Pec tear bench press disaster (video)

[wes]

Mike McDonald was ridiculous, if I'm thinking of the right guy. Late 70s/early 80s and could bench 500+ raw and looked like nothing special at all.

The worst part of the shirts isn't so much the top guys as the twinks who bench 250, throw on a bench shirt and can tell all their friends they benched 400-500 in a meet. Brutal.

That`s the same Mike McDonald bro............one of the best benchers ever!

[mesmorph78]

If you watch the video again a little closer...you can see on the first rep, he most likely tears it a bit at the finish of the first attempt...look at the grimace on his face and the turn to that side as he flexes it...

Finished it off at the second attempt....guy wasn't built for bench, long arms, grip to narrow, not big front to back....

I've said it for years boys....bench press...worst exercise for chest, the cause of 99 percent of pec tears...I would give it 100 percent, but other than the exception, chances are the injury doing something else, was set up by the bench prior.


to quote myself : "It's not how much you bench, it's how much you LOOK like you can bench!"

Yes I watched it again he did grimace towards the end of the rep ... And when he got up and swum his arms you could see the pain on his face ... Probably partially torn at that point.. But the male ego is a strong thing .... I remember years ago in flex where you (chick) wrote an article sacrificing sacred cows and you stated bench press as a dangerous excersise back then I was 3 to 4 years into my training so I laughed at that article and said it was nonsense... Now nearly 10 yrs in I agree and only bench every so often maybe 8 times a year if that I think dumbells are harder and better ... Bench is a good excersise in the early years but as the years pass should be used sparingly.

[wes]

I've got a few articles floating around if anyone cares to look them up...

heres the bottom line boys:

bench press sucks because it's  a very bad position for the shoulders, not unlike the throwing position in baseball, etc...

we aren't naturally built for the bench as most people have one arm slightly longer than the other, which automatically places the stress on the longer arm/ shoulder, especially at the bottom of the movement

The straight bar automatically put your shoulder/ pec into a bad position as its an unnatural one....unless you walk with you knuckles dragging on the ground...out hands are naturally angled.

most people have one arm weaker than the other, which only emphasis the above, especially if the weaker arm is the longer one

Unless you're built for the bench....short, stocky, short arms, barrel chest....AND have the proper technique....the bench should ONLY be used as just another exercise for chest, no different and no more importance than a pec deck, fly or decline....

I haven`t benched in years, except for jumping in on that rep contest in Rochester a few years back at Jims show Bob.

One thing I try to tell younger guys is that it`s great to have a goal of benching 405 or 500 pounds,but after many years of training,most will never even approach anywhere those numbers even on gear.

I`ve done a legit double bodyweight bench and that`s the best I could do....not bad,but nowhere near what I once envishioned myself doing as in my mind as a goal.

The longer you are a bodybuilder,the more you realize that it takes more than just moving a huge weight from "Point-A" to "Point-B".

Bad shoulders and torn pecs are waiting for todays teens and guys that still max out on benches every Monday in gyms around the world,and most will have mediocre pec development as a result of all those low rep and max benches.

Some guys do indeed have a natural propensity to be great benchers and will move a ton of weight and build armor plated pecs,but those guys are the exceptions and are a huge rarity.

[kyomu]

It looks like that happens to strong bench pressor.
I am a extremely weak bech pressor.

[mesmorph78]

@wes
You are so right ... Come monday dont even try to get a bench to bench press
I actually had to change my split to back on Monday's because of this worldwide Monday = bench day phenomenon

 

[Van_Bilderass]

Chick was one of the strongest bench pressers of all time. He did 405 for 20.Not bad for someone who only treated is as just another exercise.

[wes]

@wes
You are so right ... Come monday dont even try to get a bench to bench press
I actually had to change my split to back on Monday's because of this worldwide Monday = bench day phenomenon

 

I`ve been doing legs on Mondays for many years now.....tired of the bench pressing gangs doing 2-3 reps per set,resting 10 minutes and working with 10 other guys yelling!! 

