Dropping flat benches (both BB & DB) completely...

[WJ_Harley]

if you want to get the most from flat benches you have to set your body up correctly on the bench, pull your shoulders hard and keep them there, that will keep your chest up, if you can lift the weight off the racks yourself on your heavy sets i can almost gaurantee you that you're going to have problems and you're too close to the racks which is going to force you to lower the bar too high, also keep your elbows tucked.

[slaveboy1980]

Ok, here it is.
Im thinking of dropping all flat benching from my chest workout.

I do:
DB inclines (sometimes incline flyes inbetween sets)
Flat flyes
Dips

I ask because after my sets of inclines, it always seems that my pushing strength is almost gone and that im not moving much weight at all on flat presses. Not to mention that it always seems like any flat press, for me, hits the anterior deltoid head more-so than pecs.

I love flyes, and honestly feel like they do more for me than flat presses. So im hitting upper pecs with inclines, mid pecs with flyes and lower pecs with dips (and i know some people argue that you can't hit different parts of the pecs, but lets not get into that)

So, opinions?...

you dont have to do flat bench presses, unless your into powerlifting. find the press you like the most and get brutally strong in that exercise.

id recommend you to try low incline bench presses. seems to be more gentle on the shoulders than the regular bench press (for most people)

[pumpster]

psst. pumpster. DB press counts as a bench. since you're an "expert" i figured you'd realize that.

Psstt magoo needs new glasses, i made that point lol they're not the same and affect the joints and muscles differently, as i mentioned in detail easy-reader.

anyway, once again, if your shoulders/elbows hurt from benching, either your joints are made of graham crackers or you're doing it wrong. end of story. anyone, ANYONE can bench heavy if their form is fixed. i've done it for at least a dozen people who asked me for help with their benches.

Mr. know-it-all here, with more absolutist black and white generalizations.

[pumpster]

FYI - i've competed on the highest level of the NPC and USAPL powerlifting...i've tried it ALL. you have never even stepped on a stage.

You are the one with blanket statements dude. I am posting from experience, i have trained HUNDREDS of guys in the last 10 years, all agree with me. the top strength coaches in the WORLD follow protocols similar to mine, they must be idiots as well.

I'm done argueing, i will LET you have your board back. it's quite obvious that people who have studied the human body have no place here.

You actually think a guys form is perfect because the guy says so on the internet!...lol...try training in a gym and see how many guys use good form. maybe 1 out of 50 guys use proper form, but that's just my experience from training with world class bodybuilders and power lifters...my mistake.

You have ZERO knowledge of anatomy or biomechanics. I've studied EVERY point on the human body, don't get me started.

The old man using a bowflex compares himself to Chick...chick flat benched for a LOOOONG time and i bet his shoulder issues weren't caused ONLY by flat bench. how many 40 year old me do you know that DON'T have shoulder problems? my dad's shoulders are fucked and he hasn't touched a weight in 15 years. must be flat bench MANIA!!!

I guess Ronnie is just fooling himself by doing flat bench. same goes for Branch and Jonnie, two of the best chests in the history, not to mention Arnold.

ANSWER MY QUESTION - WHY DO YOU USE A BOWFLEX YET SPOUT OFF ALL THIS MUMBO JUMBO ON THE INTERNET?

have you actually pressed over 225 before? i'm serious dude, i'm trying to help you!

Whoever gave this guy Mod powers, probably never lifted weights...Sorry Ron, this guy is about as intelligent as a box of rocks.

Take care guys, as always, just PM me for advice. i'll stand down, i have work to do.

Delete this and you will prove my point AGAIN.

MELTDOWN!

Man talk about melting down and spending too much time on it.

Bottom line you always resort to hissy fit personal attacks when your generalizations break down.

[pumpster]

you dont have to do flat bench presses, unless your into powerlifting. find the press you like the most and get brutally strong in that exercise.

Exactly, some of the dudes here have the macho-man powerlifting mentality but don't see it, think that everyone should do as they do which is absurd.

[MisterMagoo]

Man talk about melting down and spending too much time on it.

Bottom line you always resort to hissy fit personal attacks when your generalizations break down.

you resort to deleting posts of people who disagree with you. for example: mine. even when i don't flame. you just delete them because you know i'm making you look foolish.

secondly, you argue against me because you claim to have more experience than i do. overload has more experience than you can ever hope, and has accomplished more both in strength training and bodybuilding. ergo, by YOUR logic, he is better suited.

you are STILL an anonymous face on a training board, surrounded by people who have backed up their claims (even my general nemesis candidizzle has been up front about his accomplishments and proven them). you? you're nothing.

[MisterMagoo]

lots of presses always worked better for me than doing flies and isolation exercises from ten angles. if you normally do 3 sets of DB inclines and 3 sets of incline flies... do six sets of DB inclines.

