Bench Press versus Dip

[Robb Wolf]

On a similar vein, check out Jim's skilz over at Beast Skills
If you scroll down a bit you will get to this section:
So here at a weight of 165 lbs (~75 kg), is me doing a dip with an extra 180 lbs (~81.6 kg).

Now a 345 bench for a 165lb male is pretty damn good. 2x BW bench is pretty legit. Not spectacular in bench shirt, D-ball land but pretty damn good. Not sure what my point is other than Jim is a freaking stud.

[Dave Van Skike]

Originally Posted by Mark Fenner

At 200 pounds, I can walk downstairs right now, put 50 lbs. around my waist, and do 2 or 3 reps on dips. I can't bench 250. In fact, my max bench is only around 210 right now. At bodyweight + 10 lbs, I can probably get about 12-15 dips. Note, that these are for dips on a stand; not on rings. But, even my ring dips > my bench.

People that bench with a "super arch" are essentially putting themselves in a more dip like position. The equipped style of benching is highly tricep dominant -- I think that leads to good prospects for dips. I do happen to know one person who benched 500, raw, in about 1967. His advice: dips and (overhead) press like a fiend to build your bench.

Regards,
Mark

Touche' Now I can imagine a situation...

let us commence bagging on the bench press, curls in the squat rack and those silly man boys who do quarter squats.......while we're at it let's go after tricep kickbacks, "cardio" kickboxing and spin class, after that we'll burn down a bakery, sacrifice a grass fed calf at the alter of Art Devany and declare a national holiday....



sorry, that was uncalled for...I miss Pierre. Where is that ranting little maple leafed frog?

Also, to celabrate this thread, today I did bench press, which I haven't done in about three years. I felt oh so non-functional

[Steven Low]

I was actually thinking about this today while I was driving to work.

Bench is higher at elite levels than dips much like squats are higher at elite levels than DLs. Usually dips and DLs are stronger than bench and squats respectively though.

[Mark Joseph Limbaga]

Though I find both lifts fun to do... I noticed that those who bench actually develop a more round chest as compared to those who do dips...

However, those who do an OHP specialization and do dips in plac of bench develop a more 3D look wth their chest more fully developed and proportionate to their body as compared to those who bench more...

Now for the performance seeking guys..

Dips require more stabilizing and also involve a lot more indirect ab work vs benching....

so the botomline is use what lift is more relevant to your goals... Both have their own strengths and weaknesses.

[Mark Fenner]

Originally Posted by Dave Van Skike

Touche' Now I can imagine a situation...

That's all I wanted: to expand your mind! Actually, many people I know are in the dip > bench category. Not sure what that means (about my friends, that is).

let us commence bagging on the bench press, curls in the squat rack and those silly man boys who do quarter squats.......while we're at it let's go after tricep kickbacks, "cardio" kickboxing and spin class, after that we'll burn down a bakery, sacrifice a grass fed calf at the alter of Art Devany and declare a national holiday....

sorry, that was uncalled for

Actually, it was grade A funny!

Also, to celabrate this thread, today I did bench press, which I haven't done in about three years. I felt oh so non-functional

Hey, you never know when an object, of mass near your 1RM, will fall on you and have to be pushed off of your chest ... or you'll **DIE**.

Best,
Mark

[Brandon Enos]

Originally Posted by Mark Fenner

Hey, you never know when an object, of mass near your 1RM, will fall on you and have to be pushed off of your chest ... or you'll **DIE**.

Best,
Mark

Batman Begins!

[Garrett Smith]

Brandon, that is one fanciful situation...how hard is it to bench with broken ribs, anyway?

I personally was relatively surprised at how hard it was to slide under a loaded bar and get it into floor press/wiper position--and this was only 135#! This would not bode well for the Batman situation.

In terms of functionality, I really have a hard time justifying the bench press when there are alternative exercises like ring pushups, regular pushups, planche pushups, plyo pushups, and (nearly) all of those done with either a weighted vest or the Power Pushup (bands around the back). Besides the fact that one can do the listed exercises alone and not have to worry about potentially killing themselves with the bar.

[Brian Shanks]

Just out of curiosity, have any of you tried single DB bench presses?
I do these occasionally, don't do any other bench pressing, and find that they add a totally different perspective to the bench press.

Cheers

Bri

[Mike ODonnell]

Originally Posted by Brian Shanks

Just out of curiosity, have any of you tried single DB bench presses?
I do these occasionally, don't do any other bench pressing, and find that they add a totally different perspective to the bench press.

Cheers

Bri

Chek would argue functional pushing is with both feet on the ground...taking a weighted cable and pushing it...of course he said all those BB types could bench 300 but couldnt push a 50lb cable....and he was selling the core stuff too.....

Hence why you see all those football players now loading up on the plate loaded "jammer" machines....doing the sports movement from the feet....not lying down....

[Garrett Smith]

Other than a reverse hyper and one of those multi-angle cable machines, a jammer would be one of the few "machines" I would have in my gym.

Then again, after watching Ross Enamait's "Hardcore" video, the same movement could be done with less stability with the Landmine from EliteFTS.