Author Topic: all alternatives to flat benching?  (Read 3361 times)

Tom

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all alternatives to flat benching?
« on: December 14, 2009, 12:25:56 PM »
i have no problem with incline bench pressing whether barbell or dumbbells, and have no problem with flat bench dumbbell presses, it's the flat bench presses with a barbell that hurts my right shoulder, that i had a rotator cuff problem a couple of years ago....

it's not shooting pain or anything, but a slight ache while i'm doing the motions and it always feel like for some reason my right shoulder "raises up" even though i've had some people watch my form and they can't see this? anyway...

i can't keep on doing flat bench presses with a dumbbell forever, so what are all the alternatives whether free weight or machines that would take the place of flat bench presses?

another thing even if i had no problem with flat bench pressing with a barbell, i truly believe no matter how young or old you are, how much expererience you have lifting that the flat bench presses with a barbell is too much strain on your shoulders? especially after years and years of lifting heavy, i do however want to work the chest at the flat angle, just don't want to risk going heavy and ruining my shoulder again!

nolotil

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Re: all alternatives to flat benching?
« Reply #1 on: December 14, 2009, 01:06:04 PM »
i have no problem with incline bench pressing whether barbell or dumbbells, and have no problem with flat bench dumbbell presses, it's the flat bench presses with a barbell that hurts my right shoulder, that i had a rotator cuff problem a couple of years ago....

it's not shooting pain or anything, but a slight ache while i'm doing the motions and it always feel like for some reason my right shoulder "raises up" even though i've had some people watch my form and they can't see this? anyway...

i can't keep on doing flat bench presses with a dumbbell forever, so what are all the alternatives whether free weight or machines that would take the place of flat bench presses?

another thing even if i had no problem with flat bench pressing with a barbell, i truly believe no matter how young or old you are, how much expererience you have lifting that the flat bench presses with a barbell is too much strain on your shoulders? especially after years and years of lifting heavy, i do however want to work the chest at the flat angle, just don't want to risk going heavy and ruining my shoulder again!

the solution is simple. you dont have to do flat benches unless you are a powerlifter.


nolotil

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Re: all alternatives to flat benching?
« Reply #2 on: December 14, 2009, 01:11:32 PM »
contiune doing what you are doing.

incline bench
flat dumbell bench

it will make you grow as long as you get progressively stronger.

people get obsessed with what kind of presses you should do. it doesnt matter much at all  (even flat vs incline doesnt matter as much as some believe...although i personally think its good to do both). do the presses that you like and your body likes. i think its good to always keep a barbell press in your routine (doesnt have to be flat bench)...because its easier to add weight on a bar compared to dbs..where the weight jumps often can be big.


chaos

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Re: all alternatives to flat benching?
« Reply #3 on: December 14, 2009, 08:22:43 PM »
Try floor presses if you're looking for something different. Can use db or bb.
Liar!!!!Filt!!!!

ronbrgundy

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Re: all alternatives to flat benching?
« Reply #4 on: December 14, 2009, 08:44:04 PM »
Tom I empathize with you.  I have the same injury (right shoulder rotator cuff tear)

Mine is almost 10 years old.  I finally figured out it will not rehabilitate on its own.  For some people just leaving it alone might do it, but not me.  I started doing these exercises.  I try to do them at least every other time i'm in the gym:
http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/physical/injuries/265.html

I do exercises 2 and 3 with a band.  I should do all four I just haven't gotten around to trying out the other two.  I am already seeing results.  Less pain during lifts.  Less clicking/knocking sounds in the shoulder during movements.  Greater feel of control during lifts.  By the way a physician recently told me this and I'll paraphrase: "Do not do shoulder exercises.. only use tiny weights close to 1 lb for shoulder exercises and do them every day high reps.  You should do this for almost a year and it should recover".  I'm not planning on taking his advice i'm just gonna keep doing resistance band exercises and back off any lifts that make it feel bad or change the exercise.  

As far as exercises these are the ones that never really jack up my shoulder any worse than it is as long as I maintain perfect form and control:

Cable Chest exercises - none of these hurt my shoulder as long as I don't pick a weight so high I can barely control it



Seated Bench Machine - I pyramid up on these with perfect form.  I can go pretty heavy and it doesn't jack up my shoulder as long as I have perfect form including shoulders back a little and chest up and out.  


Hammer Incline Press - Again, strict form.  I stand up and pinch my shoulder blades together and sit down in the chair and let up a bit just to get in position good.  This one never bothers my shoulder either


Knuckle pushups (I do these at the end of chest day 3 sets as many as I can do).  They are not for everybody but I would argue if your wrists are strong enough these give you a great pump at the end of chest day.  Could be overkill for some people who have already nuked their chest


I just stumbled across this video on strengthening the rotator cuff.  Some people do a bunch of these before every lift to stretch out the cuff

dyslexic

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Re: all alternatives to flat benching?
« Reply #5 on: December 15, 2009, 02:16:10 AM »
I do close grip bench presses like Coan used to do. It definitely utilizes more triceps and requires more distance in the press to rack, but it takes a huge amount of stress off of those itty-bitty rotator cuff tendons.

After that I like to use a cable crossover, but one arm at a time. Once one arm comes down and across, I press it forward, extend the triceps and hold that position until the other arm comes down and then do the same thing. It looks like I am punching and holding in slow motion. Keeps constant tension on the muscle.


Chest dumbell pullovers with an added tricep extension in combo with db flyes and I'm done.

local hero

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Re: all alternatives to flat benching?
« Reply #6 on: December 17, 2009, 09:43:30 AM »
your still stuck in the i must do flat bench mode,, u dont need to flat bench to train your chest, just as you dont need to squat to train your legs...

Doug_Hepburn

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Re: all alternatives to flat benching?
« Reply #7 on: December 17, 2009, 04:11:03 PM »
do dips with added weight

CalvinH

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Re: all alternatives to flat benching?
« Reply #8 on: December 18, 2009, 06:07:40 AM »
My shoulders use to get like thaty but now I do some serious stretching before I start.no problems anymore.

my gym has on of those hard band things that looks like a spider web.it's great for stretching

buffbong

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Re: all alternatives to flat benching?
« Reply #9 on: December 24, 2009, 07:28:13 PM »
 Yea most people who have put in a good amount of years into the gym develop some shoulder pain using the flat bench. The suggestion of using flat floor presses with dumbells or barbells is a good idea. It stops you from bringing the bar down deep where most of the shoulder pain ussally occurs. You could alternate between flat dumbell and flat machine presses. Have you tried doing inclines first and then moving to the flat bench? Maybe they would your shoulders would be warmed up and not bother you as much at that point.
 Replying to the guy who posted that he needs to get over having to do flat bench. He did not say he had to use flat bench simply was looking for alternatives to dumbells. In recent years alot of bodybuilders have suggested not to even bother working the chest from the flat angle. Thats fine for the majority who does not compete. But those who do compete and actually want to develop a full chest ussally need to. Those with good chest genetics could get away with not working part of their chest but most can not.