How to replace the bench press - what to do if the bench press does not bring results, what to replace the bench press with and how best to do it. Rules for replacing exercises with alternative ones: Changing the French press to parallel bars

Bench press is a basic multi-joint exercise that involves a large number of different muscle groups, accordingly, depending on the technology performing a bench press, you can use one or another muscle mass to a greater or lesser extent. The bench press is also a co-revolutionary mover in the power lifting, moreover, the bench press is the most sports discipline, and such va-ri-a-tiv-nos-ti in technology is no longer found in any other management. The press can be performed with different positions of the arms, legs, body, in general, the bench press comes with so many different options for execution that we can call them all the same exercise -it’s not difficult. But, when it comes to replacing this exercise, they usually understand the chest press, so it’s about why and why it’s not necessary -di-mo for-me-thread such a press, and the speech in this article will begin.

However, before we talk about what can actually replace the bench press, we should mention such a thing as macro cycles and the difference in tasks during strength and mass training. go pe-ri-o-da. The annual training plan of any athlete is divided into three periods: the period of working out strength indicators, the period of mass gain and the period of work on the muscles. honor. We have already written in some detail about various muscle growth theories , therefore, if you want to better understand the reasons why you should do this and not another, then you can deal with this that-o-re-ti-ches-coy layout. If you are an avid practitioner, then it is important for you to understand that during strength training the emphasis is on the development of speed of growth. strength qualities of muscles in the repetition range from 2 to 6 in heavy basic exercises, and during “gaining mass” the athlete pumps up the muscles, re-a- licking the copied strength of the ten-tsi-al and allowing the body to build up protein structures. This is what we need to proceed from, since the goal determines the means, not the means, the goal!

Why replace the bench press?

Injuries: a common reason for replacing various exercises, moreover, the injury does not have to be fresh, it can also be chronic, when the athlete cannot normalize the muscles in one position or another. Unfortunately, people often ignore this reason, continuing to persist and only causing harm to themselves! Are there any injuries? This is a good reason to exclude exercises from your training program. If the injury is fresh, then it is best to leave it alone and let it heal; if the injury is chronic, then it is not worth “tormenting the pussy”! On the one hand, since it’s not convenient for you to do the exercise, you will never be able to do strength training in your life -tsi-al muscles, and, as a result, the exercise will be useless. On the other hand, you will either interfere with the healing of the injury, or, by squirming under the barbell, contribute to the appearance of a new howl. You know: if the exercise is painful or inconvenient for you, you need to add something to it!

Muscle feeling: Many people do not feel their chest while performing a bench press, which is due to the structure of the skeleton and muscle composition. Either the triceps and deltoids are much weaker, which is why they get tired earlier than the chest, or much stronger, which is why the press is performed due to the deltoids and triceps, and the chest is practically not turns on. During the strength period, it is necessary to use preliminary fatigue, as Mike Mentzer said, and if the chest falls out, then it is necessary to pre-tire small muscle groups, and if the triceps and deltoids fall out, then fatigue the chest so that the “kaz” comes first of all in the chest. While gaining mass, the bench press can be replaced with more special exercises.

Bench Replacement Exercises

Dumbbell press : this is the first thing you can try if you have ge-ne-ti-ches-ki poorly defined pectoral muscles, but replace the barbell press dumbbell press Possible only during the mass cycle. You will never in your life be able to in-ner-vi-ro-t muscles with gan-te-la-mi as powerfully as a barbell can do, but, When it comes to building muscles, you can use dumbbells. The advantages are a deeper amplitude of movement, the ability to more flexibly select the amplitude for yourself and thereby shift the load to the target muscle group. In general, if you have bad pectoral muscles, during volume training you should replace the barbell with gan-te-la-mi!

Angle press: works the same way with dumbbells or with barbell , depending on what goal you are pursuing. If you want to increase your strength, then it is better to use a barbell; if you want to pump up your muscles well, then use dumbbells. The point of the bench press at an angle is to innervate those muscle fibers that are located at the top of the chest and are attached to the joint at an angle that does not allow them to be loaded to the maximum extent. -that exact degree when performing bench presses on a horizontal bench. This is precisely why using an angle press only makes sense if you are already quite hyper-hy-per-tro-fi-ro-va-li pectoral muscle, and you need to speed up its proportions.

