Added On November 7, 2011
The Bench Press Vs. The Overhead Press
by Rusi
The bench press and the overhead has been constantly fighting for the crown. Many bodybuilders swear by the bench press as the greatest chest builder while the functional training warriors are trying to bring the overhead press back in the game. But what's better in reality?
"Bro, a guy in the gym with a huge chest said that if I want a big chest I need to bench and that the overhead press does close to nothing for the pecs. That true?"
Partly. The overhead press when done correctly without excessive layback does not involve the chest at all. There might be some slight upper chest activation but it won't build your pecs. The muscle is just not in position allowing it not insert force. So, in that regard the big guy was right - the bench press when done will provide 10 times more chest stimulation than the overhead press. More questions?
"Yes, bro. Is is true that if I stick to the bench press as my main upper body exercise my shoulder can become imbalanced?"
Yes. If all you is benching and you don't counter balance it will some kind rowing motion your delts will become imbalanced and you are looking at shoulder problems. At the same time the bench press does close to nothing for your scapula stabilizers and rotator cuff. You need to do some overhead presses or ring push-ups in order to hit those areas.
"I see. But if I do a heavy bench press session on Monday and than have an overhead press session on Thursday my front delts start to complain. Am I over-training? What should I do?"
Yes, most likely your are over-training. The front delts are largely involved in both movements and there is a certain overlap when you hit the limits on two close training days. You can avoid all this by reducing your overhead press work to one or two sets on the same day when you bench. That way the front delt will have a full week or so to recover instead of being hit every two or three days. At the same time since you are going to do it after bench you want be able to handle that much weight but this is ok. You will still hit it hard and will also take care of the shoulder stabilizers.
Another option is to have training weeks where you but the emphasis on the bench press or the overhead press. In other words you bench heavy but you press light later during the week. The next week you bench light but overhead press heavy. Got it?
"Yes, bro. So you think that a combination of overhead presses and bench presses is better than doing just one of them?"
Yes. The bench press hits all main pressing muscles - anterior delts, triceps, pecs but omits the external shoulder rotators and the scapular stabilizers. On the other hand the overhead press works the rotator cuff isometrically and is a good exercise to make your shoulder girdle balanced. At the same time the military progresses slow and does not hit the chest and the triceps all that hard. A combination of both seems to produce better results.
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