Is there anyone who doesn't flat bench press at all?

[Rock Lee]

Would wide-grip weighted dips and incline presses (along with flys/crossovers for stretching and close-grip bench presses for triceps) be enough to work the chest? I feel like I'm wasting my time doing regular flat bench presses because (despite the fact that I pinch my shoulder blades together, bring my chest up, and alternate between DBs and BB) I mostly feel it in my shoulders and triceps. When I do it at a small incline though I really feel it throughout my chest--but then I know you're not supposed to judge exercises based on the feeling/pump/soreness/etc. so that's why I'm asking here.

Another semi-related question: When doing close-grip bench presses (for triceps), should one still keep their shoulder blades pinched together?

 

[Jarconis]

I dont, I just feel like for me it becomes more of a front delt excercise than a chest. I feel like I get more out of going heavy on incline dumbbells personally.

 

[jjjd]

i went for about 1 1/2 years without flat bpressing or ANY sort of bench pressing.

i was doing OLing.

fwiw, bill starr in his strongest shall survive recommends incline bench press OVER flat bench press for athletes.

however, most OLers (a subset of athletes) don't bpress or incline bench press AT ALL since it is not seen as building strength that is directly transferable to the two lifts.

even without bpressing, i was doing enough jerking and overhead push pressing that when i started to bpress, i had reasonable strength.

otoh, i have seen some OLers with very flat chest.

imo, if one had to choose between incline press OR bench press, the former would be generally superior for athletes and the latter arguably superior for some bbers.

however, since one doesn't have to choose either/or it's kind of not relevant

 

[Longdog]

I never flat bench & haven't in about 2 years. I do mostly incline work. Some chest workouts are all incline variations, but I rotate Incline fyes, decline BB, dips, hammer strength & occasional flat DB presses or flyes. I would do more flat DB presses, but my gym only has up to 100lb dbs, so I have to pre-exhaust.

I quit flat BB Bench because of shoulder problems. My chest development really took off since I dropped it & my shoulders never felt better. I really think incline is far better exercise to isolate the pecs. Flat BB bench uses a lot of delts.

 

[jetset]

Hey rocklee just a quick question for ya. Since when are you not suppose to judge an exercise base on pump, feeling, and soreness? Everybody has thier own movements they like best, because people respond to different things. You need to find what works best for you, and if doing a bench with a slite incline works then I say go with it. In my opinion most incline benchs are set too high there for engaging too much shoulder. So I stick with a adjustable bench so I can control the angle and if one is not around the I put a box under a flat bench. As far as flat I alternate between flat and incline but only do flat with DBs. Good luck.

 

[sifu]

I never do flat bench.

 

[jminis]

Who says you shouldn't judge an excercise on "feel". If your doing a movement and you really feel it in your shoulders for example then guess what, your working more of your shoulders!
I am the opposite of you folks if I do inclines I feel it mostly in my shoulders so I don't do them. Flat bench works well for me and I can really isolate my pecs when I use the db's.

Also a little info for ya guys according the EMG studies the best movement to isolate the pecs and take the delts out of the equation is decline db's press.

 

[Sticks]

I do flat bench just about every workout. I used to play college football, and the strength coaches push flat BB press really hard. I guess a lot of it is an ego thing, but for me it's one of my favorite excercises. I know it's all mental but i feel like if my bench isn't going up then i'm not progressing even if the rest of my workout is solid. I know it's stupid.

 

[iron addict]

I RARELY do them and most of the time when I do I end up regretting it because they aggrevate my shoulders so much. Dips and dumbell presses for me. For MANY, MANY people flat BB presses are for the most part a great front delt and tricep move. Loius Simmons has stated that sometimes when a lifter tears a pec, is when he learns to become a great bencher because he then focuses on the muscles that REALLY make a big bench and those are triceps and front delts.


Iron Addict

 

[jweave23]

I stopped doing them awhile ago, but I'm sure I'll throw them back in again at some point for a change, but I prefer incline DB's now

 

[RippedUp]

I haven't bench pressed in about 2 years, and won't do so anytime soon.
DB pressing and dips are all I do for chest development.

 

[Gumbo]

I have not used a bar for benching in over 7 years. I stick to dumbells for incline and flat. I'll start with Incline DB's one workout and then start with flat DB's the next. My strength is now equal on both exercises

Gumbo

 

[BingeAndPurge]

only incline stuff and dips for me

 

[bigpetefox]

I don't do flatbench with the bar, either..

 

[size]

No flat bench for me.

 

[jminis]

See this is why you guys have washboard chests

 

[Iron Warrior]

I do flat bench presses and like them a lot, but I don't go all the way down. I also rotate them with dips, flys, and DB incline/flat presses.

 

[Bean]

none here; i alternate between inclines and dips and declines and incline DBs

i get just as much of a chest workout with declines as i do with dips... actually far stronger on declines vs flats

 

[good_guye28]

kills the shoulders cant bench even if i wanted to.......

even when the shoulders were good i still did only dumbell work

 

[stillgrowin]

I like incline db but have found that with the bench only slightly inclined I get the best gains

 

[bigpetefox]

See this is why you guys have washboard chests

But, I don't wanna get huge, I just wanna tone..





:saw:

 

[Bean]

Hey Pete you look like Brad Pitt from Fight Club?

on a serious note; decline benches dont aggrevate my shoulders at all... not much shoulder motion in there as far as i can tell; mostly pectorals, triceps, and maybe a slight dab of front delts

 

[COLOSSUS]

I flat BB bench press. Its part of the big three for a good reason......................

 

[x_muscle]

i devote whole hour to train my chest. i do flat, incline, decline, incline with dumbles then cable flys. my chest is most developed muscle in my body.

 

[sage]

Rarely. Ill throw them in one workout a month or so, to change up my routine. Im actually surpised to see the result of this thread since all i see at my gym, are dudes jumping on the flat bb, the first thing they walk into the weightroom.
Sage