Other exercises: This group includes various exercise machines, dips, sit-ups, etc., which can hardly be called a replacement for the bench press, but, for example, if we are talking about an injury, then hummer bench press or another similar simulator may be ak-tu-a-len. For-mi-ru-yu-schi-mi basic exercises are not replaced, so to say that once you can replace the bench press is not correct, but, if you... Our goal is to pump up the chest, but in the “base” you don’t feel it, then there’s not much choice, you have to use isolation. As for bench presses or overhead presses, in such exercises, with a poorly defined pectoral muscle mass, it is most likely possible to pump up the chest wow, that's not right. However, it is worth trying different chest exercises , so that you can decide whether they work for you personally or not, since muscle composition and skeletal structure can make them effective such methodological indications that work on one at-le-those of the mill-li-o-na!

Although it is considered the main core exercise for pumping up the pectoral muscles, there are a number of alternative exercises that can easily replace it. It is these exercises that will be discussed in our article today.

What exercises can replace the bench press?

Before looking for an alternative replacement for a particular exercise, it is necessary to divide all exercises into basic and auxiliary. In our case, the bench press is a basic exercise, and therefore a replacement must also be sought among the basic movements. Options in which a basic exercise is replaced by an isolated one, and vice versa, are unacceptable and not correct.

Among the entire list of exercises, the optimal replacement for the classic bench press may be the following:

• – this exercise is an excellent alternative to the traditional barbell press and allows you to better pump the pectoral muscles and small stabilizer muscles;
• Push-ups (with weight) – this movement also allows you to perfectly load the pectoral muscles;
• (with weight) – when performing push-ups on parallel bars with the body tilted forward, part of the load shifts from the triceps and goes to the lower region of the pectoral muscles;
• - this exercise imitates the movements of a bench press, but is performed while sitting.

Is the bench press the best exercise for training your chest muscles?

Currently, it is fashionable to say that only classical basic exercises are excellent for growing muscle mass, but this opinion is a misconception. In training muscle mass, the nature of the load plays an important role, and not specifically the exercises, which are only tools for obtaining this same load. Therefore, it is incorrect to say that only the bench press can shock-load the pectoral muscles.

Source: gsport.org From time to time you can meet athletes who, due to injury or due to anatomical features, are physically unable to perform a bench press while lying on a horizontal surface. Naturally, they have to look for an alternative option that can replace the exercise.

Source: gsport.org

From time to time you can meet athletes who, due to injury or due to anatomical features, are physically unable to perform a bench press while lying on a horizontal surface. Naturally, they have to look for an alternative option that can replace the exercise.

The category of athletes forced to look for other ways to perform includes basketball players and weightlifters. For the first, there is absolutely no point in making your shoulders tight and slowing down their mobility, as this will affect the quality of your throws. And the latter do not need unnecessary kilograms of pectoral muscles, since they are not involved either in lifting or jerking the apparatus.

Moreover, those who know how to perform this exercise and enjoy the process are also looking for an alternative. But at a certain moment, the athlete simply feels that he has reached a certain peak, after which there is a desire to find something similar, but at the same time new and no less useful.

The main alternative to the bench press

So, there are three main exercises that can replace the bench press. These include the incline bench press, various types of chest presses and, of course, push-ups from the prone position and on the uneven bars.

If injury is the reason for searching for an alternative, then you need to be especially careful when testing suitable exercises. If pain or discomfort occurs during execution, you should not continue to perform it, but rather find a more suitable replacement.

One of the most popular upper body strengthening exercises among athletes is the incline press. In the process, it is quite difficult to use any kind of cheating and shift the load. During execution, the shoulders and elbows are not too loaded, which, accordingly, reduces the likelihood of injury or complications of previous injuries, if any.

During the execution process, you must carefully monitor the equipment and follow all safety rules. This is the only way to achieve the desired result. An essential point is the presence of a partner, since the bar is above your head, and outside help is needed for reinsurance.

Bench press bridge

Next on the list of alternative exercises are dips. Similar to the bench press described earlier, it is not a purely strength exercise, but acts more as an auxiliary exercise. But in this case, again, the possibility of shifting emphasis is excluded, so the effect of execution will be the maximum possible.

But you need to take into account that, despite the simplicity of push-ups, it is necessary to control the correct execution and technique. You need to try to go as low as possible, since the force of the load on the muscles depends on this. If at a certain point in the exercise pain in the muscles or joints appears, it is worth limiting the depth of lowering.

