I hate flat barbell benching!

[BigRedCat]

I seem to be the only man on the planet that dislikes this exercise. I have been doing flat or incline DB presses on the 5x5 program but I figure there really is no way around the barbell bench. I cannot do as much weight with the DB so I guess I have to break down and just do them. I have been using 70 or 80 pd DB and they are a bitch to get into place to bench them anyway but that has been helping my strength. I need motivation to do barbell benching!. That is all I see the guys in my gym ever doing- that and pulley crossovers.

 

[Legion Kreinak]

I hate the barbell bench as well, but for different reasons. I don't want bitch-tits. Heh, but according to everyone else, they don't give you that. Why exactly don't you like benching with a bar?

 

[BigRedCat]

Well I definately dont want bitch tits! lol. I just dont like it because I dont really "feel" the movement like I do with DB. I am not really even sure what weight I should be using on barbell to work with. I am doing the 5x5 so fairly heavy I guess. I doubt I will grow much with the DB so I really have no choice but to start liking it.

 

[Legion Kreinak]

Yeah, I never really feel it in my chest as much as I do my arms when I bench any weight. I sometimes wonder if it's even a chest workout. =P

 

[BigRedCat]

Yeah that is how I feel too.

 

[Legion Kreinak]

Of course I don't need to worry about getting my chest bigger or anything, just reducing the slight extra BF I have, and then train mainly my legs and abs. My arms I will continue to train with a low weight, 12 reps n 3 sets always to maintain whatever gains I have. All because of martial arts. I don't plan on bulking really ever because of hindering my 4ft vert leap. I been trying to rech 3 ft with 20lb ankle weights, it's really a stretch but I might be able to reach it soon. I wonder if I should do bench anymore, since I have no really reason to increase my chest for the arts, do I? Wonder if anyone can give me feedback on that...

 

[BigRedCat]

I would disagree. Look at the majority of UFC fighters- they are all pretty big guys. Unless you get freaky big you wont hinder your martial arts capability. When I trained Ninjutsu(ninpo) my sensai was a big fucker, he lifted to get as big as possible. power+flexibilty+size+speed=destruction of your opponent.

 

[jeremys]

legion, i would train bench as you would have more strength if you did. but train with good form..i couldnt imagine being in a martial art with a bad rotator cuff

 

[Legion Kreinak]

Yeah, I also use relatively lightweight so I doubt I'll screw up my cuffs. Wide-grip (lil more than shoulder), slowly lower to upper chest (sometimes neck) and raise. All at a steady pace, I'm easily able to complete my 3 sets and 12 reps. Then I follow with inclined flies at 30 lbs. Not much, but hell I don't care. I'm not going for size.

 

[jeremys]

i would bring the bar down lower on your chest...

 

[louden_swain]

I quit flat barbell benching 5 years ago, when I discovered that the incline barbell press is a superior movement for the chest. As a result, my chest has thickened up over the years. Personally, I think flat barbell bench pressing is over-rated.

 

[jeremys]

if a person is training purely for mass, yes. i liked flat dumbbell presses for chest mass. but if a person is strength-training, bench is neccessary.

 

[Lord_Suston]

I seem to be the only man on the planet that dislikes this exercise. I have been doing flat or incline DB presses on the 5x5 program but I figure there really is no way around the barbell bench. I cannot do as much weight with the DB so I guess I have to break down and just do them. I have been using 70 or 80 pd DB and they are a bitch to get into place to bench them anyway but that has been helping my strength. I need motivation to do barbell benching!. That is all I see the guys in my gym ever doing- that and pulley crossovers.

you don't really need to do barbell flat bench if you dislike it so much, dumbells are fine to use as long as you have a good spotter, he only reason I prefer flat bench barbell to dumbells is because I feel it strengthens my shoulders and whole upper body and is easier for someone to spot you, hence proviiding more safety for myself...

 

[Vortexx]

if you do the dumbells, you probably better go for 12-8 reps than 5 * 5 sets which are perfect for big raw overall barbell exercises like deads, flat benches etc...

Here is a nice giant set routine, without the flat bench and doing the incline dumbell presses BEFORE the incline benchpress:

We use a rest-pause technique to allow a set of 8 hard reps to extend to 12 reps for each exercise. This is less hassle than drop sets using different weights.

Basically use a weight that allows 8 reps, drop or rack the weight, wait 15 seconds, crank out as much reps as possible (ussually 4-6 reps can be done)

Don't run like a madman between exercises doing giant sets, just get your next exercise going within 30-40 seconds...

Ok, here goes:

SESSION 1:

giant set 1:

- low incline (20-30 degrees) dumbell press 8(12) reps
- cable cross 8(12)
- low incine flyes 8(12)
- wide dips with bodyweight
- incline benchpress 8(12)

giant set 2:

- low incine flyes 8(12)
- cable cross 8(12)
- low incline (20-30 degrees) dumbell press 8(12) reps
- wide dips with bodyweight
- incline benchpress 8(12)

giant set 3:

- low incine flyes 8(12)
- cable cross 8(12)
- low incline (20-30 degrees) dumbell press 8(12) reps
- wide dips with bodyweight
- incline benchpress 8(12)

Done !
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SESSION 2:


giant set 1:

- low incine flyes 8(12)
- cable cross 8(12)
- low incline (20-30 degrees) dumbell press 8(12) reps
- wide dips with bodyweight
- incline benchpress 8(12)

giant set 2:

- low incline (20-30 degrees) dumbell press 8(12) reps
- cable cross 8(12)
- low incine flyes 8(12)
- wide dips with bodyweight
- incline benchpress 8(12)

giant set 3:

- low incline (20-30 degrees) dumbell press 8(12) reps
- cable cross 8(12)
- low incine flyes 8(12)
- wide dips with bodyweight
- incline benchpress 8(12)

DONE !

 

[Robert Jan]

shit. thats ALOT of volume. does that really work for you?

ive been making progress doing like 4 sets a week or so for chest

 

[Boss101]

If you don't want to bench press anymore you can replace it with dips I've seen better results with dipping.

 

[louden_swain]

If you don't want to bench press anymore you can replace it with dips I've seen better results with dipping.

I can certainly agree with this! Parallel dips are excellent for packing mass onto the chest.

 

[Cap'n Cooke]

I thinking of subbing incline dbell presses for dips, but man, they're so good for me... and i'm progressing well enough with bbell benching that i don't want to stop yet

 

[lemur]

dips+overhead press

solution to not wanting to bench.

 

[DrBones]

I can't do barbell bench any more because it makes my shoulder ACHE...
I only do dumbell presses and my chest has been growing great recently!
I started using the 100's the other day... I get a way better chest pump with dumbells than with the barbell.
My 2 pennies
Ryan

 

[Scaggs]

Weighted Dips to 7-9 reps in place of barbell flat bench.

Scaggs

 

[aurelius]

I seem to be the only man on the planet that dislikes this exercise. I have been doing flat or incline DB presses on the 5x5 program but I figure there really is no way around the barbell bench. I cannot do as much weight with the DB so I guess I have to break down and just do them. I have been using 70 or 80 pd DB and they are a bitch to get into place to bench them anyway but that has been helping my strength. I need motivation to do barbell benching!. That is all I see the guys in my gym ever doing- that and pulley crossovers.

I know exactly what you are talking about. Hated training chest for that reason and so it fell behind. Those dumbells are a bitch. I need about 100 lbs for a quality 6 reps but it´s more of a workout getting in place. Just last week I said the hell with it and jumped on the flat bench. I was weaker than I thought. Time off from the bench. But Christ if it didn´t feel good, and a touch of soreness the day after! I never get that anymore!