Vintage Sports Memorabilia

Chest Day, seems to be everyone’s favorite workout day, and every Monday you see every gym goer heading to the gym for their favorite workout day. Usually this means that bench press is going to be their primary exercise. The bench press is frequently proclaimed as the best upper muscle builder and it seems everyone is trying to increase the amount of weight they can push. This is not only for the rights to brag, but for respect of their peers and of course solid chest muscles.

In the heads of the ordinary weightlifter, the bench press is considered to be at the top. Yet, is it actually the most beneficial exercise to use to cause massive growth to your chest? If you are learning how to gain muscle fast  there are a few things you should know about the bench press before choosing to include it as your chest exercise of choice.

A lot of trainers have much respect for the bench press and some athletes are even tested on their strength in the bench press, making it an almost a mandatory lift. Yet some top strength coaches recommend dropping the bench press from your routine entirely. From their point of few the bench press has destroyed more shoulders and torn more pecs than it has perfected. So are you wondering if you should keep the bench press in your workout or not?

Please allow me to try and bring clarity to the question, and maybe give you a little more information to help you make the right choice.

I am hesitant to say that the bench press is “good or bad” because like a lot of things in life, it is not a black and white issue. There a gray areas in between where the bench press is optimal for some and not for others.

In my opinion, it is not that the bench press is a “bad” exercise, but rather it is a technical lift that calls for some skill in order to carry it out correctly. If you don’t know what you are doing and lack the understanding of the proper bio-mechanics of the bench press than it is very probably you will end up with shoulder injuries. This isn’t a good thing and could put a huge damper on your upper body training.

The way to figure out if the bench presses is a “good” exercise for you is to first figure out if your body was designed for optimal bench pressing. It is also imperative to learn the correct execution of the lift and tips for modifying or adapting the bench press to suit your specific anatomical structure.

Let us take a closer look at the main problems with bench pressing and I’ll offer a couple solutions you can apply if you do choose to include the bench press in your routine:

THE PROBLEM: A lot of people end up bench pressing with improper form because they follow the example of bodybuilder’s who use the flared elbows style of bench pressing. This is the most common way that you’ll see guys bench pressing in the gym and this is also the fastest way to destroy your shoulder sooner or later. The upside is that it puts more tension and stress on the pectoral muscles but the huge minus is that it puts excess stress on the shoulder capsule and can, overtime, lead to shoulder impingement and a host of other shoulder problems.

THE SOLUTION: If you want to include the bench press, I suggest learning the proper form that powerlifters use. This is a more bio-mechanically correct technique and is safer because the elbows are tucked in closer to the body. Although it takes some of the impact off of the chest and puts it on the triceps, it will save your shoulders and allow you to lift more weight in the end. That’s great news!

ANOTHER PROBLEM: The bench press is mostly well suited for guys with big barrel chests and shorter arms. This means the bar has less distance to travel and reduces strain on the shoulders due to the limited range of motion. This is why you see the short, stalky guys lifting mad weight and putting others to shame.

Most skinny,  ectomorphs  have thinner torsos and longer arms, this means the bar is having to move a greater distance. It also means if we lower the bar all the way to our chest, our shoulders get placed in a detrimental position which also places more stress on the shoulder joint. Allowing your shoulder to be placed in this compromising position can lead to an injury in a hurry.

SOLUTION: While performing the bench press, do not let your elbows go past the bench (as viewed from the side.) The bar may not come all the way down to your chest this way, but you’ll keep a 90 degree angle between your upper and lower arm. This will keep the stress on your shoulders and elbows down to a minimum. Another method is to bench in a safety rack and set the pins at an appropriate level so that your elbows do not go too far down. You can also try doing the floor press as another variation. This works good because the floor will stop you from going too far.

CONCLUSION: Personally, I limit how much bench pressing I do. When I do include it, I take the above precautions. I also focus on the Incline press at a 30 degree angle more so than the flat bench press. I also highly recommend floor presses and flat or incline dumbbell presses on the bench (but careful not to let your elbows drop too low.)

Another thing I recommend is push ups. You can use a weighted vest, chains, plates, backpack or whatever to add resistance and make them tougher. Many trainers also suggest performing push-ups suspended from rings or straps to make them even more difficult. Push-ups are one of the best chest builders and have been around for a very long time. Where the bench press destroys shoulders, push-ups and their variations actually work to build, strengthen and stabilize the shoulder joint. That is something to keep in mind.

So, it is not that the bench press is “bad” and to be avoided by all, it is merely that some peoples structure and body are more suited for it than others. One final tip I can give you that will prevent injuries, is to do a variety of rows. At least as much pulling exercises (if not more) than your pressing exercises for your chest. If not you’ll develop muscular imbalances and this can cause bad posture, or rounded shoulders.

Hope you find this useful!

Brandon Cook

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About the Author:

Brandon Cook is creator of The Awakened Warrior Blog, and co-creator of HardgainerMuscleBuilding.com, a website specifically designed to teach the ectomorph the laws and scientific principles for building a classic, muscular and functional body. 

HargainerMuscleBuilding.com features a free email class covering the basic principles of training naturally, eating a nutritious, muscle-building diet, and understanding the truth about supplements. The website is filled with free articles, videos, and the programs you need to create your ideal body.

Please visit us at http://hardgainermusclebuilding.com

Tags: Bench Press, Bio Mechanics, Chest Exercise, Chest Muscles, Clarity, Gain Muscle, Goer, Gray Areas, Massive Growth, Muscle Builder, Pecs, Peers, Right Choice, Shoulders, Strength Coaches, Weightlifter, Workout