Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below What do you guys thinnk about that? For months now I do Super incline, almost military press DB, and then kick the seat down a notch per set usually doing 4 sets of that. Than I do DB declines. I also do all the cable work and dips etc. How important do you feel flat bench is? Do any of you guys do it somewhat like I do and whats your results.
No flat Bench????
- Thread starter badslinky
- Start date
xblitz44x
New member
Check out this thread titled: Who likes incline and decline over flat bench.
http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=484016
Most of your answers will be found here. Good luck.
http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=484016
Most of your answers will be found here. Good luck.
Protobuilder
New member
Man can live and prosper w/out flat bench. If not for its pop cultural “lure” today, it’d be just another exercise to hit a particular plane of movement. No big woop.
BiggT
New member
Proto hit the nail on the head....the flat bench is an upper body press, no more, no less.....you can use much more weight than an incline or a military press, so you can overload the pressing muscles, but when you look at workload in terms of weeks, months, etc etc.....the bench press is a tool, but no more important of a tool than any other press. I've declined maybe 5 times in my entire life....not because I think it is an inferior movement, but simple because I just hate them.
PS
Drop the cable movements, I'd bet you won't even miss them.
PS
Drop the cable movements, I'd bet you won't even miss them.
Hmm.... interesting on the cable movements... The only cable movement I really enjoy is the ones where you pull up and clasp your hands together by your head. I say this b/c I feel it works that lower inner part of your pecs where that annoying space is... do you have any suggestions that hits that area up?BiggT said:
BiggT
New member
badslinky said:
Yeah, let me put it this way. If you're coming from a gym rat background, and you're used to the general ideas of the commercial gym regulars or the Muscle rags, this may sound blasphemous.........there is really nothing you can do to 'target' specific areas of the chest to the point of it being significant. Pick a press, incline/flat/decline, and train it progressively. Keep sets/reps constant and add weight each time, do not change sets/reps or exercises until you hit a wall and can no longer progress. As far as appearance or that 'annoying area' there are two options, one is to eat a caloric surplus and it will all grow if you're adding weight to the bar.....the other is to eat a caloric deficit and TRY to add weight to the bar or maintain strength at the very least and as you drop bodyfat your appearance will improve. This is 98% of it, most people in commercial gyms fuck this up and focus on the 2% (cable angles, hand placement, cables vs cybex machines, incline vs flat flyes) it is all pointless if you screw up that all important 98%.
So, basically, decide if you want more size or a leaner look.....eat for the goals, and train a press. There really is nothing more to it.
If you don't believe me.....look at your 'inner pecs' in a mirror, now do the motion of a flat or incline bench and see how they contract and work, the whole area, inner pecs included are sufficiently trained doing this, right? If you dropped the cable stuff and put more energy into being a better presser, you'll get where you want to go, as the cables are just fluff, maybe they provide a little metabolic work, but in the big scheme of it all, they are more than expendable.
badslinky said:
If an exercise is hurting you or is very uncomfortable, it probably is best that you utilize another exercise to hit that muscle. Its not a big deal if you skip flat, since you are hitting incline and decline. Not to mention, most decline benches arent much different from flat, unless you stack some plates under the end of the bench to really get a good decline.
