can you build a good chest without benching?/`

[NoCalBbEr]

hey guys
I love the basic movements. but, i've always have,had problems with the bench press.... I'm always scared of droping the bar on my self... i would jump on the smith machine. but when ever i want to use the smith,someone's got like  5-6 set to go and i'm forced to go to the bar. the last time that i droped on myself was when i had a spoter spot me and he had no clue or something. instead of  lifting the bar up for the lift off. he rolled it of the supports instead. so, can i startr put on some more mas on my chest without barbell benching??

[BallzDeep69]

Yeah Ronnie does Barbell and Dumbell bench presses on all 3 angles. 

You gotta bench press.  Barbell or Dumbell it's your choice but personally I love doing flat barbell presses first, then incline dumbells, then flat flyes.  My upper inner chest just wasn't getting the stimulation with the wide grip barbell inclines I was doing for the longest time.  With the Incline Dumbells, now I can spread them fairly wide at the bottom stretch, then bring them together and flex my upper pecs around my clavicles and sternum- and believe me they are already starting to pop out after only 2 workouts with those.

[trulytoned]

dont limit yourself to just BB bench press, explore the world of chest exercises

[GoneAway]

hey guys
I love the basic movements. but, i've always have,had problems with the bench press.... I'm always scared of droping the bar on my self... i would jump on the smith machine. but when ever i want to use the smith,someone's got like  5-6 set to go and i'm forced to go to the bar. the last time that i droped on myself was when i had a spoter spot me and he had no clue or something. instead of  lifting the bar up for the lift off. he rolled it of the supports instead. so, can i startr put on some more mas on my chest without barbell benching??

Why do you think the bar will drop on you? One thing you could do is stop just before total failure, and then the next time try to go one more rep with the same weight. If you can't do it unassisted, then you know where your failure point is and have a better understanding of how many more reps you can do before you simply can't get it up. If you don't think you can do another rep, DON'T. Unless you have a reliable spotter.

Train smart. Control the BB/arms all the way down and up. Don't let it just drop on your chest with each negative.

[Tombo]

dips are good too ppl, dont neglect the dips.

i'd rather do dips than bench if i had to pick one of the two.

[WOOO]

I am finding that DBs are giving me better chest pumps than I ever got from BB bench.  Hell, Ronnie does DB and he has a thick chest.  Chick says that they are really good too, for everything.

ron does flat bench too... stop watching one video and generalizing... I think that bench press is essential... if you are worried about injury then do it after dumbbells, you should be nice and warm

[Dos Equis]

Sounds like you need a better training partner, or at least someone who knows how to spot. 

[WOOO]

yup... not attacking, but bench press is god

[NoCalBbEr]

he wasn't my training partner. just some dude at the gym that i asked for a spot. I totally agree the bench press is god i've never had a training partner. but sometimes if i really need one. I'll ask but after  having 315 bar dropped on me all rethink that lol..

[Jr. Yates]

I think barbell bench is too important to entirely not do. I don't think you have to do it every chest workout but you do have to do it unless it just hurts way too much for some reason you'll have to find an alternate.

[Arnold jr]

I think you can. I don't do flat bench that often at all and if I do it's usually the 3rd or 4th exercise. I use incline and decline presses as well as dips and db flys for the bulk of my chest training. If I flat bench regularly it causes a lot of problems in my shoulders, especially with very heavy weight...this does not seem to be a problem at all with incline or decline presses. I've put flat bench on the back burner so to speak for probably the last 3 years and my chest has continued to grow just fine without an abundant amount of flat work. Maybe it would grow better with more flat work, but at the expense of my shoulders I'm not willing to find out. I actually believe my chest has grown faster and more evenly over the past few years without it.

[WOOO]

I think you can. I don't do flat bench that often at all and if I do it's usually the 3rd or 4th exercise. I use incline and decline presses as well as dips and db flys for the bulk of my chest training. If I flat bench regularly it causes a lot of problems in my shoulders, especially with very heavy weight...this does not seem to be a problem at all with incline or decline presses. I've put flat bench on the back burner so to speak for probably the last 3 years and my chest has continued to grow just fine without an abundant amount of flat work. Maybe it would grow better with more flat work, but at the expense of my shoulders I'm not willing to find out. I actually believe my chest has grown faster and more evenly over the past few years without it.

that's a good point, however, I think if you do either or both incline and decline barbell presses then you should not be missing out on too much.  the difference with the bar or dumbbells is the amount of weight that you can use for chest.

[Petrucci]

maybe do sets with more reps..this way you will not go crazy heavy and the risk of getting the weight crushing you its minor...
And of course, dumbells are a great option

[blondmusclhunk]

You have to mix it up.  I mix in some dumbell movement for chest every workout

[Oldschool Flip]

NO.

