Over-Emphasizing the Bench Press

[gmanlax7]

i have pretty big chest and shoulders, although i would say my upper chest is larger then my lower, probably due to my love for incline.
Last week i started a new chest program though, which my friend told me Arnold used his first 5years of BBing. It goes 5sets of flat, 5 of incline, 5 of db flys, and 5 of dips, I aim for 6 reps on the benching, then for 8or10 on the flys, then whatever i can crank out for dips by the end.
We'll see how that goes, i like it so far despite the flat benching.

 

[Haz]

I usually start with flat bench, but when I feel my workouts are getting stagnant I will switch it up and start with inclines or dips. There have also been long stretches where I haven't flat benched at all. I still like the exericse though, but I do feel it gets too much emphasis (at least amongst the bodybuilders who don't need it anywhere near as much as the powerlifters).

 

[WarriorPL]

Heavy flat bench, heavy db incline bench, flat/incline db or cable flys. That's all i do.

 

[louden_swain]

My question is, why are people so preoccupied with the bench press?

 

[Testosterone boy]

I fired the flat bench press two weeks ago. Made shoulders pop and had not gone up in 1 1/2 years while everything else did.

My shoulders are thanking me. Some people simply are not bio mechanically suited for certain exercises and ignoring this WILL produce injuries.

We need to listen to our bodies, not other lifters.

Besides....I like incline and shoulder press. Flys are fine and I believe those definitely produce the best pectoral development.

 

[JOKER47]

My question is, why are people so preoccupied with the bench press?

Other than powerlifters, your guess is as good as mine.



Joker

 

[WarriorPL]

no one seems to know the benefits of incline.... 98% of the people at my gym don't do incline.

 

[louden_swain]

no one seems to know the benefits of incline.... 98% of the people at my gym don't do incline.

Sounds like you are in a gym where people do nothing but bench and curls.

 

[WarriorPL]

You're right.

People give me weird looks when i do lifts that have nothing to do with chest or arms, like squats, and deads ("hey what's that you're doin' there")

Train legs and back in my gym?
God forbid.

 

[gettinlarger]

I alternate a lot between the two. The past few months it had been incline bench first, then flat exercises. Before that it was flat first, then incline exercises. Like needsize said, it kinda balances things out. When I go back to bulking pretty soon, I'll probably do flat one week, incline a few weeks, flat another, etc. I dunno.