Bullshit About The Bench Press
A few days ago some of the kids I train at Strength Camp told me that their coach cautioned them against performing the bench press. Apparently he is of the understanding that the bench press is bad for your shoulders and baseball players (or any other flexion dominated sport participants) should completely omit them from their program. I think the term “bench pressing is the devil” was thrown in there also.
Look, I have been training myself and hundreds of athletes for close to 15 years now. I’ve spent more time and money studying this shit than I have on my undergraduate degree! No athlete has EVER suffered a shoulder injury due to bench pressing or chronic pattern overload under my watchful eye. And STILL I run up against numb skull coaches and “personal trainers” who want to advise about what exercise are “bad to do”.
Myths, tradition and plan old bullshit has dominated all areas of science and understanding since the dawn of time.
Consider the morons that thought Columbus was crazy because of his claim that the world is round. Galileo was put to death for his claims about the earth revolving around the sun. And Christ crucified for his message of love and unity.
So, if any smart-ass physio therapists or text book scientist out there want to challenge me about the inclusion of the bench press in my athletes training programs, feel free to comment below.
In the mean time watch this video about how to perform the exercise the CORRECT way!
Strength Training
June 17, 2010
5:50 pm
“Consider the morons that though Columbus was crazy because of his claim that the world is round. Galileo was put to death for his claims about the earth revolving around the sun.”
I know what you’re trying to say, but these are both wrong statements. Most scholars by Columbus’ time knew the Earth was round. They thought he was crazy because they thought he was too optimistic about how close Japan was to Europe across the ocean, and because it was easier to reach India around Africa.
Second, Galileo was not put to death. He was sentenced to a very comfortable house arrest. And, he was punished not because of his science (and it was Copernicus, a Catholic priest, who proposed that the Earth went around the sun, not Galileo), but because Galileo used his scientific discoveries to propose changes to Catholic theology without Church approval, and he wrote in Italian, not Latin, which also made the Church upset.
Just clearing up some often-cited myths…
Great column, though!
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leanhybr Reply:
June 17th, 2010 at 6:10 pm
Thanks Jay
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Jason Reply:
June 17th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
Hey Guys,
This isn’t the first time I have heard this claim and I am sure it will not be the last…
The only way the bench press could ever cause shoulder or back injury is if that was the only exercise you preformed. (which would make that person not very bright). With that in mind the same claim can be said for any exercise if that is the only one you ever worked… Other muscles would not get developed… In the bench press case, the issue would be your chest muscles would become over developed and put stress on the shoulder ac joints. But again who does that??
With that said. What I have seen and heard from you guys on this site, you don’t train like that. I can’t think of anyone that would….
If you are truly strength training you train all muscles!! Bench press is a core part of that! So someone may need to educate Mr. Baseball…
That is all I am saying, Mike and Elliott keep doing your thing fellas!!!
Peace out
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June 17, 2010
6:13 pm
Good Afternoon Elliott & Mike,
That was a very informative video. I agree 100% that there are alot of young atheletes out there trying to get stronger but are getting hurt because of their lack of knowledege in weight training, that gets the coaches angry and they may not have the time to start teaching them so they tell them not to do certain training exercises.
I am training my youngest son who is 13 yrs old to exercise right now without weigts. Instead of bench pressing, I have him do a variety of push ups, regular shoulder withs, elbows tucked in, wide stances and diamonds. All these can help these ball players to increase their upper body. So maybe these coaches can read this and see that bench pressing done properly is not harmful to the shoulder area… Nelson
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June 17, 2010
6:45 pm
Great video Elliott. It’s true, it is all about good form and balancing out the opposing muscles. As a competitive powerlifter I benched 2x week for about 6 years straight. Only recently did I begin to feel any discomfort in my shoulder (tendonitis I suppose). I made a switch to bench 1x week and overhead press 1x week and the pain went away.
Form and balance.
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June 17, 2010
6:46 pm
Good stuff Elliot! The elbow flare is notorious for tearing up shoulders, yet the biggest thing spread around in “bodybuilding” circles as “hitting the pecs hard.” Its a crock of shit but that kind of crap is still going around and unfortunately falls into the laps of a lot of young athletes or average population searching around on the net. I’m glad you did a vid on this. I never let the people I train flare their elbows. Feet are planted on the floor too for that matter too (another biggee) LOL
Keep up the good work and hope you’re healing up nicely!
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leanhybr Reply:
June 24th, 2010 at 2:48 pm
Thanks Nate!
I’m at about 85% with recovery right now, its only been about 10 weeks so I think thats okay!
Thanks!
