Its Official, Inclines Are In Flat Is Out!!!!!!!

[punch]

Been chatting w/ PH on this topic. I hurt my rotator a few weeks back and flat benching has been painful too the point where I can only come down 3-4 inches above my chest.

This past mon after dismissing advice from many others I continued my chest program and did incline barbell.

To my surprise, I was able to get out 12 reps w/ 225 touching my upper chest on every rep. WTF

This leads me to believe I must have hurt my shoulder while heavy benching. After Inclines I did flat dumbell presses really light w/ the 80's for 12-15 reps which felt fine as well.

My chest is just as sore as it ever has been doing heavy flats. From a BB point of view maybe its time to cut out flat barbell pressing completely.

What you all think?

 

[louden_swain]

Its truly amazing to me how many people are preoccupied with the flat bench press. People are still clueless when it comes to the arch deluxe technique. If these people perform inclines. . they treat them as a secondary exercise.

I can understand this if you are a powerlifter, but if you are a bodybuilder, its a different story.

The incline recruits many more muscle fibers than the flat press. I ditched the flat press years ago and picked up on inclines.

The result has been thick pectoral development from the inner sternum, to the clavicle, then sweeping across the delts. The flat press is a one way ticket to shallow development. It is quite clear on who performs incline presses and those who don't.

 

[jerkbox]

i would whole heartedly agree.....looking at it from a BB perspective.

 

[louden_swain]

Here seems to be the standard chest routine:

Bench Presses - 5 x 5
Incline Dumbbell Presses - 2 x 8-10
Parallel Dips - 2 x 8-10
Flat Bench Flyes - 2 x 8-10

If people need this much volume to stimulate growth. . .then something is wrong. By the time you complete the 5 x 5 on flat presses, the chest is too exhausted to devote 110 percent effort on incline movements.

its no wonder why so many people are frustrated with their stagnate bench press and their pectoral development.

 

[jerkbox]

basically, I've gotten to the point where I only train the flat bench for strength....1-3 reps, pin presses, or close grip, heavy weight. or for explosive power - speed bench. I do it with a powerlifter's form.


training for hypertrophy - incline presses and dips.



bling bling

 

[Exodus]

glad you found something that works for you.

X

 

[molnii]

Here seems to be the standard chest routine:

Bench Presses - 5 x 5
Incline Dumbbell Presses - 2 x 8-10
Parallel Dips - 2 x 8-10
Flat Bench Flyes - 2 x 8-10

If people need this much volume to stimulate growth. . .then something is wrong. By the time you complete the 5 x 5 on flat presses, the chest is too exhausted to devote 110 percent effort on incline movements.

its no wonder why so many people are frustrated with their stagnate bench press and their pectoral development.

hey bro.....so what's your chest routine now??
let me know..

 

[punch]

I agree w/ the comments, however its hard to ditch an excersise you have been doing for years. The only reason I would discontinue flat barbell press is because of my shoulder. I never could quite understand why people can flat bench more than incline. There is absolutely no doubt that you incorporate more muscle fibers into an incline movement than flat. For that reason it makes sense that if Inclines work the entire pec and shoulder girdle simultaneousely it IS the superior movement from a BB standpoint.

 

[Prime Rib]

Louden, would you mind posting up a summary of your current chest routine? I am one of those guys you speak of obsessed with flat bench and never doing inclines. My pec developement has been very mediocre for this reason I guess. TIA


Josh

 

[revexrevex]

His routine is usually *1* set of incline presses, or dips

 

[NWinters]

i expected a Loudenism from this post......i have been doing inclines for 3 weeks now, and my flat bench is still strong!!!!!

 

[bignate73]

glad you found something that works for you.

X

best reply on this thread yet.

 

[RusPA81]

Here seems to be the standard chest routine:

Bench Presses - 5 x 5
Incline Dumbbell Presses - 2 x 8-10
Parallel Dips - 2 x 8-10
Flat Bench Flyes - 2 x 8-10

If people need this much volume to stimulate growth. . .then something is wrong. By the time you complete the 5 x 5 on flat presses, the chest is too exhausted to devote 110 percent effort on incline movements.

its no wonder why so many people are frustrated with their stagnate bench press and their pectoral development.

I am now doing this except for 5x5 for inclines and then flat DB press as an accessory. Hopefully it will work as many people preach it to.

 

[ffknight84]

all i have to do is pick up the bar on incline press and my upper chest blows out =)

j/k but its amazing how much my upper chest does grow out when i do inclines. I lift like a power lifter, tho i am not and flat benches are the core of my chest wokout.

 

[sk*]

Anyone who knows me, knows that I HATE THE FLAT BENCH.

Inclines are great.

-sk

 

[Lord_Suston]

Incline 5x5
Flat 2x8
Dip or Decline 2x10

that it folks for my basic chest routine

 

[harman_2005]

If inclines are superior to flat, where do declines rank? In between flat and incline, or last?

 

[latinus_spicticus]

Inclines and flat bench presses are equally important for developing the chest. Yes, the incline version targets the upper pecs moreso than the flat variation, but that does not mean it is superior for overall chest development. The flat bench press recruits more overall upper body muscles, which allows one to lift more weight and get bigger. Incline bench presses do not work the lats or triceps as efficiently as the flat version. I think everyone should do both, although I personally prefer inclines. I do agree about shoulder/rotator cuff injuries--inclines are far safer for trainees with shoulder conditions than the flat bench. But if you have an injury due to an imbalance, focus on the imbalance instead of neglecting a productive exercise like the flat bench press.