If your goal is to pump up your pectoral muscles without bench pressing, this program is for you:

Chest day without bench press, once a week

1. Dips with weights 5x8-10 reps
2. Weighted back push-ups 5x15 reps
3. Dumbbell lateral raises 3x10 reps

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How to pump up your chest?, Bodybuilding for beginners |

The bench press is one of the most used movements for working the pectoral muscles. Many athletes do not really like this exercise, since they do not experience an increase in bench press results. Just don’t be upset about this, because there are many other exercises for developing chest muscles.

Bench press analogs

In strength sports, exercises are divided into isolating and basic. The difference is that basic movements involve several joints, while isolating movements involve only one. The bench press is a multi-joint exercise, which means that a substitute should be chosen from among the basic exercises for the muscles of the thoracic region. It is undesirable to use an isolating exercise as a substitute, because the effect from it will be inferior in many respects. A single-joint exercise is included only when it is not possible to find a basic analogue of the bench press.

Multi-joint analogues of the bench press are as follows: push-ups with wide arms, bench press of dumbbells and barbells at different angles, push-ups on uneven bars. It is believed that the most suitable alternative to the flat bench press is the incline dumbbell press. This is due to a more amplitude of movement and the development of small stabilizing muscles.

Using parallel bars in the training process is also very effective. It is worth noting that in order for the main emphasis to fall on the chest muscles, it is necessary to move the body forward when performing this exercise. This will remove some of the work from the triceps and redirect it to the chest area. More efficient pumping will be ensured by using additional weight.

When exercising at home, you can develop bundles of pectoral muscles using push-ups from the floor, but just be sure to place your arms wide and have weights. It is also necessary to place your feet on some kind of elevation, which will allow you to work out different thoracic regions.

Priority movements for working the pectoral muscles

There is an opinion that for pumping up the chest there is no better exercise than a bench press. This statement is erroneous and is based on the enormous popularity of this exercise. After all, most often people are interested in the result in the bench press, and not in the same deadlift or squat. If you ask an expert for their opinion, almost everyone prefers the incline barbell press.

Incline presses allow you to pay proper attention to each part of the pectoral muscle, thanks to which you can build a beautiful and symmetrical chest. It is important to know that the inclination of the bench under the barbell should not exceed 30 degrees. Angles of large values ​​will remove the lion's share of the load from the chest and transfer it to the front deltoids.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with our unique service - the encyclopedia of bodybuilding exercises, where you can find a detailed description of all bodybuilding exercises, equipped with step-by-step instructions and a video.

Exercises are divided by muscle group, for example:

exercises for the erector spinal muscles,

Rules for using the article and other legal information

Why? It seems like it should help you get rid of fat on your outer and inner thighs. But alas, this is not so. Exercises that target only one part of the body will not help you lose weight.

What to replace it with? Lunges forward, backward and to the sides. These exercises will tone and make your entire body, including your hips, stronger. Plus, they're more practical and give you more endurance for everyday life (unlike a machine, according to Greg Justice, owner and founder of AYC Health & Fitness in Kansas City).

2. Leg extension on the machine

Why? The exercise should be aimed at strengthening your quadriceps. But when you do seated leg extensions on the machine, your knees get too much stress.

What to replace it with? Squats or lunges. They work directly on the quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes.

3. Ab exercises

Why? Simply because they are not that effective. Research has confirmed that abdominal exercises are less effective at stimulating muscle fibers than exercises aimed at stabilizing the spine (planks).

What to replace it with? Plank (read). By doing this exercise, you will use more core muscles than an ab crunch. In addition, doing a plank will prevent you from straining your back.

4. Bends to the side with a gymnastic stick or turns

Why? You may think that this way you are strengthening your core muscles or burning fat, but in reality you are not. In reality, when you work with a weight behind your neck and start twisting and turning the barbell, there isn't that much resistance. It's better to train against gravity.

What to replace it with? Side plank static or dynamic. This is a gravity-resistance exercise that effectively works your muscles.

5. Reduction of arms on a block simulator

Why? You sit, which causes your stronger part of the body to receive more stress than your weaker part. An imbalance arises.

What to replace it with? Push ups. During push-ups, you are forced to rely on both your arms and legs, otherwise you will fall. In addition, push-ups include the benefits of planks and also work the abdominal muscles.

