it, doesn't make it any less good of an exercise! Just look around you'll find alot more bodybuilders benching than not doing it!

Top bodybuilding pros? You sure about that? Most of the pros who come to Vegas, even before the Olympia, they only talk about doing inclines, hammer strength bench presses and db presses.

[DFRELAT]

I'm sure you're the authority on all the top bodybuilding pro's who go to Vegas! Point is almost every freaking bodybuilder in history has flat bench pressed at some point in their career. And usually when they stop its because of injuries not because they're doing better exercises for their chest. For example, your hear all the time: I'm not flat benching anymore instead I'm doing incline bench press because of injuries. The thing is their freaking huge chest they got now was from years of flat benching! Not from doing hammer strenght or some fancy machine! I'd like to see a video of a top bodybuilder saying his chest got so much bigger ever since he stopped benching and started doing hammer strenght instead!

[terraj]

I see a lot of top guys saying they get much more pec development dumbbells ...

[marcus300]

Gotta disagree with this comment. Squats do so much more for the body than just develop the legs. I've talked to Jay Cutler on several occasions and he never benches, and neither do most of the bodybuilders here in Vegas. Again, I think its the ego that keeps people benching. Plus the bodybuilding version of the bench press (high bar placement around the nipples, flared elbows, stopping 2-3 inches above the chest) puts a tremendous amount of stress on the rotator cuff and labrum.

I agree ^^^

Benching IMHO is way over rated, I stopped doing it around 15yrs ago and now I stick with various inclines/declines. Once I stopped benching my injuries went away and my development increased. Some may really respond to benching but for me there are far more positive chest exercises.

[tjax03]

Never leave out flat bench if you want to make continual progress in muscle growth. Chang it up some, dumbells, machines, smith machine....but it is an important staple you NEED if your strength and a powerful look your going for..

Not true at all. Plenty of people have built up strength and size without doing any form of flat bench. Doing inclines and declines hits every fiber that will be hit by doing flat bench. This type of statement is almost like saying you need to eat chicken in order to build muscle.

[n00bs]

I see a lot of top guys saying they get much more pec development dumbbells ...

Agreed,

The way most of us bench for strength Has sfa carry over to a defined chest most people at the gym Alot weaker then me do pec deck and dumbbell press and have a better developed chest.

[Gaspari1255]

"Decline bench is the most under-rated exersize in Bodybuilding." - Dorian Yates

[terraj]

True that^^ decline and dips are money for big pecs

[BgMc31]

I'm sure you're the authority on all the top bodybuilding pro's who go to Vegas! Point is almost every freaking bodybuilder in history has flat bench pressed at some point in their career. And usually when they stop its because of injuries not because they're doing better exercises for their chest. For example, your hear all the time: I'm not flat benching anymore instead I'm doing incline bench press because of injuries. The thing is their freaking huge chest they got now was from years of flat benching! Not from doing hammer strenght or some fancy machine! I'd like to see a video of a top bodybuilder saying his chest got so much bigger ever since he stopped benching and started doing hammer strenght instead!

The reason why every bodybuilder in existence has flat benched at one time is because the bench press is the most popular exercise in the gym. Once they realize it isn't absolutely necessary and get over the ego factor, they realize they can get better chest development without risking shoulder injury by doing other things. As a matter of fact, most dominant bench pressers don't have the best chest development, but there shoulders, backs, and triceps are massive. Hell, I'm a close to 600lb, raw bench presser and my chest development is no where near a lot of the guys on this forum, but few, if any, are as strong as I am. I have huge lats, shoulders, and triceps. That's where my bench press power comes from.

[Bigdog99]

I haven't used the flat barbell bench in years due to shoulder issues that arose from years of heavy benching. I use only dumbells now and my chest looks bigger now than ever.

[scotty51312]

Definitley apreciate all the input guys. I've pretty much made up my mind to drop it, I may flat bench once ever 6 weeks or so just for a change up. Definitely gonna stick to incline, decline, pullovers, weighted dips, and flies for now. Defintley a great debate

[CMB]

flat bench is great for strength gains but equally as good in development with dumbells, IMO. but thats just me but from what most people say dumbells are safer and you get a better range of motion from them so there you go.

[DFRELAT]

I would reallly like to see a video of that close to 600lbs raw bench press of yours!

[BgMc31]

I would reallly like to see a video of that close to 600lbs raw bench press of yours!

Nuthin to hide buddy. My best is 575 in competition. I'm 6mos off of rotator cuff surgery so when I get back there again, I'll post the vid.

[DFRELAT]

Cool! I know what its like coming back from surgeries believe me, I'm in the process of getting my strength back too. Gained 250lbs on the bench in about 10 months! Took all I had first day back in the gym with 220lbs, I'm at 470 right now, can't wait to get back to 500!!!

[BgMc31]

Yeah, I'm back to the mid 4's now. I just close gripped 425 for a double on Monday. I should be back over 5 in the next couple months. I'm not going to rush though. Good luck with your training.

[dooie]

I've always told people the bench press is the most over rated exercise in the weightroom. If you aren't a powerlifter (like I am) there are better ways to develop the chest. As a matter of fact, the way we powerlifters bench, it isn't really a chest lift, its more of a shoulder, tricep, upper back movement (yes upper back).

BgMc31 instead of flat press, what do u recommend i do?? form a BB's point of view as my joints get very sore after my flat bench!!