One of the exercises I very rarely use or talk about is the bench press. It is arguably the most popular exercise used in the gym in particular with young males looking to add muscle size to the upper body. While it certainly can add some muscle to the chest and shoulders I tend to rate the bench press below several similar exercises and I believe it is highly over-rated in terms of its overall benefits, and under-rated for the risks it presents. In this article, I will explain why I don’t rate the bench press so highly and the many other exercises you can use instead that deliver a much greater result.
15 Best Exercises For Developing Upper Body Pushing Strength & Power
One of the hardest movements to really master and develop strength with is the PUSHING ACTION. The pushing action is very important for use in daily life and a weakness with pushing movement is linked to many of the shoulder and neck problems many people suffer with. More specifically this movement is much more difficult for most females as they find it very hard to develop strength with their upper body due to joint laxity, lack of testosterone, and this leaves the shoulders more vulnerable to injury. Most of the exercises people think of are bench press, push-ups, and shoulder press. While these exercises may develop the strength they do come with risks that can cause a lot of problems for the neck and shoulder, and with some people they are too difficult to do. True pushing movement patterns are not limited to the upper body, as the trunk and legs play pivotal roles in creating optimal positioning, stability and timing to execute this movement efficiently. This is the mistake so many people make who limit their training to body building exercises that eliminate the use of the legs. There are better ways to achieve strength without these risks which is what I will explain in this breakdown of the best 15 exercises.