6. Leg bending on a machine from a lying position

Why? When you do exercises lying down, your spine is not involved, and you train the least amount of muscles. In addition, such an exercise turns out to be useless in real life: it is unlikely that anyone can name at least one reason why we need to bend our legs from a lying position.

What to replace it with? Raising the leg back from a standing position. This exercise activates the posterior part of your body, which includes your lower back, glutes, thighs, and calves, while also working your core muscles to maintain balance. Most importantly, this exercise develops the flexibility and balance skills necessary in everyday life.

7. Bench press

Why? Due to the fact that you are lying down, the exercise does not allow the load to be evenly distributed throughout the body. The front of your legs are under a lot of tension, which puts a lot of stress on your knees.

What to replace it with? Squats with dumbbells or a light barbell. The exercise targets a large group of leg muscles, including the buttocks, thigh muscles and quadriceps.

8. Arm extension with dumbbells

Why? You won't be able to lift a heavy enough weight and still maintain proper arm position. Usually the shoulder begins to sag and the effectiveness of the exercise is lost.

What to replace it with?“Skull crusher”, or French bench press for triceps. The exercise will allow you to pump up your triceps muscles without losing the shape of your arms. The skull crusher position allows your elbows to remain where they should be and thus receive the necessary load.

9. Calf raises while standing on the machine

Why? The machine puts all the weight on your shoulders, which puts stress first on your back and then on your calf muscles.

How replace? Sprint. It's better than regular running for developing your calves. Sprinting activates more fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are responsible for muscle growth and development.

If sprinting isn't for you, try calf raises using your body weight. If this seems too easy for you, then try doing this exercise on one leg.

10. Leg press

Why? People tend to add too much weight, which can potentially lead to injury. In addition, this exercise is not as effective when compared with its analogues.

What to replace it with? Squats with dumbbells. You're still working your leg muscles, but with this exercise you're more stable and less likely to get injured.

Source: msn.com

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Comments: 33

BMX

The most important conclusion is that most exercises can be done using only your body weight and a minimum of equipment. You can easily do without exercise equipment.

26.06.2015 / 06:42

Ksenia

oh how doubtful. Okay, one more thing about the press - the plank is really a good thing. But the bench press and leg press are basic exercises. In addition, the leg press in a machine is much safer than squats, especially if there are health restrictions and the working weight is heavy. Leg extensions in the machine perfectly pump the medial part of the quadriceps. It’s one thing when you’re new to the gym, and another when you’ve only had a year or two of experience. There, isolating exercises are added and the weight of the worker should be taken into account when choosing a simulator/exercise.

26.06.2015 / 06:57

Anna

I completely agree with the author! From my own experience I have been convinced of the effectiveness of exercises with my own weight: squats, lunges, planks, pull-ups. Of all the exercise machines, I consider TRX bands to be the best. There are only tapes attached to the ceiling and your own weight.

26.06.2015 / 10:31

Ksenia

And further. Exercise No. 5 specifically targets one (conditionally) muscle group - the chest! What imbalance? Do your back and everything will be harmonious. It’s a bit of a shame, but it’s after articles like this that the girls in the gym begin to roll their eyes and say that they won’t work with “weights” because it’s dangerous and not pretty. You just always have to approach everything wisely. And there are no bad machines and exercises, only incorrect technique and laziness. Thanks to the author for his efforts, at least there is a reason to discuss

26.06.2015 / 12:43

Hello

Yesterday I tried the plank for the first time. Within 20 seconds my abdominal muscles practically cramped. I don’t know which one, apparently longitudinal, if there are any) I’ll definitely introduce this exercise into my home fitness, since I’ve never had such an effect from abdominal pumping in my life.

01.07.2015 / 08:26

Catherine

Everything is very controversial! And it all depends on the purpose of the training and the assigned tasks! If the goal is to lose weight, then, of course, multi-joint exercises are a priority, but isolating exercises should not be discredited for this reason!

25.11.2015 / 14:36

Olesya

Yeah... Calling isolated exercises a waste of time is certainly strong. And the proposal to replace the bench press with squats is a truly fresh, creative look at the training process.

26.11.2015 / 21:04

How to replace the leg press?

Is it possible to replace the leg press with alternative exercises at home, and in what cases do athletes resort to this?
Most often, the leg press is replaced with other exercises for trivial reasons: old injuries do not allow you to give your all while training your legs, or the exercise simply cannot be done as it should. You can replace the traditional leg press with several exercise options. This is a traditional view of the exercise technique below.

The most famous of them is the classic barbell squat. Additionally, hack squats (extremely rare), lunges with dumbbells or a barbell are used. Please note: at home, only using dumbbells is suitable, since it is still better to work with a barbell in an equipped gym and under the supervision of a trainer!

Squats as an alternative to the leg press

It can be immediately noted that squats, even with weights, are much more natural for the body than leg presses with weights that exceed those that an athlete could withstand in a natural position. Using a special leg press machine, the athlete does not need to maintain balance, since the body is precisely fixed, and the main work falls on the legs.

Squats are the most natural thing that can happen for a person and an athlete, since our everyday life partly consists of them, which means they can replace the bench press.

Many people think that squats are difficult to perform technically, so they are sure that the leg press wins in this regard. In fact, it is squats that are the basis of the training routine of bodybuilders, and without them it will still not be possible to achieve the initially set goals. So why not start right away with light weights and gradually increase the level?

A strong argument in favor of squats is the body’s “hormonal response” to them. In the process of squats, even with dumbbells and at home, the body produces growth hormone and testosterone. The leg press does not lead to this effect!

Thus, it can be noted that squats with a barbell or dumbbells are no less or even more effective and natural exercise than the leg press. During its implementation, you work, in addition to your knees, hips and buttocks, and you achieve the best balance!

Types of squats with barbell and dumbbell

There are many variations of the barbell squat. Let's look at the most popular of them.

The classic version is a squat with a barbell on your shoulders. Performed to pump up the quadriceps. Use a wide grip during the exercise, keep your back straight, and place your feet firmly on the floor. Remove the barbell from the rack, keeping your head straight, bend your legs slightly and squat down so low that your thighs form a parallel line with the floor.


Sumo squat - performed to work the muscles of the hips, legs and buttocks. The advantage of exercise is the ability to use heavy weights. You need to do it as follows: take the barbell with a narrow grip, place the bar on your back (the muscles should be tense), spread your legs wide with your toes out and start squatting, moving your pelvis back on bent knees. The back should remain straight during the process.

Half squats are a good exercise for working with heavy weights. It is better to perform it in a power rack according to the same principle as sumo squats, but without going all the way down.

Plie squats are used to work the inner thigh. For beginners, it is better to perform the exercise in the Smith machine. Place your feet wide, turn your toes to the sides, keeping your torso perpendicular to the floor, and smoothly squat with the barbell on your shoulders.

Sissy squats are used to train the lower quadriceps. It is this exercise that is most often replaced with the leg press, since they have many similarities, only the “sissy” can be performed at home, using improvised means.
Stand straight, place your feet shoulder-width apart. Use one hand to grasp a cabinet or wall to maintain balance. Raise your heels, move your pelvis forward and start squatting. The final phase will be the contact of the heels with the buttocks, and the knees with the floor.

Squats with a trap bar - used to work the buttocks, back trapezius and quadriceps. To perform this you will need a trap bar. If you don’t have one nearby, you can try replacing the barbell with dumbbells. Perform the exercise with a straight back.
Approach the trap bar with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees and grab the bar. Keep your back straight and your head level. Perform pause squats mi at the end of the repeat.

Squats in the Smith machine - used to work the knees and lower back. Fix your hands on the bar and place the barbell on your shoulders. Straighten
back, remove the projectile. Squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor.

Scissor squats - work the buttocks and thighs. The exercise is suitable for people with excellent coordination.
Place the barbell on your shoulders, with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lunge so that your back knee touches the floor. You can rest between sets with alternating legs.

Hack squats - used to work the buttocks and thighs. Can be performed in a hack machine. It should be performed smoothly, without jerking.

Front squats - used to work the hamstrings, glutes and quadriceps. Perform the exercise as follows: place your shoulders under the barbell, grab the apparatus with crossed arms and remove it from the racks. Keep your back straight and lower yourself into a squat.

In conclusion, we note that if for some reason an athlete cannot cope with the leg press in the gym, then it will be very difficult for him to perform squats. In this case, you can start with simple lunges with dumbbells, but the effect from them will not be so noticeable. Therefore, the solution may be squats with light weights, as an alternative to bench presses in the gym. It is important to focus on the correct execution of squats, observing all the technical nuances, strengthening the legs, and only after that, after a while, move on to more powerful weights!