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Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 11:51 am
by alex
As a sole benchmark of pressing strength, the worse being upperbod strength(no pulling?).
We all know that there are two planes of motion for pressing-Vertical and Horizontal.
Chances are if you do well in the vertical area, especially in the standing overhead press.You would do well in the latter.Vice versa wise, it would not work as well.Especially if you are the kind who does not train or do minimal work of lower limbs or back.
I have seen plenty of people throwing up huge numbers on the bench only to struggle with 50kg or less of standing presses.My remark is unbiased as they did it on separate days too.Their lower back is too weak or unstable to handle the load.
If one is much much heavier than the other, where is the balance?
Most people only advocate that one dimension of analaysing strength.And also the body works as an entire unit, if your lowerbody cannot support your upperbody.Then its useless also.
Re: Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 11:55 am
by M.Hunter
alex wrote:
I have seen plenty of people throwing up huge numbers on the bench only to struggle with 50kg or less of standing presses.Their lower back is too weak or unstable to handle the load.
Like me lo.. My lower back ish weaklings.
Re: Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 4:27 pm
by h
alex wrote:I have seen plenty of people throwing up huge numbers on the bench..........
like what?
while i do agree that a lot of people bench too much...
i don't know how doing things on separate days make observations unbiased.
if i did heavy bench on monday, i wouldn't expect to be able to push that hard (whatever plane) during the same week...
i guess i have a hard time agreeing with your statement because I've never seen somebody who only does bench, bench big number.
Re: Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 4:48 pm
by AhBen
I prefer weighted dips...don't bench at all,haha
Re: Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 4:58 pm
by h
yea, i like weighed dip...
probably the easiest way to go heavy without the chance of dying or someone messing up your lift.
Re: Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 7:52 pm
by lips
it's not lower back strength that's limiting their presses.

Re: Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 8:41 pm
by galapogos
Water is wet
The pope is Catholic
Monkeys climb trees.
So what else is new?
Re: Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 9:15 pm
by Derek
The bench press is very useful in building overall pressing power.
Re: Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 9:19 pm
by kacie
this thread doesn't make sense.
Re: Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 12:16 am
by Ryan.carpediem
alex wrote:As a sole benchmark of pressing strength, the worse being upperbod strength(no pulling?).
We all know that there are two planes of motion for pressing-Vertical and Horizontal.
Chances are if you do well in the vertical area, especially in the standing overhead press.You would do well in the latter.Vice versa wise, it would not work as well.Especially if you are the kind who does not train or do minimal work of lower limbs or back.
I have seen plenty of people throwing up huge numbers on the bench only to struggle with 50kg or less of standing presses.My remark is unbiased as they did it on separate days too.Their lower back is too weak or unstable to handle the load.
If one is much much heavier than the other, where is the balance?
Most people only advocate that one dimension of analaysing strength.And also the body works as an entire unit, if your lowerbody cannot support your upperbody.Then its useless also.
Kind of agree with you Alex. Rippetoe and Mehdi both belong to the school of thought thats avers that the overhead Press is a better overall exercise as it requires the core and lower body to stabilize the weight, plus it's relatively for functional than bench press for the sports. However the bench press does have its use as it allows much more weight to be used, hence it can help to develop more mass, and of course, like derek and boey said, it helps improve your start in the press.
Re: Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 12:31 am
by kacie
you know, we say all these shit, but we aint the heaviest benchers in the world.
neither are most of us the most functional, what with screwed up postures and immobility.
Re: Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 12:40 am
by galapogos
Don't forget the bai kar bai chiu too

Re: Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 1:07 am
by Sufian
I am never good with the bench pressing... so I shall reserve my comments.
Too much science for me anyway.
Re: Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 2:21 am
by Weib
from what Mcgill research, OHP is limited by your scalp and hip stability.
His podcast on SC makes alot of sense.
i'm not a dips person, did it and injured my RC.
So bench press to me would be a good form of H push.
Re: Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 9:37 am
by alex
Yea i still do bench pressing(mostly with dbs though) but most people like to favour bench over the other.
Re: Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 9:57 am
by cheat_curls
for pressing strength to be balanced, what ratios to benchpress, would overhead press need to be?
Re: Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 3:07 pm
by alex
The discrepancy between my bench and overhead press is about 20+ kg apart.
Re: Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 3:11 pm
by h
which in terms of % is?
Re: Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 3:13 pm
by alex
Overhead press 72.5kg 1RM
Bench is 97.5kg 1RM
For my presses(Not sure about others), usually Strict/pure 3RM + 5kg = My 1RM.
Re: Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 4:07 pm
by AhBen
Squats and deadlifts also very overrated...especially for bodybuilding purposes...

Re: Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 5:13 pm
by h
for some reason i thought you pressed 200kg or something.
Re: Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 5:21 pm
by alex
Why do i have to press heavy to make a comment?
Do people have to be '3 michelin stars chefs' to say that the foie gras sucks?
Re: Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 6:16 pm
by Jordon
my bench surely worse than everyone here, i dunwan say anything. hohoho
Re: Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 6:32 pm
by h
heh, i never said you can't make a comment.
if some guy said 'foie gras sucks' then it's just up to you to decide how much weight you place on that opinion.
Re: Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 8:19 pm
by Sufian
alex wrote:Overhead press 72.5kg 1RM
Bench is 97.5kg 1RM
For my presses(Not sure about others), usually Strict/pure 3RM + 5kg = My 1RM.
this overhead press is much more than my 1rm value. Congrats. I shall try to achieve this some day.
My bench 1RM is 100kg. But, I always use 60kg to bench.
When I aim to be strong, I shall try to beat this values.
Re: Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 8:47 pm
by AhBen
Sufian wrote:
When I aim to be strong, I shall try to beat this values.
When would this be bro?

Re: Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 10:51 pm
by h
Sufian wrote:this overhead press is much more than my 1rm value...
wait...
didn't you do bw+60kg pull up?
your press #'s seem weak by comparison.
Re: Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 11:12 pm
by galapogos
It's been said that bench press should be about the same as your weighted pullup. His weighted pullup is 50kg, at a BW of around 70+, so total 120+kg. Not that far off from his bench press of 100kg. Mine's imbalanced the other way. I'm sure yours is too

Re: Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 1:14 am
by h
i haven't done weighed pull ups in a long time, but if supinated grip is allowed, then mine would actually be pretty close to 1:1...
dunno, 20kg off (in terms of %) seems quite a bit, but maybe it won't be that difficult for him to bring his bench up to 120kg if he actually worked on it...
Re: Benchpress is very overrated
Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 1:19 am
by Sufian
don't worry guys.. i found out that i dont really like this prepping for bodybuilding..
I will try to get strong after the comp.