[Chick]

Yes I watched it again he did grimace towards the end of the rep ... And when he got up and swum his arms you could see the pain on his face ... Probably partially torn at that point.. But the male ego is a strong thing .... I remember years ago in flex where you (chick) wrote an article sacrificing sacred cows and you stated bench press as a dangerous excersise back then I was 3 to 4 years into my training so I laughed at that article and said it was nonsense... Now nearly 10 yrs in I agree and only bench every so often maybe 8 times a year if that I think dumbells are harder and better ... Bench is a good excersise in the early years but as the years pass should be used sparingly.

It's funny

I've received many similar stories to you own over the years....as guys got older, wiser, experienced many of the things I mentioned.  you wouldn't believe the hate mail I got after that article ran...you would think I committed blasphemy against their God.  

Unfortunately, it's the only thing people really seem to key in on....

No one ever asks me how much I curl, how much I do laterals with, how much I use with triceps....just one question....

" WHADDYA BENCH?"

[MP]

Don't watch that while trying to take a dump with your laptop. Now I'm all tightened up.

[wes]

It's funny

I've received many similar stories to you own over the years....as guys got older, wiser, experienced many of the things I mentioned.  you wouldn't believe the hate mail I got after that article ran...you would think I committed blasphemy against their God. 

Unfortunately, it's the only thing people really seem to key in on....

No one ever asks me how much I curl, how much I do laterals with, how much I use with triceps....just one question....

" WHADDYA BENCH?"

LOL

So true,and how big is your arm?

Who cares,they don`t measure on stage or ask you to do a max rep on the bench.

Smith Inclines,Dumbell Inclines, and Flyes are my three main pec movements.

[mesmorph78]

It's funny

I've received many similar stories to you own over the years....as guys got older, wiser, experienced many of the things I mentioned.  you wouldn't believe the hate mail I got after that article ran...you would think I committed blasphemy against their God.  

Unfortunately, it's the only thing people really seem to key in on....

No one ever asks me how much I curl, how much I do laterals with, how much I use with triceps....just one question....

" WHADDYA BENCH?"

Yes that is the most asked question, what do you bench?  Maybe this is the reason why guys cheats at benchpress so much and have the friends pull the bar from here chests so that they can answer fear how much do you bench question.

[suckmymuscle]

I've said it for years boys....bench press...worst exercise for chest, the cause of 99 percent of pec tears...I would give it 100 percent, but other than the exception, chances are the injury doing something else, was set up by the bench prior.

  You are a moron. Scientific studies as well as human morphology clearly indicates the bench press activates the greatest amount of sarcomeres of the pectoralis major and minor. Some exercises like peck deck flies and pullovers work the pecs more directly, but they do not result in an increase in the diameter of the sarcomeres of the pec muscles as much due to much lower resistence. In the bench press, you need to balance the bar and you can put more weight than in machine movements, which results in much greater resistence and sarcomere activation. All the bodybuilders with the biggest pecs like Arnold, Lou and Ronnie all had the bench press as the stapple of their pec training regimen. But what do you know? You are a mediocre bodybuilder with guido pecs.

SUCKMYMUSCLE

[wes]

When I lived in Florida I spotted some kid on the bench and he got one hard rep with 275...........I told him "nice bench bro' !!

He says his bench sucked ,but for a smaller guy I thought it was decent powerwise,then he tells me that 275 for a max is what he`s been doing for the last 5 years!!

WTF


DUH!!!!!   

[Chick]

 You are a moron. Scientific studies as well as human morphology clearly indicates the bench press activates the greatest amount of sarcomeres of the pectoralis major and minor. Some exercises like peck deck flies and pullovers work the pecs more directly, but they do not result in an increase in the diameter of the sarcomeres of the pec muscles as much due to much lower resistence. In the bench press, you need to balance the bar and you can put more weight than in machine movements, which results in much greater resistence and sarcomere activation. All the bodybuilders with the biggest pecs like Arnold, Lou and Ronnie all had the bench press as the stapple of their pec training regimen. But what do you know? You are a mediocre bodybuilder with guido pecs.

SUCKMYMUSCLE

The DB flat bench is even more efficient, allows for separate ROM and builds just as well if not better...all the advantages, none of the risks.

