Bench Press Reviewed

You would be hard pressed to find a training routine that did not include the bench press. This is the foundation of many training programs. It is also the heart of almost every chest workout. For some unknown reason some people struggle to build their pecs. To try and combat this slow growth, they repeat multiple sets and variations of the bench press, Incline, Decline, Flat, Dumbell, Barbell with increasingly heavier weights.

The truth is that this is an excellent exercises for pectoral muscle development. By following the principle of progressive overload (adding small increases in weight) at each workout, the muscle fibres are forced to adapt and grow. While this is scientifically correct, there is one major problem. As you add more weight, you increase your risk of injury.Even though the chest muscles can handle a high load, and many guys like to show off about how much they can bench, there may be a heavy price to pay. The tendons that connect the pec muscles to the upper arm are not as strong as the pecs themelves. Lift too much weight too often and you can tear a pec, very painful, long recovery. The next week point in this exercise is the elbow joint. I have seen many guys and girls, in their bid the bench more weight, develop chronic joint pain in their elbows. They don't want to stop training their chest, so they continue and the pain gets worse until eventually they can't bench press at all.

Remember a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link. This exercise is not all about how much weight you can lift, use it wisely and it becomes a powerful tool to build those pecs.The solution is to still use this exercise, you must lift heavy to very heavy weight……..BUT……not for long term. By that I mean no more than 6 weeks of this heavy training. (always use a spotter) After that take a break and use lighter weights with higher reps, use bodyweight exercises, and cable machines. Find alternative chest exercises and give the bench a rest for a few weeks. You can always go back to the heavy benching later. Not only will this prevent injury, training like this will build your chest faster, so you can’t lose.

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