[JPM]

If you have a power rack in your gym than the FOB (fear of benching)  will never happen. In fact setting the pins at 2 or 3 " inches below lockout, at the top position, could allow you to use at least 100lbs over the regular workout load you have been using. This in return should give the upmost confidence when doing the regular lift. The regular bench poundage should skyrocket for you like never before, bring with it much more muscle mass. If your the shy type and have to wait untill someone  finishes their endless sets on a power rack or on that Smith machine, rather than asking to work in a few sets between the other guy's sets, than I'm afraid you will have to settle for second best. And this will probably be  every time you enter a gym, if doing BB bench's is the prime goal.

Might try doing :
Dips
Inclines...DB's
Pec Decks

reverse the order from time to time starting with Pec decks, inclines & dips.

Good Luck.

[davie]

Im not fan of BB bench,felt uncomftorble on shoulders wen i went heavy, so i was concentrating on incline Db,slight incline bench or flat DB, i had to lower DB weight so i was starting alot lower than i was with BB bench, but now im using about same weight for DB's as i was with flat BB. So try switching to Db,use them for a while until uv moved up in weight a bit, then go back to BB and u shud c ur weight has gone up.

Also my gym has little pins u can choose to use that allow u to set them about 2 inches above chest so even if ur working out alone and fail on a rep u can rest the bar a couple inches of ur chest so u dont get crushed.

davie

[loco]

LOL...go to the poorest parts of Venezuela and you'll see lots of guys walking around with very well built chests, biceps, triceps, forearms, backs and shoulders.  These guys can't afford drugs, supplements or a gym membership.  They live on rice, beans, eggs, some chicken when they can afford it, and mangos.  All they have is genetics, sheer determination, a set of parallel bars for dips and a high bar for pull ups.  They do dips a couple of different ways to develop their chest, tris and shoulders.  They do pull ups from the high bar several different ways to develop their back, biceps and forearms.  Of course, these guys have underdeveloped legs since they have no access to leg machines or squat racks, but they still have thick legs from playing futbol (soccer).  So, yes, you can build a good chest with dips, without benching, but if you have access to a bench and weights, by all means use them.

[WOOO]

LOL...go to the poorest parts of Venezuela and you'll see lots of guys walking around with very well built chests, biceps, triceps, forearms, backs and shoulders.  These guys can't afford drugs, supplements or a gym membership.  They live on rice, beans, eggs, some chicken when they can afford it, and mangos.  All they have is genetics, sheer determination, a set of parallel bars for dips and a high bar for pull ups.  They do dips a couple of different ways to develop their chest, tris and shoulders.  They do pull ups from the high bar several different ways to develop their back, biceps and forearms.  Of course, these guys have underdeveloped legs since they have no access to leg machines or squat racks, but they still have thick legs from playing futbol (soccer).  So, yes, you can build a good chest with dips, without benching, but if you have access to a bench and weights, by all means use them.

the dudes you mention weight 150-170lbs... big fucking deal

[loco]

the dudes you mention weight 150-170lbs... big fucking deal

210lbs

[brianX]

The barbell bench press is the best chest exercise there is. Dumbbell benches are more of an arm exercise. Barbells allow you to use a much wider grip, and you can get a better range of motion.

[BallzDeep69]

210lbs

Wow that's huge.

[BallzDeep69]

The barbell bench press is the best chest exercise there is. Dumbbell benches are more of an arm exercise. Barbells allow you to use a much wider grip, and you can get a better range of motion.

VERY TRUE!

It's always first in my chest workout.  Incline DB's get sloppy seconds.

[knny187]

I would say it depends on your structure.

Myself....I can build chest muscles by looking at a barbell.

Believe it or not....I got most of my size through push-ups & when I was in the Marines...I had a SSgt in my Platoon that had a huge chest but did nothing but dips & push-ups & rarely lifted weights at all.

Not everyone is like this....& I would have to say to build a decent chest you need to incorporate presses either barbell or dumbbells.

[JPM]

BB benches are not the best chest/pec exercise for the majority of trainee's. Way too much involvement and domination by the triceps & delts for a affective focused chest movement. Dips would rate (my personal view only) over the BP any time with regards to mass & chest size.

Those Venezuela studs weigh 120 to 140lbs for the most part and have very low body fat giving the impression of being muscular. But not the pure muscle size that loco is trying to convince every one of. There is a black gene pool, not just latino down there, that coud help with that muscular look. . Venezuela was a prime slave trading nation at one time, so the brothers mixed in with the local indian peoples. I could just see walking through a slum area and all the cool guy's are working out doing dips & chins rather than hustling for money, food or work. Their baseball players (and other athletes) who come to the states are the slect few genetic freaks who are larger and stronger than the average guy down there. Got to keep it real, loco. Good Luck.