FLAT BB BENCH PRESS Undisputed King for Chest Mass

[Mack]

Since returning to standard Flat BB Bench press about 8 weeks ago I’ve “re-discovered” something.

hands down nothing even comes close to building chest muscle mass and density like the Flat BB Bench press

don’t fool yourself in to thinking otherwise

after being 100% away from flat bb bench for over a year … returning to it I saw my chest improve in every way possible …..

I know I know you read guys say stuff like “I feel it more with dumbbells” or “I have a bad shoulder and can’t do it but inclines on the hammer strength work just as good for me” ….. that’s all bullshit

lots of heavy ass weight reps and higher rep sets on the drop down ….. nothing will stimulate more muscle fibers

if you can’t flat bench for one reason or the other then as great as your chest might be …. It could be even better

I’d say IF there was a close second I’d say decline press BB

 

[Samson48]

No exercise more riskier to injury than the flat BB bench press.

As Dusty said recently, why risk it when you can get the same results from a different chest movement?

 

[Mack]

I’m not saying it’s “safe”

however there is a very good reason as to why it is the #1 rated injury exercise for chest ….

Because that is the #1 ego exercise performed hands down

powerlifting meets do not have a DB flat bench category or an incline BB bench competition

the exercise that gets performed the most is inevitably the exercise that’s going to produce the most injuries compounded with the fact that it’s an ego exercise

no … you can’t get the same results

decades of weightlifters have proven time and time again that flat BB bench builds massive strength and massive fucking pectorial muscles

that cannot be denied

a veteran stating that they don’t bench anymore also has years of using the flat bb bench to have built up that base of muscle that they are now able to maintain

proper technique amplifies the safety factor

if I am recklessly bouncing the bar off my chest that’s completely different than a guy tucking in his scapula and engaging the pecs properly with a controlled range of motion squeezing during the contraction

 

[Mack]

What’s the best alternatives?

 

[Bolan]

What’s the best alternatives?

A slight incline 15 degrees should work, then a 45 degree for incline.

 

[tmikes]

I’m a dumbbell guy. I get a much better contraction using them.

 

[Samson48]

I’m a dumbbell guy. I get a much better contraction using them.

Same here. Get a better stretch too.

no point in risking injury when you can get same results, or better from a different exercise.

 

[Mack]

Same here. Get a better stretch too.

no point in risking injury when you can get same results, or better from a different exercise.

More weight = more muscle fiber stimulation = more results, strength, size, density, etc.

I don’t see how anybody is going to even come close to stimulating the muscle fibers with DB’s compared to BB’s

the poundage used is typically dramatically less therefore less fiber engagement

if I can pound out a 5 Rep set on BP with 300 pounds I guarantee I’m not gonna use 150 pound DB’s

hell it can be more dangerous doing dumbbells due to the action that has to be taken just to throw them up and get them into position

poor technique and you can easily throw your shoulder out and have an extensive injury

 

[tmikes]

When you’re pressing with a barbell, your hands are in a locked/fixed position on the bar with limited range of motion. No bueno.

While using DB’s it allows you to increase your range of motion …thus allowing more muscles to be placed under more tension …increasing the muscular benefit of the lift. Another benefit is each arm is working/moving independently …allowing equal work. You can compensate on a barbell if one side is stronger than the other.

The key to building a great chest is knowing how to activate the muscle properly …not just by moving weight around.

 

[Mack]

Increased range of motion is not going to stimulate more muscle fibers. It is the resistance that increases the demand therefore recruitment of muscle fibers.

more fibers recruited more fibers stimulated.

if I use 20 pound dumbbells for a ridiculous range of motion say on chest flyes I’ll not get near the stimulation of half the range of motion chest flyes with 50 pound dumbbells

300 pound bench presser for 5 reps is not going to be able the use 150# dumbbells.

range of motion with dumbbells is increased minimally nor dramatically and to make this even less important is the heavier the dumbbells get for most guys …. The range of motion decreases and often is LESS than a barbell

for two reasons

large DB’s get blocked by the chest way before a bar ever would
And
Heavier dumbbells for most guys is automatically going to reduce the ROM simply because they would not be able to complete a full ROM Rep with the heavy DB’s

anyways we could go point - counterpoint all day on this

but I give up …. Now that I’ve seen this:

 

[Mack]

The key to building a great chest is knowing how to activate the muscle properly …not just by moving weight around.

Yes sir
Agreed
I’m talking about a bodybuilders bench press.
Scapula contracted in, chest up, squeezing with the pecs to move the weight. Controlled ROM movement.
I’m not talking about the typical “powerlifting” bench press.
Bodybuilders connect with the trained muscle and activate it.
Powerlifters move the weight. And get injured.

 

[aalosio]

Slight incline for me with shoulders pressed into the bench has me looking the best ever. I no longer do flat but I do throw some incline in here or there

 

[Mack]

Sure I’m 50 years old but the desire to bang 3 plates out for reps on BP is still with me.

I took a 14 year break from hardcore training; 24 to 38 I just “lived life, no gym”.

to a degree I have a little more reserve in the tank as compared to a guy who kept at it non stop all those years

 

[Destructos]

I'm not ever going to give up the Flat BB press. Anyway, I have been thinking about this post for a while and using DB & BB. I Found some truth in this on the incline. i decreased the weight because both of my shoulders have been fixed and got a really wide grip on the bar. My shoulders were letting me know that I could fuck them up again anytime if I piled the weight on but with lighter weight, wider grip, I have really trained my anterior delts & clavicular pecs hard. I'm going to pay more attention to this from now on.

 

[patsfan]

I'm 54, so my days of ego pressing have long past me. I'm just trying to stay in the gym on a regular basis at this point. I found I've had success using my stability ball and my Iron master weight set at home.
I get the superior ROM, and I can control the stretch.
I switch it up on chest day, I'll do heavier sets with 85 lb on the flat bench, and drop down to 65 on the ball on the other days with the stability ball.
At the gym, I primarily use Hammer strength individual plate loaded flat chest press machine they have at prime fitness.. I've only seen it here.
I've always felt like I get a better balance using dumbbells. I definitely have a weak side on my chest, I used to think it was mental but after a few decades there is no more lying to myself.
Things are definitely different now in the covid days, I don't have a spotter, so I don't do much in the way of flat benching anymore.
When I decide it's time to bulk up a bit before summer, I just put a 60 g shake on my night table, and take it in two doses throughout the night.

 

[Xxplosive]

When you’re pressing with a barbell, your hands are in a locked/fixed position on the bar with limited range of motion. No bueno.

While using DB’s it allows you to increase your range of motion …thus allowing more muscles to be placed under more tension …increasing the muscular benefit of the lift. Another benefit is each arm is working/moving independently …allowing equal work. You can compensate on a barbell if one side is stronger than the other.

The key to building a great chest is knowing how to activate the muscle properly …not just by moving weight around.

Brudda!!! How are you?!?

I have a peculiar build, my shoulders are abnormally wide, so my grip on barbell bench is extra wide. Everyone who spots me comments about shoulder stress, but ive never had more than just wear and tear, nothing that a lil bit of glucosamine/MSM and nandrolone cant cover.

I do use dumbells for incline and flys though

 

[Xxplosive]

Same here. Get a better stretch too.

no point in risking injury when you can get same results, or better from a different exercise.

i have been lifting heavy for the better part of 25 years, have had all sorts of injuries from sports and lifting- separated shoulder, elbow issues, reconstructed knees, sciatica, back pain, etc- lifting heavy on bench has not been a cause of any of them. And i use a very wide grip and for loads that i fail on at ~5 reps, some times less.

Personal variables like arm length, shoulder width, etc, factor in, so just find whatever grip works best for you and is comfortable. Too many people give bad advice on what certain lifting alignments others should do, and ignore what their body agrees with.

Cant tell you how many times ive had someone tell me i need to not go so wide on my grip or i will have shoulder issues.

 

[Boom180]

I had a shoulder injury (non lifting related) during covid. I actually just think the lack of training made my shoulder crazy... I couldn't do anything with it and had no tears ect.

Had to work around it for about a year and now it's 100% (as much as a 40 year old can be). I've been very cautious and do very low weight on bench as it seems to "feel odd".
Decline and incline I absolutely love though and feel they do a decent job. I'm not in shape though by any means lol.

 

[hypertrophyy]

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I only use actual flat bench as a finisher at the end of my chest workout about once every 4-5 chest workouts. Using such low weight I could be doing just pushups. Everything is a tool to be used in the right way.. at the right time in bodybuilding. Too much of any movement, you will run into walls. This machine is one of the greatest tools ever made. I second Macks pic above. I've never been a crazy strong chest guy. But this tool used the right way is just awesome, and helped me attain my best chest development. One of the things I like most is you can put weights on the floor for the stoppers to rest on giving you the exact ROM you desire that day. Something about lying parallel to the floor taxes the muscles far more than sitting on upright chest machines. If this machine isn't in your gym (or something similar), you are in a shitty gym.

 

[hypertrophyy]

I had a shoulder injury (non lifting related) during covid. I actually just think the lack of training made my shoulder crazy... I couldn't do anything with it and had no tears ect.

Had to work around it for about a year and now it's 100% (as much as a 40 year old can be). I've been very cautious and do very low weight on bench as it seems to "feel odd".
Decline and incline I absolutely love though and feel they do a decent job. I'm not in shape though by any means lol.

sounds like it could be a shoulder impingement. Same thing happened to me earlier this year. I had a few signs leading up to it. If I went up to 315 on incline to failure, and my spot made me really fight to get that last rep up, I would feel something wrong. Was in decent shape and decided to take a month off, after doing a 8 month straight recomp. First day back, was stretching and my shoulder was instantly in pain. No tears or anything, Went to start incline, I couldn't even get through my warmup. So I only trained with 135 and left. Gave my shoulder another two week break, came back, same thing. Got an MRI and the doc showed me a huge bone spur that had developed over time and was digging right into the bursa sack. The only way I can get past it is surgery. I've had 5 injections that work until I try to train with more than 175lbs and then the pain quickly comes back. Your muscles prior to covid probably masked the issue and when you began training again, it flared the underlying problem up. This is the only reasoning I can come up with myself. I'm big on doing lots of band work on your shoulders to strengthen the smaller muscles that regular trianing does not get. It helps strengthen your tendons and ligaments as well to negate tears.