Bob...What do you suggest instead of Flat Bench?

[The Showstoppa]

a chiropractor told me that. i only wanted to bench to know my strength but really when i used to do it without pain it never improved my chest so who needs it?

Exactly.

[Max_Rep]

O.k. I have a question for chick: how about bench for close grip to work tri's? I have to admit, my ego wouldn't let me ever give up some sort of flat bar benching. 

Bob does these on the Smith machine.

[FREAKgeek]

a chiropractor told me that. i only wanted to bench to know my strength but really when i used to do it without pain it never improved my chest so who needs it?

If you don't bench press you won't be great at it.

[gibberj2]

would you rather i end up in a bodycast? today i played baseball and i couldn't throw for nothing. it really hurts. i'm never benching again. my last chest workout was bench press and after doing 155 for a few reps it hurt so much that i racked it and went straight to dumbells. any kind of weight hurts for that movement. even the 25's. and YES the dumbells were 75's just for you sarcasm. I am up to those now   

[Below Me]

I take it you work up to a monster 135pounds on your heavy set.

I like benching the 135# dumbbells at the end of a training session.

[gibberj2]

yea... everybody.

[Stavios]

a chiropractor told me that. i only wanted to bench to know my strength but really when i used to do it without pain it never improved my chest so who needs it?

If I listened to my chiropractor the only exercise I would do is streches on a swiss ball 

Just use your logic gibbler, if it hurts, don't do it

If it doesn't hurt, then do the fucking exercise

as simple as that

[HERACLES]

I don't "hate" either one...they can be useful in anyone's training routine, if done properly.

I did both for many years, I've also seen 25 years worth of guys that have ruined their careers because they had to keep benching more weight.

The bench is NOT the greatest movement, and puts not only the pec tie-in areas at risk, but wreaks havoc with the shoulders through time and increased weight. I believe the bench can be a useful movement if done with moderate to heavy weight towards the end or the middle of the routine.

The Dumbell bench offers all the benefits of the flat bench without the injury risk..It also allows for individual movement of the shoulders and places more stress on the pectorals than the bench does.

I believe most of the problem originates from the fact that most people have one arm a little longer than the other, thus, one side of the chest will take on more of the impact, or be stretched a little more than the other.

Bottom line is....unless you compete in powerlifting, use the bench as merely ONE of the exercises in your routine, don't attempt your max every time you train chest. For bodybuilders, there are many different exercises I rate before the bench press, incline bench, DB, flys, smith inclines, machine press, Hammer bench offers everything the flat does with angled handles...a key point.

"It's not how much you bench, it's how much you LOOK like you can bench!"

Amen.
Ive know this for years.
Never killed myself to bench massive weight.
CHick is right also about the middle/end placement of benching in the routine..you get so much out of 3-4 sets of bench at these points of your trianing than at the start...great pumps.

[gibberj2]

this chiropractor was a football player and a trainer at my gym. while i wouldn't hire him as a trainer he does know about exercising.

[The Freakshow]

You lift the same weights as ronnie coleman

I think Ronnie does four sests of twelve reps!!! I couldn't even carry Ronnie's weights