Alternative to benching?

Jumpy

Hi all,

Just wondering what the best alternative to a bench press is?
I am at the gym at half 6 in the morning and generally the only one in the weights area for most of it. I wont find a spotter.
Will using dumbells be enough?

Dragan

Will using dumbells be enough?

Of course it will, but if you are looking to build a high 1RM on the bench then you don't really need to train to failure anyway.

What are you looking to do and we can help more?

You said what you need an alternative to, but not what your trying to do with it?

tribulus

If it's just for developing your chest then Db's should be fine once you can get them into position by yourself.

If it was for getting a bigger bench, DB's can help but you really need to bench (suprisingly lol)

Jumpy

Its for building my chest.
I dont even know what 1rm is yet.

rubadub

1RM is 1 repetition max. i.e. the most you can lift in one go. Normally for hypertrophy (big chest) you will go for 3sets 8-12 reps, at a weight of about 80% of your 1RM. And you do not need a spotter unless you go to "failure", i.e. need a spotter to help on the last rep. So just do not force the last dodgy rep, do 8-12 comfortabley and leave it, you can usually tell if your next rep would be the last one requiring a spotter.

You can do dips and weighted dips to failure without a spotter. I do them all the time now, havent benched in weeks.

padsc

Is it not better to do 5 sets than 3 sets for hypertrophy?

Transform

padsc there are no rules for training just guidelines so do what works for a while then change it up.

What are you currently benching (op)?

Hanley

you don't need a spotter to bench. Just don't do anything silly like pushing to failure.

padsc wrote: »

Is it not better to do 5 sets than 3 sets for hypertrophy?

Why not 4? Or 6?? There is no perfect number of sets and reps.

rubadub

padsc wrote: »

Is it not better to do 5 sets than 3 sets for hypertrophy?

Beginners can do OK with 1 set. And I saw some study where "medium" lifters got very little benefit from 3 over 2 sets.

The other factor is most would say your workout should be no longer than 60mins to get full advantage of hormone levels etc. And 5 sets of all your exercises might not be possible in that time.

mikemac

Sorry for stating the obvious but could a member of staff not even spare a few minutes?
I would have assumed staff would be happy to help for this.

Fair enough there won’t be many on duty at 06:30am but is there noone at all OP?

BrianD3

Is there no power cage in this gym?

I bench in a cage on my own and have no fear about failing. Once the safety bars are set at the right height there should be no problem.

padsc

Hanley wrote: »

Why not 4? Or 6?? There is no perfect number of sets and reps.

Someone else said:
'Normally for hypertrophy (big chest) you will go for 3sets 8-12 reps, at a weight of about 80% of your 1RM.'

Just that I'd been told before that 5 sets and a few core exercises was the way to go.

I know there's no definitive answers to these questions, just wonder what the point is in recommending 3 sets if there is no perfect number of sets and reps. Think it's better to just say 'do an hour's workout with weights of about 80% of your IRM' or else people will start thinking that 3*8-12 or whatever is some magical formula.

rubadub

padsc wrote: »

Someone else said:
'Normally for hypertrophy (big chest) you will go for 3sets 8-12 reps, at a weight of about 80% of your 1RM.'

Just that I'd been told before that 5 sets and a few core exercises was the way to go.

The guy who wrote 5 probably finds it works best for him. Most I hear say 3, but they also say you need to change your routine so your body is not accostumed to it, so you might need to go to 5 to stimulate growth at some point.

People keep telling the OP alternative ways of benching. I am still interested in peoples opinions on the best alternative to benching. e.g. no bench available. I am doing dips a lot these days, and some inclined slow deep pushups, I just dont really enjoy benching.

Colm_OReilly

Get some rings! Do exercises on them and notice your chest grow!

You could do floor presses: lying on the floor means if you do hit failure the bar shouldn't come near your neck.

An alternative is to leave the catch off the end of the bar. If you feel like you're failing, lower one hand and let the weights fall off. Now, a lot of gyms might have major issues with this so be warned.

I remember just after starting Xfit I was benching bw to failure, and did quite quickly. I just had to sit there with the weight on my chest until someone came along. Was all quite funny

Vegeta

Colm_OReilly wrote: »

I remember just after starting Xfit I was benching bw to failure, and did quite quickly. I just had to sit there with the weight on my chest until someone came along. Was all quite funny

Has happened to me a few times, I try and roll the weight down my body to my waist, sit up straight and then put the weight on the bench. You get some friction burn from the bar but its better than being stuck for ages when there's no one at home

justsomebloke

Colm_OReilly wrote: »

I remember just after starting Xfit I was benching bw to failure, and did quite quickly. I just had to sit there with the weight on my chest until someone came along. Was all quite funny

Vegeta wrote: »

Has happened to me a few times, I try and roll the weight down my body to my waist, sit up straight and then put the weight on the bench. You get some friction burn from the bar but its better than being stuck for ages when there's no one at home

Been there, done that and gone arse biscuits

Diamondmaker

IO have pushed and failed 3 times without a spot in the last year.

2wice in the 1st month of benchin ever ( impetuous youth ) and once back off a long lay off. All on the last rep of 8 when I just knew I swas gonna not make it.

I found that with the securing clips ( name?? ) it was better.
When the bar got down to neck height :eek: I was able then to easily support it over the throat and tilt and slide the bar to one side until the end hit the ground. Then simply use both arms to lift half the wieght of the bar ( one end ) and get up and out.

