I have a fondness for Bench, but is it really necessary? It is the laziest of the power movements, and really only began as people were afraid of the the dynamic (standing bench) press breaking a back, despite zero anecdotal or scientific data.
I love to press and actually before benching 225 for the first time, I took 6 weeks off of bench and just did standing press two to three times per week.
Getting a little stronger on press, it is tough to do the standing press often coupled with deadlifts just because of the toll it takes on the lower back. Doesnt mean i cant. I just feel it.
I generally believe it’s important to be strong in every primary movement pattern…
Horizontal push and pull
Vertical push and pull
Squats
Hinge (Deadlift)
I don’t see barbell bench press to be a great symbol of horizontal pressing strength as your legs and lats (of all muscles) play such a significant role in its metric of “strength”.
Dumbbell bench is far superior, in my opinion.
I don’t see that BB Bench is a mandatory lift. I do see the movement pattern to be mandatory, though.
That is interesting. Dumbell bench is something i dont really do because i dont have heavy enough dumbells, but it is fun when i do it. Especially incline dumbell press.
I love machines for bench also. Some of them have this really nice feel. I dont get to use them except once a year or so if i find myself at hotel gym or on a cruise.
Yeah. I think i am stuck in major movements, and dont really think outside the box too often
I like this concept a lot, really across the board. We see it most often with “do I have to squat,” because we don’t want to squat. Interesting take to wonder about a lift we actually like doing @Smashedguitarist. I think we usually justify it all costs!
I have to think about this. I totally agree with we have to do every movement pattern. I don’t know how specific I think it has to be. I might think the movement patterns are push, pull, squat, hinge (I think I land more in this camp). I also understand, though, adding a vertical and horizontal qualifier to the upper body and adding a lunge to the lower body. The list can get long, but still valid.
Long morning ramble to say: I think you have to press. I don’t know that a horizontal press is necessary, per se, depending on your goals.
I don’t think there’s any mandatory lift or pattern because training is so individual. I do think the barbell flat press in unfairly maligned at this point, at least in the bodybuilding community. I always get an insane connection with my chest on it, so I find it to really be a great option.
Also if your dumbbells don’t go heavy enough on bench, you can try one arm reciprocating bench! One arm stays up, with the arm at lockout, chest in the fully contracted position, while the other arm performs a rep and then switch sides for the next rep. Great connection with the chest and great at helping to ensure your rib cage doesn’t get too compressed.
No movement is a necessity, as exercise itself is not a necessity. All of this is leisure. From there, it’s a matter of goals.
My current training doesn’t have me doing any dedicated manner of horizontal press. I have some dips and push ups I do as part of a conditioning circuit, but that’s about it.
Yeah. My favorite lifts are press and deads. I have forced myself to like squats by making them a priority. Bench is fun but i go through periods of doing more horizontal and more vertical.
This is profound. IMO, there is no mandatory exercise, but the involved muscles of that exercises must be effectively trained.
All that said, the bench press was one of my favorite exercises. During the 1970’s we had “bench press parties” twice a week. It was the most important exercise at that time. If you were not in the party group, you wish you were.
Whenever a person who knew anything about lifting weights saw a person that they thought lifted weights they would ask, “How much can you bench?”
That was a welcome change from the totally ignorant person who would ask, “How much can you lift?”
Yeah. Nothing is necessity. Majority of worlds people never lift weights at the gym.
But if you think about getting strong I would recommend training all major movement patterns, at least periodically. You don’t have to bench all the time if you don’t want. But having bench (or some vertical press) in 1-2 months in a year won’t hurt.
To that qualification, I don’t believe there are any rules on lifting weights for development. My assumption is that the “default” weight lifting program tries to fully develop every muscle group while striving to build all muscles while striving for symmetry throughout the body.
I cannot make a case for an Olympic lifter incorporating a horizontal press in their program.
I would say that unless you’re super high level athlete with a huge base it’s always better for more variety in training. Not that it helps your progress, but it can help longevity.
O lifters I know do bench occasionally (off season stuff).
The Clean and Press was dropped after the 1972 Olympics, mostly because proper technical form was too subjective to fairly judge. It was originally intended to be done with a “vertical” torso. How much arch is too much arch?
Yup: I’m very familiar with the history. The impact of dropping the movement can be seen in the physiques and abilities of the athletes that came to follow. We no longer have any Phil Grippaldis at the games.
