bench presses necessary ???

[bphillip]

Essential...compound movements create bone density as well as muscle strength.

 

[Rella]

right.... thanks

 

[Debaser]

If your goal is simply mass, bench presses aren't "necessary." Dips or hammer machine presses would work just fine.

Killahbee what's so bad about your shoulder? Most soft-tissue injuries are fixable (and many in a very short period of time), why do you make it sound like it's permanent?

 

[bignate73]

thank you debaser. good point!

rotator work should be as integral as warming up, stretching...or in some of you guys' cases..posing. its important preventative maintenance. for anyone who says "flat bench messes me up", i say check your form. i would bet you are a "elbows flaring" bencher. i would also say you probably dont do any external rotation work. if you want to protect your shoulders, tuck your elbows a bit. you'll see how much your range of motion increases. generally most who flare their elbows feel tremendous stretch on their anterior deltoids and generally dont even touch their chest, just do the most range of motion they can. that...is wrong. set up an empty bar and bench your normal way, if you cant get to your chest, tuck your elbows a bit, and bring the bar a bit lower on your chest and watch how that stress on the shoulders disappears.

 

[callthedoctor]

Good Point Big Nate....my reply was going to be exactly what you said....

I was benching with elbows out, going heavier and heavier....finally got a pretty bad shoulder strain (took about a year to heal)....my PT along with numerous internet bench articles and elite posts explained how important benching with elbows in is...makes TOTAL sense.....incorporating your tris more and shoulders less...

Now I'm benching heavier with zero shoulder pain....

 

[WalkingBeast]

Ive gained almost all, if not all, of my chest mass from barbell presses. Incline and flat. Dumbells seem great too. Ive just never felt them the way I feel barbells. Id go with dumbells or barbells anyday before machines. Now with this injury, I may still be doing some machine work, but it hasnt been optimal for me at all. Ive lost size in my chest.As you will be able to see when I post up new pics in april. haha

 

[KillahBee]

Killahbee what's so bad about your shoulder? Most soft-tissue injuries are fixable (and many in a very short period of time), why do you make it sound like it's permanent?

I find out the results of my MRI today, but this injury has not improved for close to 10 months. I make it sound bad because not being able to lift heavy for that long when you are completely mentally ready is very depressing. Conventional PT didn't work, time off didn't work, and a somewhat extreme strengthening routine didn't work. We'll see what the doc says today. I switched to a sports specialist and am going to inquire about A.R.T. as I have heard very good things about it. I know it's not permanent, but it has been extremely frustrating, as I am sure many here have dealt with before.

 

[anthrax]

It is easier to put a lot of weight w/ a barbell since you can be spotted
while it is more difficult for a spotter to help you if you do heavy dumbbells

 

[BodybuildingUniverse]

I find out the results of my MRI today, but this injury has not improved for close to 10 months. I make it sound bad because not being able to lift heavy for that long when you are completely mentally ready is very depressing. Conventional PT didn't work, time off didn't work, and a somewhat extreme strengthening routine didn't work. We'll see what the doc says today. I switched to a sports specialist and am going to inquire about A.R.T. as I have heard very good things about it. I know it's not permanent, but it has been extremely frustrating, as I am sure many here have dealt with before.

Killah, is it a rotator cuff injury? I'm struggling with one too. cant go over 1 plate in both inclines and militaries. feels light but it just hurts too much. Benching is OK, the lower angles dont seem to irritate it. sucks big time.

 

[KillahBee]

Killah, is it a rotator cuff injury? I'm struggling with one too. cant go over 1 plate in both inclines and militaries. feels light but it just hurts too much. Benching is OK, the lower angles dont seem to irritate it. sucks big time.

yes it is. planning on starting an aggressive and rigorous rot cuff strengthening program next week. should be painful but necessary. I am staying away from mil. presses and flat bench for at least a month. gonna try incl DB and see how that goes. it's a shitty injury.