Giving Up the Incline Bench Press! :)
SamTheWonderDog
Posts: 2 Member
It's just common sense - in life we rarely push straight up or at an angle upwards - most of our upper-body pushing action is best simulated by the decline bench.
I'm finding there's so little time in life so I'm whittling the routine to the best, bare essentials to help in EVERYDAY LIVING!
The "bodybuilding" ethos and strategies pushed on us by the steroid-monkeys and publishers has been unnatural, unhealthy, and simply insane.
I'm finding there's so little time in life so I'm whittling the routine to the best, bare essentials to help in EVERYDAY LIVING!
The "bodybuilding" ethos and strategies pushed on us by the steroid-monkeys and publishers has been unnatural, unhealthy, and simply insane.
0
Replies
-
I don't think there's anything inherently unhealthy about the strategies used for bodybuilding...if you want to be a bodybuilder, you have to train like a bodybuilder...if you don't want to be a bodybuilder then you don't have to train like a bodybuilder. I also know quite a few bodybuilders who are natty...not steroid monkeys at all.5
-
This content has been removed.
-
I don't do incline bench but I do overhead press and let me say this. I hate that lift. But I used the hell out of it in a practical way two weekends ago when I had to lift 8ft sections of fence onto a trailer, over and over again. I totally had an "aha!" moment and was so proud.4
-
Doing the incline press works the upper chest muscles. You know? The ones that make you look good in a tee shirt??? Yeah those!4
-
SamTheWonderDog wrote: »It's just common sense - in life we rarely push straight up or at an angle upwards - most of our upper-body pushing action is best simulated by the decline bench.
I'm not sure if you're serious or trolling us, but there's at least as many upward or straight pushing movements in life than downward. For me:
- pushing furniture or the refrigerator, to clean behind it
- forcing a heavy piece of luggage into a cramped overhead bin on air flights
- pushing my 500 lb scooter uphill during maintenance
- boxing a heavy bag
- trimming tree branches with a pole saw
Like you, i workout to prepare for everyday living so i've replaced all bench exercises with unsupported movements, to simulate how the entire body works together. For example the 1-arm cable press:
2 -
Cherimoose wrote: »SamTheWonderDog wrote: »It's just common sense - in life we rarely push straight up or at an angle upwards - most of our upper-body pushing action is best simulated by the decline bench.
I'm not sure if you're serious or trolling us, but there's at least as many upward or straight pushing movements in life than downward. For me:
- pushing furniture or the refrigerator, to clean behind it
- forcing a heavy piece of luggage into a cramped overhead bin on air flights
- pushing my 500 lb scooter uphill during maintenance
- boxing a heavy bag
- trimming tree branches with a pole saw
Like you, i workout to prepare for everyday living so i've replaced all bench exercises with unsupported movements, to simulate how the entire body works together. For example the 1-arm cable press:
I was thinking about putting a carry on in the bin too. I use incline pressing quite a bit.
To each their own, OP. Glad you are finding what works for you!1 -
SamTheWonderDog wrote: »It's just common sense - in life we rarely push straight up or at an angle upwards - most of our upper-body pushing action is best simulated by the decline bench.
I'm finding there's so little time in life so I'm whittling the routine to the best, bare essentials to help in EVERYDAY LIVING!
The "bodybuilding" ethos and strategies pushed on us by the steroid-monkeys and publishers has been unnatural, unhealthy, and simply insane.
not sure if you are serious or trolling? I guess you aren't interested in developing upper chest muscles?0 -
Uhh ok.0
-
If you plan on having your training exclusively designed to mirror every-day life needs you probably wouldn't do ANY bench pressing. I'm not buying the argument that decline benching is in any way more applicable to real life situations compared to incline benching.
I doubt you are going to find many situations in life where you are required to lay at an angle and push something off of you. Changing that angle from an incline to a decline doesn't suddenly make it applicable to every day life situations.
Overhead press on the other hand, probably has better carry-over.
Of course this all hinges on the idea that your training should have high specificity to real life and I don't like the premise to begin with.3 -
Really??? As some have already said in much nicer terms - I hope you're trolling cause this is one of the dumbest things I've read!
Guessing you have given up squatting too cause we never use our legs in everyday life...
Thanks though, this made me laugh
1 -
If you plan on having your training exclusively designed to mirror every-day life needs you probably wouldn't do ANY bench pressing. I'm not buying the argument that decline benching is in any way more applicable to real life situations compared to incline benching.
I doubt you are going to find many situations in life where you are required to lay at an angle and push something off of you. Changing that angle from an incline to a decline doesn't suddenly make it applicable to every day life situations.
Overhead press on the other hand, probably has better carry-over.
Of course this all hinges on the idea that your training should have high specificity to real life and I don't like the premise to begin with.
Functional training, yo! One-handed kettlebell OHP on a Bosu Ball or GTFO. 2 -
If you plan on having your training exclusively designed to mirror every-day life needs you probably wouldn't do ANY bench pressing. I'm not buying the argument that decline benching is in any way more applicable to real life situations compared to incline benching.
I doubt you are going to find many situations in life where you are required to lay at an angle and push something off of you. Changing that angle from an incline to a decline doesn't suddenly make it applicable to every day life situations.
