IS THE BENCH PRESS REALLY NECESSARY?

 The bench press is seen as an essential exercise for building strength in the upper body. It is very popular with gym goers and has almost a mythical status. Although the bench press is one of the three great lifting exercises in powerlifting, the question arises whether the exercise is really necessary for lawn sports, racket sports, martial arts, or for general functional fitness and conditioning.

Is the bench press movement suitable for our everyday life and our daily training?

Let's start with the truth: The bench press is not really suitable for push movements while standing for everyday use or our daily training. How many everyday tasks do you have to push a heavy burden away from your body? And how many of these activities require a heavy load? Actually, very few. The same goes for sports where this push movement is limited to throwing or pushing. The focus here is more on speed and precision and less on absolute or maximum force.

But that doesn't mean that strength building is irrelevant. The question is rather whether we need the maximum pressing force in everyday life or in our training routine and whether we will ever need it in a supine position. For everyday activities, we should rather build strength in a standing position.

But… what about serious contact sports?

There is lot of discussion going on this topic. Some believe that athletes who practice heavy contact sports like judo, BJJ, rugby, etc. need a high level of pushing force. That is certainly true, but if you have to push another person away (as opposed to a static weight), you not only need strength but also balance, timing, precision, stability and control.

Natural pushing movements vs. bench press

Finally, let's take a firm look at the natural movement of the joints while pushing. In a standing position, the shoulder blades naturally slide over your chest as you push forward. This not only improves shoulder mobility, it also protects the front of the shoulder joint. If you are lying on a bench (or on the floor) doing a bench press, the shoulder blades “stick” to the bench / floor and their movement is restricted. This creates unnecessary stress and strain on the front of the shoulder. If ignored, it can lead to pain in the front of the shoulder and what is known as impingement syndrome.

summary

As long as you are not a strength athlete or just enjoy doing the bench press, there is not any reason to overdo it with the bench press exercise. If you want to train your functional strength and avoid unnecessary strain on your shoulders, then it is better to train the push movements in a standing position (e.g. with cables) or to switch to push