Another thing your forgetting....MOST guys don't bench properly, using a grip too narrow to be able to bench more weight, which only utilizes the triceps, rear delts more...making it relatively inefficient as a sole chest builder.

I love the Arnold and Lou reference....here's a little tidbit for you...The old school guys used old school techniques...because that's all the had at the time...look at any of the newer pieces of equipment...all have angled handles, positions more ergonomically correct...

I'm sure starting a car by a crank in the front grill worked just fine too....

[Chick]

When I lived in Florida I spotted some kid on the bench and he got one hard rep with 275...........I told him "nice bench bro' !!

He says his bench sucked ,but for a smaller guy I thought it was decent powerwise,then he tells me that 275 for a max is what he`s been doing for the last 5 years!!

WTF


DUH!!!!!   

Lol...classic

Rochester show in April his year...you going?

[wes]

Lol...classic

Rochester show in April his year...you going?

I`m gonna` try to make it but I`m doing the Masters Nats,North America,and NABBA Nats so money might be a factor.

If I make it,lunch is on me bro!  

[Royalty]

using lighter weights and lowering the bar to the upper chest seems to activate to most pectoral fibers (and less triceps)

[wes]

using lighter weights and lowering the bar to the upper chest seems to activate to most pectoral fibers (and less triceps)

To the neck is good also, but it forces people to use much lighter weight so it is an affront to their egos.....so they get stuck on stupid and keep right on making the same mistakes.

[Dr Dutch]

To the neck is good also, but it forces people to use much lighter weight so it is an affront to their egos.....so they get stuck on stupid and keep right on making the same mistakes.

If the guy in the vid was doing bp to the neck, he wouldn't even had the opportunity to yell, even though there were lots of spotters. To the neck is always too risky..

[wes]

If the guy in the vid was doing bp to the neck, he wouldn't even had the opportunity to yell, even though there were lots of spotters. To the neck is always too risky..

Elbows way back,lighter weight (say 10-12 reps),slow and controlled.

Still tough on the shoulders though.

As far as the video is concerned,see my above post about "stuck on stupid" !! 

[BiGHer]

Go hard or go home...guess he's going home after that one  

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA THATS COLD!!!  tough to watch that one though...

[Royalty]

If the guy in the vid was doing bp to the neck, he wouldn't even had the opportunity to yell, even though there were lots of spotters. To the neck is always too risky..

225 to the neck wouldve been better for his pec development rather than the single with 385 to the sternum.... But he felt that he had to put on a show.. perform for the cameras... impress the crowd

[che]

I stopped bench-pressing altogether , no more shoulder pain .

[wes]

225 to the neck wouldve been better for his pec development rather than the single with 385 to the sternum.... But he felt that he had to put on a show.. perform for the cameras... impress the crowd

And almost kill himself showboating! 

[suckmymuscle]

The DB flat bench is even more efficient, allows for separate ROM and builds just as well if not better...all the advantages, none of the risks.

Another thing your forgetting....MOST guys don't bench properly, using a grip too narrow to be able to bench more weight, which only utilizes the triceps, rear delts more...making it relatively inefficient as a sole chest builder.

  I do the dumbbell bench and not the barbell bench. I work out at a crowded gym and the bench press benches are always crowded, so I do the dumbbell bench. I can bench 120 lbs dumbbells for reps. This is a lot of weight given the fact that I am over 6'4 with long arms and tall guys are usually very weak on torso exercises due to poor biomechanics. From my experience, the dumbbell press does not stimulate the pecs as much as the barbell press, but it gives you even greater toorso thickness. My anterior delts, triceps and traps grew like crazy when I switched from the barbell press to the dumbbell press.

I love the Arnold and Lou reference....here's a little tidbit for you...The old school guys used old school techniques...because that's all the had at the time...look at any of the newer pieces of equipment...all have angled handles, positions more ergonomically correct...

  And it worked a lot better than machine movements. This point of yours is irrelevant. What is relevant is that it resulted in much greater pec growth than machine pec exercises. Pro bodybuilders today use more drugs than in the 1970s and 1980s, and yet you don't see bodybuilders with pecs as great as Arnold's and Lou's except for Ronnie who did tons of flat barbell and dumbbell presses.

SUCKMYMUSCLE