Ep. #952: Says You! The Risks of Bench Pressing Outweigh the Benefits

The bench press is a staple of strength training and hypertrophy programs. However, some people claim that it’s dangerous and that its benefits aren’t worth the risks, especially for the shoulders. Is that true though? Is the bench press an injury waiting to happen? In this podcast, I’ll answer that and provide my tips for bench pressing as safely and effectively as possible. I’ve written and recorded a lot of evidence-based content over the years on just about everything you can imagine related to building muscle, losing fat, and getting healthy. I’ve also worked with thousands of men and women of all ages and circumstances and helped them get into the best shape of their lives. That doesn’t mean you should blindly swallow everything I say, though, because let’s face it—nobody is always right about everything. And especially in fields like diet and exercise, which are constantly evolving thanks to the efforts of honest and hardworking researchers and thought leaders. This is why I’m always happy to hear from people who disagree with me, especially when they have good arguments and evidence to back up their assertions. Sometimes I can’t get on board with their positions, but sometimes I end up learning something, and either way, I always appreciate the discussion. That gave me the idea for this series of podcast episodes: publicly addressing things people disagree with me on and sharing my perspective. Think of it like a spicier version of a Q&A. So, here’s what I’m doing: Every couple of weeks, I’m asking my Instagram followers what they disagree with me on, and then picking the more common or interesting contentions to address here on the podcast. And in this episode, I’ll be tackling the following . . . The risks posed to the shoulders outweigh the benefits of the bench press. --- Timestamps: 0:00 - My free meal planning tool: buylegion.com/mealplan 2:46 - What is the barbell bench press? 4:21 - What are the downsides and risks of bench pressing? 6:31 - How do you bench press correctly? 12:33 - How should I program bench pressing into my training? 21:35 - What are some tips to bench press without creating shoulder pain? --- Mentioned on the Show: Want a free meal planning tool that figures out your calories, macros, and micros, and allows you to create custom meal plans for cutting, lean gaining, and maintaining in under 5 minutes? Go to https://buylegion.com/mealplan and download the tool for free!