Nelson is correct, BB bench is pointless and outdated.

[DanielBishop]

I've been bodybuilding (or trying to) for about 6 years and it's safe to say that I know jack shit.... I'm learning more every day, but I'm no expert. However....

.... I'm sick of blanket statements about things that work and don't work for everyone. I know a guy back in my hometown who has quads which rival Tom Platz (I kid you not.... and yes, he is on juice if that matters) but he's never done a single squat in his life. He did it all with leg presses and leg extensions. So to say that you'll never get big without squats isn't true. It might be true for 99.99% of the population who don't have amazing genetics like this particular guy, but certainly not true for EVERYONE.

Like people say, no exercise is POINTLESS or USELESS. It depends on each individual, form, weight, goals, genetics and the rest of the training regime.

There are thousands of guys who have safely built incredible pecs with flat bench press, but who saw little or no results with dumbbells. Or people like myself who have never felt a pinch of pain doing flat bench, but find that dips rip my shoulders apart regardless of how I try to execute the movement.

I'd be a much happier person if the bodybuilding community would lose the obsession with blanket statements and generalisations.

 

[Andy13]

I've been bodybuilding (or trying to) for about 6 years and it's safe to say that I know jack shit.... I'm learning more every day, but I'm no expert. However....

.... I'm sick of blanket statements about things that work and don't work for everyone. I know a guy back in my hometown who has quads which rival Tom Platz (I kid you not.... and yes, he is on juice if that matters) but he's never done a single squat in his life. He did it all with leg presses and leg extensions. So to say that you'll never get big without squats isn't true. It might be true for 99.99% of the population who don't have amazing genetics like this particular guy, but certainly not true for EVERYONE.

Like people say, no exercise is POINTLESS or USELESS. It depends on each individual, form, weight, goals, genetics and the rest of the training regime.

There are thousands of guys who have safely built incredible pecs with flat bench press, but who saw little or no results with dumbbells. Or people like myself who have never felt a pinch of pain doing flat bench, but find that dips rip my shoulders apart regardless of how I try to execute the movement.

I'd be a much happier person if the bodybuilding community would lose the obsession with blanket statements and generalisations.

I agree with most everything you said..

I agree that the statement "flat bench is worthless" is indeed a blanket statement that does not apply to everyone..

However, I will stand up and say, until the sun comes down, that physiologically INCORRECT exercises (such as behind-the-neck lat pulls) are indeed worthless, unless it comes down to either this movement or nothing as far as back training...

As far as POINTLESS exercises go, palms-up triceps push downs are indeed a false stretch of the "I know my body" imagination BBers sometimes have..

So I think blanket statements can be carefully and accurately used in BBing.. Not with something that has at least SOME physiological merit such as flat bench.. but certainly for some of this other bizzare garbage I've seen that's either flat out incorrect, dangerous, both, or just funny looking.

 

[Andy13]

Forgot to mention...

Along the lines of "worthless", "incorrect", or "stupid looking,"

Be careful offering friendly advice to the guy who makes triceps cable pushdowns look like a chest, shoulder, AND triceps (sometimes other muscle groups thrown in as well) workout...

He may very well be training for an upcoming tire pumping competition.

Andy

 

[Nelson Montana]

Andy: Personnally, I found pressdowns behind the back with the bar that allows the hands to face each other works quite well. It isn't a mass builder like rows or deads, but it hits the lats at a good angle if you do them correctly.

So yes, everyone is different and perhaps "worthless" is too strong of a word. But I maintain, the bench press is the cause for more injuries than any other movement.

spatts: You are correct. In the technical sense, the serratus, rhomboids, and even the trapezius and erector spinae come into play when benchig since they stabilize the pushing muscles. In that regard, however, it can be said that ANY exercise involves the stabilizers. I was talking more in terms of the fibers that don't come into play when isolatng a muscle.

 

[Silent Method]

So yes, everyone is different and perhaps "worthless" is too strong of a word. But I maintain, the bench press is the cause for more injuries than any other movement.

I can feel you on this. However, like I said before, one reason for this is the sheer volume of lifters who do the bench press. Add to that the sheer volume of lifters who practice the move with bad form. A great deal of people fail to learn and assess real technique for the move. Hey, what could be more cut and dry than laying on your back and pushing up right? Wrong.



Anyone read the Hatfield article I posted? I'd be interested to see the little benching gizmo he describes.

 

[wartime100]

You should always switch up your exercises. Saying that bench pressing is pointless is rediculous.

 

[CN1]

this is a real chest workout:

barbell benchpress
dumbell benchpress
incline dumbell press
incline dumbell flyes
hammer strength decline press
cable crosses
pec decs
dumbell flyes
decline flyes
dips
bottom to top chest cables or b-t chest dumbells
incline close grip dumbells for chest

 

[Andy13]

this is a real chest workout:

barbell benchpress
dumbell benchpress
incline dumbell press
incline dumbell flyes
hammer strength decline press
cable crosses
pec decs
dumbell flyes
decline flyes
dips
bottom to top chest cables or b-t chest dumbells
incline close grip dumbells for chest

One set of each (?)

 

[Spectre]

this is a real chest workout:

barbell benchpress
dumbell benchpress
incline dumbell press
incline dumbell flyes
hammer strength decline press
cable crosses
pec decs
dumbell flyes
decline flyes
dips
bottom to top chest cables or b-t chest dumbells
incline close grip dumbells for chest

Is this ONE workout? If it is I don't see how you could even remotely make it to the end with a decent amount of weight plus overtraining bigtime.

 

[CN1]

well if you do 2-3 sets on the major lifts, and 1-2 sets on the minor ones you will come out at 25 sets, volume is the key, and you do heavy weight, light weight, negative reps, partial reps, low sets, high sets, supersets, and giant sets!!!!!