All ill say is the obviosu, dont push the last one withoout a spot if in doubt.
Use the clips when working in a rane at your max.

Having said all that maybe my attitude above explains how I have gne from 20kg benching to a 1RM of 80kg in 6 months!

Diamondmaker

jsb wrote: »

Been there, done that and gone arse biscuits

|Ditto that, was so embarrassed to be baikled out of 30kg when I was just beginning.

Last time I was able to slip out. I really think that if you dont panic there is very little actual risk. It should be easy enough to slip out one way or anothet with no more than a bruised ego!

t-ha

Purely for developing bigger pecs? I'd go out on a limb here and say that dumbells are better than barbell benches for that. Also, cable machines are your friend. Cable flies are vastly better than the dumbell variety.

Vegeta

Diamondmaker wrote: »

Having said all that maybe my attitude above explains how I have gne from 20kg benching to a 1RM of 80kg in 6 months!

Nice, well done that man

I know its not free weights but I do luv the cable flys

Hanley

t-ha wrote: »

Purely for developing bigger pecs? I'd go out on a limb here and say that dumbells are better than barbell benches for that. Also, cable machines are your friend. Cable flies are vastly better than the dumbell variety.

Controversial!!

Probably true tho...

WHIP IT!

Can somebody explain what a "dip" is? Video maybe?

Thanks...

PS - when stuck under a barbell, I too advocate the roll down to your waist and sit up manouevre - as demonstarted by yours truly only last Monday!

Reyman

Vegeta wrote: »

Has happened to me a few times, I try and roll the weight down my body to my waist, sit up straight and then put the weight on the bench. You get some friction burn from the bar but its better than being stuck for ages when there's no one at home

That happened to one of the young guys in our gym lately. He failed on a rep and whatever way he was lifting the bar got stuck on his throat. Luckily one of the experienced guys saw him and got him sorted, because he couldn't shout properly. No harm was done.

Motto: Don't bench too high up

Gaz

WHIP IT! wrote: »

Can somebody explain what a "dip" is? Video maybe?

Thanks...

These be dips ... http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/PectoralSternal/WtChestDip.html

After 6 months, ive finally moved from assisted to unassisted , dips rock !

WHIP IT!

Darth Homer wrote: »

These be dips ... http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/PectoralSternal/WtChestDip.html

After 6 months, ive finally moved from assisted to unassisted , dips rock !

Oh right, thanks for that DH - I do em occasionally... I hear them mentioned alot, so they're a fairly good exercise I presume? I'd therefore be well advised to try work them into my sessions a bit more regularly, yes?

Where can you feel the benefits? Arms obviously - core strength? Shoulders?

Thanks people...

MattKid

Dips have been called the Squats for the uppper body. Hits your chest, Shoulders, Triceps and Traps

Vegeta

MattKid wrote: »

Dips have been called the Squats for the uppper body. Hits your chest, Shoulders, Triceps and Traps

The muscle up must be one of the best upper body exercises I have seen. It looks like it hits just about every muscle in the upper body. They look impossible though and to see some really fit birds do them on the cossfit website is awww inspiring

rubadub

MattKid wrote: »

Dips have been called the Squats for the uppper body. Hits your chest, Shoulders, Triceps and Traps

If you do them on rings there is even more of a workout on the lats, much harder overall. I do them on rings as negatives with a weighted belt too, really exhausts you.

I still think some people paying money in big gyms avoid simple stuff like chins, pullups, & dips, for the simple reasons a caveman could have been doing them! and they have to get their "value" back by using fancy machines, even though the caveman methods might be far better.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055149676

might be a good time to get stuff with the dollar so cheap now, I got a top quality ironmind dip belt delivered for little more than a bod standard one here.

tech77

Reyman wrote: »

That happened to one of the young guys in our gym lately. He failed on a rep and whatever way he was lifting the bar got stuck on his throat. Luckily one of the experienced guys saw him and got him sorted, because he couldn't shout properly. No harm was done.

Motto: Don't bench too high up

What about just using something to cushion your chest and neck so even if you did fail on a big weight you'd have some protection. Not great i know but still..

Also doing triceps dips in a lying position (across 2 benches with heels supported)- are you only getting half the benefit of doing dips on bars.

Hail 2 Da Chimp

In terms of building strenght I found doing 5 sets of very good:
8 reps
3 reps
8 reps
3 reps and
10 reps.
Increasing the weight on the 3 rep sets.
Although I do all my benching on a smiths machine (only option in my gym) and have got stuck under it recently and had to slide out

Colm_OReilly

You'd get a greater benefit if you can dip on the rings, as your more evenly distributing the load. On the bench your placing more work on your arms and less on your chest/anterior shoulder. Also, I've seen most people use a hip extension in the dip you've mentioned.

Muscle Ups are just Fricking Cool! As regards impossibility they can be scaled, so that you're doing lying down MUs or jumping MUs to work the muscles in the same manner, but using the hips to overcome the weaknesses/technical inability during the transition phase.

Last Saturday I decided it would be fun to do a weighted MU. So we did for the craic (right click, save as, 24secs 3.4MB)

Man were my biceps sore for the next few days!

rubadub

Colm_OReilly wrote: »

Man were my biceps sore for the next few days!

Mine are sore just looking at that!. I havent even gotten into the false grip bit yet. I have thought of having bike tubes over the bars as a sort of assisted lift up to train for them.