What was once my favourite lift has become dreaded and not fun. For some reason I just don’t enjoy barbell benching anymore. I plan on ditching them for dumbell bench presses which I have come to enjoy quite a bit. My question is what the negative and positive effects replacing the barbell with dumbells will have on my size and strength? Will my barbell bench max suffer??
My second question is regarding fat loss. I am conflicted about whether I should do cardio/aerobic exercise in my quest to lose about 10 pounds over the next month. Normally I would just add some cardio into my routine but I have started doing loads of gpp work and I think the cardio might cause overtraining. I do the gpp because I find it very fun and I am sold on it’s positive effects. My gpp work is mostly farmer’s and wheelbarrow walks and various sled exercises. I do 4 weight workouts a week consisting of three complex exercises, one for push, one for back/pull and a leg exercise. My gpp is done whenever I feel like it which is usually 5 days a week for about an hour.
DB bench it will likely help in the shoret term on your BB bench a Lot in the bottom. it will also help fix imbalances etc and the stabiliers will get strong as hell. In the long run though not using the HIGH loads the BB bench allows will make the Max strength in the BB bench suffer. id use both.
Cardio needed etc. Not sure try it without and if not then add some. Worried about recovery over training make it low intensity go for a walk.
[quote]Phill wrote:
DB bench it will likely help in the shoret term on your BB bench a Lot in the bottom. it will also help fix imbalances etc and the stabiliers will get strong as hell. In the long run though not using the HIGH loads the BB bench allows will make the Max strength in the BB bench suffer. id use both.
Cardio needed etc. Not sure try it without and if not then add some. Worried about recovery over training make it low intensity go for a walk.
[/quote]
I agree with this post.
As for cardio, don’t add it in until you need it for fat loss. The backbone of your fat loss efforts should be diet not just training more.
I suffered from much the same thing. I just stopped training flat press to focus on my overhead for a strongman competition, and just found that I didn’t miss it all that much. I tested just to see what it would be and it didnt go down any after not doing it for a few months, although I felt a bit shaky.
If you look at it objectively, you’ll see that the flat bb press is largely only an american craze. Really, the exercise itself does not deserve the treatment it gets. It is an excellent upperbody developer, but it is overrated and there are replacements.
[quote]ScienceGuy wrote:
wressler125 wrote: Really, the exercise itself does not deserve the treatment it gets. It is an excellent upperbody developer, but it is overrated and there are replacements.
One of the smartest things I’ve read here all year.
[quote]El_Animal wrote:
ScienceGuy wrote:
wressler125 wrote: Really, the exercise itself does not deserve the treatment it gets. It is an excellent upperbody developer, but it is overrated and there are replacements.
One of the smartest things I’ve read here all year.
True that.
[/quote]
Hear, hear.
Now, the inclined bench barbell press is worth its weight in protein powder, but the flat bench develops one’s ego (and tris and front delts) more than one’s pecs.
And if you’re prone to elbow problems, it’s not your friend.
[quote]paul bunyan wrote:
My question is what the negative and positive effects replacing the barbell with dumbells will have on my size and strength? Will my barbell bench max suffer?? [/quote]
Of course it will suffer a bit but if you don’t want to do it anymore, why care?
DB presses IMO are a better exercise, I think you’re being smart to ditch the bench, it’s over-rated.
Nothing wrong with that, can develop chest just as well if not better. Bench press will suffer but should be able to get back to where you were and more fairly quickly once you pick it back up.
The barbell bp can be replaced by db. You have that luxury here so use it if you must. Cant really get away without doing squats or deads.
[quote]paul bunyan wrote:
What was once my favourite lift has become dreaded and not fun. For some reason I just don’t enjoy barbell benching anymore. I plan on ditching them for dumbell bench presses which I have come to enjoy quite a bit. My question is what the negative and positive effects replacing the barbell with dumbells will have on my size and strength? Will my barbell bench max suffer??
My second question is regarding fat loss. I am conflicted about whether I should do cardio/aerobic exercise in my quest to lose about 10 pounds over the next month. Normally I would just add some cardio into my routine but I have started doing loads of gpp work and I think the cardio might cause overtraining. I do the gpp because I find it very fun and I am sold on it’s positive effects. My gpp work is mostly farmer’s and wheelbarrow walks and various sled exercises. I do 4 weight workouts a week consisting of three complex exercises, one for push, one for back/pull and a leg exercise. My gpp is done whenever I feel like it which is usually 5 days a week for about an hour.
I quit really doing BB BP about two years ago. I took up dips in it’s place and love them. You get mad horseshoes on your arms from it. Plus bench seems to have tons of reprocussions on your shoulders if done the tinyest bit wrong. dips probly do too though.
Funny thing is My bench went way up even when i didn’t do it. After not doing it for about ten months I went from 200ish to a 300 1RM PR. I think it was the building up of my back and other stuff though.
Bench is also said to have less athletic carryover than DB exercises of the same ilk. just my buck-o-five. I dont miss bench. CW rates it as a 5 on a scale of 10 as far as intensity or hardness of a lift goes.