[candidizzle]

A wiser fella then myself once said? Stimulate, don't annihilate! For me it's three time's say every ten days.
Four movements.
 barbell press, never flat!!!
 dumbell press. flat included.
 dumbell flye
 dips

Crossovers are just good to look at yourself in the mirror! I switch the pressing angles everytime. I always start with a pressing movement. Second can definitey be flyes. Depending how busy the gym is? Never ever a machine. Oh WOW my hero! Can press four plates on the hammer strenght!

yes lee haney said that

but lee haney also always said that he liked to start and finish his workouts with a "ryhtmic" exercise... which is just what a movement like cable crossivers are

i have tried all kinds of differenet methods, ... HIT, high volume, heavy weights, pump training, all of it... this kind of routine i showed you is the only thing my chest will respond to

and while you might hear that cable crossovers dont build chest...ill tell you what... keeping them incorporated in every chest workout has seriously improved my chest. the secret is, for me at least, dont do the movement like a pussy!   just because its cables doesnt mean its light and easy ! when i am doing these on my last sets i am using so much weight i can hardly keep my body firmly planted on the ground.. haha...

[WJ_Harley]

listen to this guys advice on how to build a massive chest.

[flexingtonsteele]

I stopped benching a while ago and my chest looks better than ever.

Some people respond great to the exercise,others don`t and most ego lifters blow out their shoulders by going too heavy too often.

People have to realize,that most of us mere mortals are never going to bench 400 pounds just because others are able to.

you dont do any benching at all? Or just no flat benching??

[candidizzle]

listen to this guys advice on how to build a massive chest.

hey squad !  nice to have you back

i see you still doing the whole "post 4 year old pictures he willingly showed to the forum and think its going to make him meltdown" routine

its a classic !

...."classic failure"

LOL !

love ya bud ! 

[kimura]

a 30 degree incline is probably all bodybuilders need for pec development.

I agree 100%.

[MisterMagoo]

i have tried all kinds of differenet methods, ... HIT, high volume, heavy weights, pump training, all of it... this kind of routine i showed you is the only thing my chest will respond to

a wise man once told me unless you've tried a routine for at least a year you can't say if it works or not.

[candidizzle]

a wise man once told me unless you've tried a routine for at least a year you can't say if it works or not.

well since there are hundreds of different routines i invite you to try them all 

[JOCKTHEGLIDE]

cable crossovers,,,,pec deck dumbells among other things improve yoru chest, but last time i check is how much you bench that matters not how matter your chest size is....

[DK II]

i don't do flat bench as well.

i do inclines, declines, dips, flies, crossovers but never flat bench.

[webcake]

i don't do flat bench as well.

i do inclines, declines, dips, flies, crossovers but never flat bench.

Yeah im glad i made the change. My chest feels great after a workout, whereas before, id feel it in my front delts just as much as pecs. Im just doing inclines, sometimes incline flyes, flat flyes and dips. I absolutely love flyes, my favourite exercise by far.

[DIVISION]

Ok, here it is.
Im thinking of dropping all flat benching from my chest workout.

I do:
DB inclines (sometimes incline flyes inbetween sets)
Flat flyes
Dips

I ask because after my sets of inclines, it always seems that my pushing strength is almost gone and that im not moving much weight at all on flat presses. Not to mention that it always seems like any flat press, for me, hits the anterior deltoid head more-so than pecs.

I love flyes, and honestly feel like they do more for me than flat presses. So im hitting upper pecs with inclines, mid pecs with flyes and lower pecs with dips (and i know some people argue that you can't hit different parts of the pecs, but lets not get into that)

So, opinions?...

If you want to maximize a movement, stick to Incline DB presses for your pushing movement, then move on to a completly different movement like Flys...

The key is to keep it fresh while still going up in weight so your body can't adapt in time.

Once you reach a certain level, doing two pressing movements concurrently will bring diminishing returns.


DIV

[LittleJ]

i do
incline heavy db 4 sets
incline bb light 4 sets
flat db 3 sets
decline 3 sets
incline flys 4
flat flys 4
db pullover 3 sets
machine pec many

[webcake]

i do
incline heavy db 4 sets
incline bb light 4 sets
flat db 3 sets
decline 3 sets
incline flys 4
flat flys 4
db pullover 3 sets
machine pec many

Holy Volume man!!

That seems like way too much...

[DIVISION]

Holy Volume man!!

That seems like way too much...

Unless you're a hardgainer who needs it, I don't recommend that kind of volume.

I have never even trained someone who needed that kind of volume.

Lift heavy on your compound movements and you won't need that kind of volume either.


DIV

[candidizzle]

cable crossovers,,,,pec deck dumbells among other things improve yoru chest, but last time i check is how much you bench that matters not how matter your chest size is....

lol ! good point ! very good point

[LittleJ]

Unless you're a hardgainer who needs it, I don't recommend that kind of volume.

I have never even trained someone who needed that kind of volume.

Lift heavy on your compound movements and you won't need that kind of volume either.


DIV

I'm working all angles of chest with these exercises.

[candidizzle]

I'm working all angles of chest with these exercises.

dude it is what works for you dont change it because someone else tells you its wrong.


number one priority = your body your training your progress !!!

not following whatothers say is correct

[LittleJ]

Holy Volume man!!

That seems like way too much...

no really! My chest improved a lot doing this.