2023-08-31 14:30:31
It’s Monday, you do the pec’, logic.
But you’re not the only one who wants to start the week with your favorite session…
The story, we know it too well, the bench press bench is crowded and only your eyes are left to cry.
Dry your tears, here are three alternatives all equally effective to build strong pecs.
It is of course assumed that no bench (flat or tilting) is available, which is why the free weight variant is not included in this list.
1/ Push-ups in deficit with resistance: the underside
A alternative maline which will allow you to warm up while waiting for the bench to become available, but which can also completely replace the bench press.
Start with 1-2 sets of traditional push-ups (take the opportunity to review your technique), then increase the difficulty by:
raising your hands using 2-3 stacked weights on each side for more bottom stretch, placing a large elastic band behind your back (just under your shoulder blades) and in your hands to have a big tension at the end of the movement, controlling the tempo as much as possible.
If you don’t have a resistance band, place a weight on your lower back (or have someone do it for you).
The result is a great exercise that offers big stimuli without too much fatigue.
2/ Weighted dips: the classic
Undoubtedly one of the best chest exercises from the point of view of constant tension exerted with :
an incredible stretch at the bottom of the movement, a big contraction at the top.
Performed with a belt and weight, it’s a great movement that has nothing to envy to the bench press when done correctly.
The only problem is that it is generally not appreciated as much as a good old bench.
In addition, some may lack mobility during dips and / or feel discomfort or pain in the elbows / shoulders.
Last point, it is quite tedious to load / unload the belt.
Still, in terms of efficiency, the dips are 100% validated!
To learn more: Do you think you are doing your dips correctly? Be careful, these 8 mistakes can lead you to disaster
3/ Press around: the unknown
If the opposite pulley is available, of course you will rush on it to do the fly, but the room being crowded, it’s a safe bet that this is not the case.
The press around then comes into play, here, you only need one pulley and the effectiveness of the exercise is not less, on the contrary.
Basically, it is a unilateral low pulley fly with a few particularities including:
a large amplitude of movement and a large peak of contraction (due to the fact that you are not limited like on a classic crossover where your two hands touch in the center), one pectoral works at the same time and we have good stability with the other hand grabbing an upright.
We particularly like this isolation exercise because it will not cause fatigue on the triceps or the deltoids: to test absolutely!
Bonus: machine bench press
Obviously, this should be your first option if the good old bench is in high demand…
That being said, not all rooms have good machines and they are very likely to be taken too.
If they are free, go for it!
bench press machines are excellent if they offer a nice range of motion (depending on the models) and a trajectory convergent.
You don’t have to worry about stabilizing the bar so you can focus entirely on pushing and feeling your pecs activate.
Updated by Quentin on: 08/31/2023
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