Overhead press on the other hand, probably has better carry-over.
Of course this all hinges on the idea that your training should have high specificity to real life and I don't like the premise to begin with.
Functional training, yo! One-handed kettlebell OHP on a Bosu Ball or GTFO.
Have you seen that clip that Alan Aragon has posted a few times, of Naudi Aguilar doing his little hippity-hop twisting jumpy thingy to music, in a grassy field?
It's comedic gold.1 -
1
-
I do BPs and OHPs but I don't do incline presses. However, I also do decline push-ups and dips to work the upper chest (in addition to the other muscles they work).0
-
The incline press also directly influences your overhead press. When ever you raise your arms it's done by both your pectoralis minor and your anterior deltoid. Which are both the prime muscles used during the incline press.
Sooooo...1 -
This content has been removed.
-
The OP has inspired me to focus my training exclusively on functional, everyday movements. I'm going to lobby my gym to install a couch and refrigerator. My new training routine will be laying on the couch watching TV supersetted with walking to the fridge.12
-
Switching to dumbbell/kettleball seems smart, but people tell me you need a spotter. Machine are, at least, safe.0
-
Realistically if I wanted my strength training to have maximal carryover to real life I'd probably focus exclusively on strongman training along with some obstacle training.
Having said that, the traditional powerlifting movements have had incredible carryover to real life. The most important is probably grip strength, all things considered. Doesn't matter how strong you are if you can't hold onto something.2 -
I'm trying to think of something I do in real life that simulates decline bench and the only thing I can come up with is pushing one of my dogs away.2
-
amyrebeccah wrote: »My husband has impingement and has found that using dumbbells with a neutral grip helps with the shoulder. Like this.
My brother keeps telling me I need to do "Turkish get-ups" to strengthen my (sore) shoulder. Instead, I swim 2200m twice a week. Seems to be improving.
0 -
It's a weak point probably bc many people focus on the flat bench first. Start hitting incline in the beginning of you're chest workout and I promise you will see results!mralexjones wrote: »The incline barbell benches in most gyms are just way too steep. Those things are very hard on my shoulders, especially having imingement in one shoulder.
I have found putting an adjustable bench at the penultimate lowest setting to be a great alternative. That along with using dumbbells. The upper chest is a weak point for a lot of lifters.
0 -
I'm wondering if it's just not worth responding to... You keep doing what you're doing. I'll do what I do. Are you asking what good does the incline do for you or just putting down a workout movement that you struggle with? Well crossfit says their workouts mimic your everyday movements. I incline, flat, and overhead press. I do dips instead of decline. Strengthening different muscles help other lifts, it's the angles you hit the muscles at that help overall pressing. Correct benching and incline should be more about the triceps and lat base. Oh yeah, Turkish get ups initially started out as a form of torture way back in the day, trivia for one of the other replies. No one is forcing you to do inclines. To each their own. But some of us have been doing lifts for decades and find inclines are pretty valuable to overall strength. But you're talking about how does it help the everyday things. Okay declines you like so much help you push up off the couch kinda like dips. My incline helped me hang my ladder up in the garage, put something heavy up on a shelf, help push someone's car out of the intersection that was having trouble, push the manbun dude out of the way before he was crushed by heavy weights(JK had to throw that in). I've done power lifting, crossfit, strongman, and yoga, and now a little body building. All are different, all help in different ways. I always tell the crossfitters and runners go get help and I'll stay here and rip the doors off the car to get the accident victim out,lol. Do what you wanna do, it's okay. No one will hate you because you choose not to do incline. It's just common sense....right?1
-
I'm starting a new program this week...it has incline bench in it...I'm excited.1
-
cwolfman13 wrote: »I'm starting a new program this week...it has incline bench in it...I'm excited.
I've switched from flat to incline for the time being and then I do OHP too. OHP is my favorite push.0 -
When you say giving up the incline, elaborate a little about your past experiences in incline bench. Are you really giving it up because it serves no purpose in everyday life or just because you don't have time?0
-
SamTheWonderDog wrote: »It's just common sense - in life we rarely push straight up or at an angle upwards - most of our upper-body pushing action is best simulated by the decline bench.
I'm finding there's so little time in life so I'm whittling the routine to the best, bare essentials to help in EVERYDAY LIVING!
The "bodybuilding" ethos and strategies pushed on us by the steroid-monkeys and publishers has been unnatural, unhealthy, and simply insane.
As a white collar office worker, almost nothing that I do in the gym has any "real world" application. Outside of the gym, I rarely grab something heavy and curl it, pull heavy weights toward me in a rowing motion, put weight on my shoulders and then lower my body until my knees are bent, etc.
Weight training for a majority of people is all about getting stronger and improving one's body composition for the sake of getting stronger and improving one's body composition, without any associated functional usefulness outside of the gym. Given that, I don't see how the incline bench press is any more or less useful than any other exercise.1 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »I'm starting a new program this week...it has incline bench in it...I'm excited.
I have incline for the first time in almost a year. So so so happy1 -
May go for a max tonight on incline, 360-365 would be cool. Hit 350 a month ago.0
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NgLq6d_w4e4
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.3K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 424 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions