My Bench Press Sucks and I Don’t Care

[TexasRanger]

Absolutely LOVE this article.  Agree 100% had already adopted a lot of what the author says years ago before reading it.  Some of the comments also offer some merit.  


My Bench Press Sucks and I Don’t Care

Some good quotes:

The bench press isn’t just a way to develop strength. It is a technical movement. The goal is to lower and lift as much weight as possible without hurting yourself.

Ellington Darden has focused on negatives since 2011 or 2012 (?) -- he has an incredibly tough workout which he calls 30 - 10 - 30.  You start with a 30 seond negative under contraction, 10 reps (slow pace), 30 second negative under contraction.  Try using more than 60% of your 1RM on this.   Anyway: 

Negative training allows you to tap into that unused strength, overloading the muscle at a much deeper level, and stimulating it to respond by growing bigger and stronger.

Benching strength is only a functional strength if you are a boxer or wrestler. It actually is somewhat counter-indicated if you’re a swimmer or rower Check out Michael Phelps pecs – pretty ordinary. It’s even less useful for runners and cyclists of any distance. [snip]

Art de Vany emphasizes the lat-delt muscles and I agree. In evolutionary fitness terms, these are the muscles you need to throw spears and – even more importantly – climb trees to escape attack…

Well said...same here.  Heavy stuff is long gone:

I’m at the age where ego-lifting is too expensive.

[billfish]

I never liked the bench press and haven't done one in over 25 years
It just never felt right.....so I did dips instead 
I've been doing these in an assisted version lately....they really work your chest and biceps

[Michael]

I don't bench with a bar but I will use DBs or when using KBs I do them on the floor. I don't think there is a problem with the exercise itself. I think the biggest problem is people's ego and the exercise police about the range of motion. I don't like bench pressing with a bar, doesn't feel right to me. I have done it in the past when I first started and have tried it recently. When I use a KB or two from the floor they come no where near my chest. When I use DBs I do partial range keeping the tension on the muscle not the joint. It's actually harder. A lot of people's ego won't let them go away from using heavy weight or using a lesser range of motion. It's not always about the amount of weight You can use.

I don't always do DB or KB benching. I do switch up to dips or regular pushups which I make harder. I enjoy all these exercises with no shoulder issues because I try to feel the muscle working, tension, over ego lifting.

This guy does partials on all his exercises. If You can get through his joking around, which I like, You can get some info.

[TexasRanger]

Dec 12, 2021 20:32:26 GMT Michael said:

I don't bench with a bar but I will use DBs or when using KBs I do them on the floor. I don't think there is a problem with the exercise itself. I think the biggest problem is people's ego and the exercise police about the range of motion. I don't like bench pressing with a bar, doesn't feel right to me. I have done it in the past when I first started and have tried it recently. When I use a KB or two from the floor they come no where near my chest. When I use DBs I do partial range keeping the tension on the muscle not the joint. It's actually harder. A lot of people's ego won't let them go away from using heavy weight or using a lesser range of motion. It's not always about the amount of weight You can use.

I don't always do DB or KB benching. I do switch up to dips or regular pushups which I make harder. I enjoy all these exercises with no shoulder issues because I try to feel the muscle working, tension, over ego lifting.

This guy does partials on all his exercises. If You can get through his joking around, which I like, You can get some info.

Excellent!  I stopped with straight bar benching for the same reasons you mention a few months after I hit my PR/goal.  Just no reason to continue. 

Pete Sisco -- since at least 1984 (?) -- has said you don't need to go to full ROM and has advocated partials.  His current website, Precision Training, includes articles which suggest training "in the smallest and safest possible range".  (The problem is the insane amount of weight he recommends.  Think Michael's idea of keeping tension on instead is far, far wiser and just as productive.)   My push ups are no longer full ROM and I won't even try an exercise (chins come to mind) if the elbow's tweaky, for example, and will use my TRX for rows instead.  Of course, Ken Hutchins' static pullover is a great lat pumper as well and no elbow involvement. -- another option.

[stormshadow]

I do DB presses, rings and normal pushups,  and two hand roller flies lying face down on the ground. I also like to do really slow dips. Six or 7 reps in one minute slow.

This is a good treatise on bench if you want to understand the lift better

rhinopowerlifting.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/BENCH-PRESS.pdf

[stormshadow]

These are similar to the ones I have

www.amazon.com/Amazon-Basics-Exercise-Fitness-Workouts/dp/B07P73GVSB

I bought mine fifteen years ago and they were more expensive. A different brand, not Amazon. You can use furniture sliders or towels on a wood floor too

Glad to see you back TR