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June 17, 2010
6:55 pm
You are so right. I first picked up a barbell at 13 years old I’m 54 now. Back in those days and for years after we did Bench Presses, The press behind the neck was the big delt exercise.
Then all of a sudden Squats will hurt your knees, press behind the neck it’ll tear apart your shoulders same with the Bench.
I have been doing all these and more for almost 40 years No Shoulder problems. No knee problems or any other problems from lifting.
ANY exercise can be bad for you if you don’t use proper form Plain and Simple.
The problem is all these SO-Called trainers who don’t know S**T.
Another reason I’ll never set foot in a commercial gym again.
Keep telling it the way it really is guy’s.
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June 17, 2010
6:55 pm
Re: Jay’s reply, I’d like to add that Jesus didn’t die for “his message of love and unity”. In fact he was very divisive and very challenging towards many he encountered. He was killed because he committed blashemy. He claimed to be the Son of the living God. and more importantly he died to save us from our sins.
Peace
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June 17, 2010
7:29 pm
Great post Elliot! Like I always say, it’s not a bad exercise. It’s just a poorly programmed and executed one.
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June 17, 2010
7:43 pm
I will agree that bench press is usually done incorrectly in a gym – most trainers don’t even know how to spot or correct ineffective form. However, where most go wrong is that lack of shoulder stability or shoulder dissociation, aggravating the ant. delt muscle, not bicep tendon. Working with elbows below 90 degrees is also a safety measure or learning curve to more easily coordinate scapular dissociation. I personally agree with Nelson, that most athletes need to learn to do a push up before they do bench press.
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June 17, 2010
8:30 pm
Yep, great video, Elliott. You took the words right out of my mouth — it is all about good form. I am CONSTANTLY “on” our kids in our high school regarding form. Interesting thing … A LOT of them try to do the bench press with the bar up at their neck. We constantly have to correct them and tell them to bring the bar down below their nipples and get their humerus at a 45 degree angle to their torso. Also, a lot of kids try to dead lift or squat with their back rounded … here we go again …
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June 17, 2010
8:49 pm
Do you use the bench press with your baseball players when they are in season?
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June 17, 2010
9:45 pm
Thanks for the great advice Elliott. Hundred per cent agree with you the bench press is a necessary exercise and the technique is fundamental. Do you have any good tips for the deadlift and the squat? As you have posted this video, and I know Mike has a similar one I have seen on critical bench but there isn’t a lot of info on the other two ‘big lifts’ on these websites and I’m worried about taking advice from another website or trainer I am not familiar with for the obvious reasons.
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June 17, 2010
10:03 pm
Isnt the neck press a better exercise for isolating the chest and not using so much of the triceps? if done right cant it be effective in stimulating the chest better?
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June 17, 2010
10:50 pm
Hey Elliot,
I know exactly what you mean. I was in the gym today and i saw some young kid doing some dangerous stuff while trying to do a shrug. I usually don’t say anything to anyone, but this guy was going to hurt himself, so i asked him who showed him this technique, and he told me his coach in high school. I almost lost my mind over this statement. I showed him the correct way, and explained why it was the correct method. I don’t think i really had any impact on him, he looked at me like i had 3 heads, especially when i started explaining about sonovial fluid and things of this nature.
Where the hell do these people learn their craft, and it is a craft. I’ve been doing this since 1970, studying and lifting. You never stop! There is always something new to learn.
As always Big Thanks for the video.
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June 17, 2010
11:05 pm
Hey! Quick question, I use a 4×6 for a bench. Not by choice, but it seems to work. Is there any reason why that could be a bad idea? Thanks, and I always appreciate the info!
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June 18, 2010
12:13 am
Hey Elliott,
Great information – a true and honest approach. A science behind it all. Am always happy to see when you guys provide information. I am 48 years old and looks like 32, have been lifting since the earky 80′s and ripped as hell. Am 195 lbs but looks like 185 and usually advise and contribute voluntary in the gym. I always tell people that there is a science involved and it’s a pleasure to see when you guys highlight that science.
A great big thanks.
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June 18, 2010
2:49 am
Hi Elliott,
As usual you are correct! Done properly we all know that the Bench Press is one of the best core exercises there is. It also can work the abs just as squatting and deadlifts. Doing these “core” exercises PROPERLY would give a lot of trainees enough ab work to not have to do as much of the dreaded crunches (which most do improperly too!). Proper form is so vital, It’s a shame to see people wasting time and worse, risking serious injury working out “sloppily” or trying to impress others…
I hope these H.S. coaches are recommending stretching movements too, It also would be interesting to see how well these athletes do with Dips, some of your Kettle Bell and forearm/wrist movements. That would really throw them for loop!!!
Oh, and don’t sweat the Columbus, Galileo and Jesus corrections from the folks who felt compelled to speak up. We ALL (hopefully) learn something every day!
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June 18, 2010
3:13 am
Great video Elliot, thanks for sharing.
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June 18, 2010
3:35 am
great vid. when i first started training i loved the bench but did it with my elbows at 90 degrees and started to feel discomfort after a year. after seeing my dad and some of his friends, who used to put up a lot of weight back in the day, deal with serious shoulder issues and reading some strength coaches denouncing the bench press as an old fashioned exercise to avoid. thanks to you and a few trainers i’ve found i can do bench press again but with PROPER FORM!! thanks again for the great info!
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June 18, 2010
3:56 am
Yeah man let’s face it the bench press is exactly the same movement pattern as the push up! Which is a ore requisit for all of the armed forces! Do you think that the army or navy would give it’s personel excercises that could potentially harm them? There are no bad excercises just bad form and poor execution and idiot coaches who believe unfounded myths!
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June 18, 2010
7:16 am
I’ve bench pressed for a long time too; I use the move for some of my fitness clients as well. Still, I’d definitely place the exercise a long way beneath a weighted push-up for functional carry-over to sport and everyday life. I even prefer the two-arm standing cable press, which calls on core stabilization, scapular stabilization, and recruits the lower-body, to the standard bench-bound variations on horizontal pressing.
As with any exercise, you need to ask WHY it’s included in a program, and to weigh possible risks against likely benefits. Doing this math on the bench press, it doesn’t surprise me that some coaches choose to cut it.
Love your stuff, Elliot. Keep it up–Andrew
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leanhybr Reply:
June 24th, 2010 at 2:42 pm
Andrew, yea! I’ve use the 2 arm standing push for many years… I think its time to bring that one back!
Thanks!
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June 18, 2010
8:35 am
After all these years I think I know what I have been doing wrong and why my shoulders are so tore up. Such a simple change in the travel of the bar and the angle at which my elbows point. What a stupid oversight on my part! All I can say is thanks and keep the great information coming!
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June 18, 2010
9:57 am
great post Elliot ….absolutely right
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June 18, 2010
2:25 pm
Injury caused by bench pressing can happen for a couple of reasons:
1. The obvious one-if a BB crashes and cuts your head off :p
2. If you do not balance horizontal chest work with horizontal back work and a little + on the back too.
3. If you have no freakin idea how to properly bench press and you load up the bar listening to your ego which you should have tied to a tree OUTSIDE the gym.
But the bench press aside, if you do ONLY push ups without any back work you can also injure your shoulders so it doesn’t have to be a bench press. Balance is key.
P.S. I just stick to olympic rings push ups weighted or BW, just hits my chest better.
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leanhybr Reply:
June 24th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
Ring push-ups are awesome! Thanks.
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June 18, 2010
7:59 pm
good display of proper form and warming up is what it’s all about. so elloitt if i was you i would go and talk to the coach and show him the right way. most high school coaches are not properly taught how to really train their students in the first place. no real one on one with them. their excuse is time. when most don’t really know what to do in the first place. but you must realize that the school has old fashoin ways of doing things ass backwards and their reqiured to do what they do . until the system is changed they won’t truelly be able to unleash the power of their kids potential.
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June 19, 2010
3:40 am
hey elliot & mike,have no fear,the majority of little league coaches,including babe ruth coaches are too busy tipping beer bottles and wishing the game would end,because of their lack of understanding of what a coch should be,a role model is something they will never be,they never lifted a weight,shot a ball through a hoop or wrestled another person or ran a track meet.these type of guys are wannabe & all time losers.hold your heads high & invite this guy over to your gym.this loser will never show,we need more guys like you two to show us the way.thanks for all your hard work and sharing it with us .
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leanhybr Reply:
June 24th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
haha! So true Mike!
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June 19, 2010
8:07 am
Great experienced display in a levelled form and warming up about all so that you could go and talk to the trainer and also show him the proper way in that way like pre kindergarden kids are early taught really one. Potential power should gain if we follow the trainers advice.
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June 19, 2010
1:34 pm
Great , thanks for the info i have bad shoulders already but now i wont be making them worse.
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June 23, 2010
5:34 pm
right with you elliott
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October 27, 2010
12:17 pm
Very insightful video!
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February 23, 2011
6:04 am
thank you for the tip….but i was thinking to skip the bench press & concentrate on incline bench press because i want to builb my upper pec….is that ok?
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