Bench Press problems

**DaDaMan1010** · 07-13-2003, 02:56 PM

Today I was bench pressing and I felt fatigue in my Posterior deltoid more ten my pecs. So wh am i dong wrong? Thanks

**Prince** · 07-13-2003, 03:08 PM

this was flat free weight barbell presses?

**Mudge** · 07-13-2003, 03:22 PM

I dont get a ton of direct in the chest from flat benching, even bringing my shoulder blades in to take the shoulders out of the mix. Dips, dumbell pressing, decline press seem to hit it better, dumbells as a whole force more chest work as far as stabilization if nothing else.

**DaDaMan1010** · 07-13-2003, 03:28 PM

yea it was flat benching thanks mudge so you recomend dips and incline.cool

**Mudge** · 07-13-2003, 03:37 PM

Incline always, decline feels similar to a dip for me. Dips are great, the problem is getting enough weight, so its usually a finisher for me and then 1-2 sets of pec dec.

I'd try going with dumbells, it takes awhile to get the technique down when prepping for your first rep. I hug the dumbells close, roll back and use some of that momentum to get them to my chest area, and so on. With incline dumbell presses I use a knee to kick them up.

Dont go high up on the chest when benching or pressing, I go below the nipple now unless its an incline smith press, where I actually go above.

**DaDaMan1010** · 07-14-2003, 09:22 AM

Cool my chest routine now is 2 warm up sets, 4 sets of 8 flat bench press, 4 sets of 10 dumbell flyies so i can really squeeze the pecs! i like flyies the best cause i can really isolate the muscle and feel it workin! I'll put incline in there next workout.

**Mudge** · 07-14-2003, 10:23 AM

Flys work mostly pectoral minor, and freeweight flys are not effective in the entire range of movement either.

You use the word isolate, remember isolation movements are not mass builders, as a generic rule of thumb.

**DaDaMan1010** · 07-14-2003, 10:43 AM

thanks for setinme straight!

**Prince** · 07-14-2003, 10:47 AM

Originally posted by Mudge
Flys work mostly pectoral minor...

please explain this response...

**Mudge** · 07-14-2003, 11:14 AM

Pec minor http://www.exrx.net/Muscles/PectoralisMinor.html

Flys http://www.exrx.net/Articulations/Sh...l#anchor104396

..and I believe what Prince is getting at is I am puffin' the peace pipe. I have felt it was a better excersize for pec minor than for overall development, plus the limited effective range with freeweight flys, and the danger associated with going heavy, has never really made them that important to me.

So, I use the pec dec as a finisher myself, 1-2 sets, everything else is some kind of press, wether it be a dip, barbell or dumbell

Looking at the layouts though it would appear I had confused http://www.exrx.net/Muscles/PectoralisClavicular.html as pec minor, by feel? I'm not sure.

**Prince** · 07-14-2003, 12:18 PM

Originally posted by Mudge
..and I believe what Prince is getting at is I am puffin' the peace pipe.

yeah pretty much!

The Pectoralis Minor serves to move the humerus forward in the shoulder socket. This can be seen by shrugging your shoulder forward.

**DaDaMan1010** · 07-14-2003, 04:50 PM

So from what I gather doing dumbell flyies does in fact work the Pectorials Major right? Yea so thats what i'm after i understand that its not as good of a mass builder as a compund lift but I can really squeeze the shit out of my pecs at the top of the movement. I dont go real heavy so I execute good form and just like in a gym it the last lift of the muscle group its main function is to exert the last bit of energy out of my pecs. Thanks for the info though! But the original question was just for some tip on how to focus the stress of a flat bench lift to my pecs instead of my posterior delts such as a grip adjustment or so.

**Mudge** · 07-14-2003, 06:01 PM

The last 30º or so minus a squeeze is nothing but holding the weight in the air, which is one reason I dont like them much.

Use dumbells, thats how to better focus. Bench is a compound movement, period, it does not focus on pecs. Now that I have learned to bench "properly" it still does not affect pecs alone as much as dips or dumbells do, decline bench I would say hits them fairly well but that is at such an extreme angle (like a dip) that its not going to be the sole part of your program.

I'd say try dumbells, and see how you like them.

**DaDaMan1010** · 07-14-2003, 07:17 PM

Thanks i will

**Prince** · 07-14-2003, 09:41 PM

Originally posted by Mudge
Bench is a compound movement, period, it does not focus on pecs.

It is most definitely a compound movement, but the pecs are the primary mover in a bench press.

**Mudge** · 07-14-2003, 10:05 PM

Yes yes, buuuuut I find the dumbells, especially on the incline 'better' for me. Dare I use the word "pump" in this thread, I better not

**DaDaMan1010** · 07-15-2003, 08:18 AM

whats that supposed to mean?

**Mudge** · 07-15-2003, 10:24 AM

I feel way more pump in my chest using dumbells, and I would swear that I get better stimulus overall because I will notice a lasting change versus doing just barbell work. This is most especially true on inclines for me though, feels like I have added beef right then and there.

When using dumbells its like doing a fly and a press at the same time, which IMO involves chest more than just pushing on something without changing hand placement.

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