Flat Bench Press vs. Chest Press Machine.

[alexamasan]

A friend of mine who is pretty built told me that chest press machine is almost the same thing as a flat bench press. And he also said that whatever weight you can lift on the machine, you can lift on the Flat Bench Press.

I'm a little skeptical to that however. I understand both exercises focus on the same muscle, but I think there are more factors when you are doing the bench press, like your stabilizing muscles or something. I assumed that you could probably lift a little less on the bench than on the machine. What do you guys think?

[TAWS6]

A friend of mine who is pretty built told me that chest press machine is almost the same thing as a flat bench press. And he also said that whatever weight you can lift on the machine, you can lift on the Flat Bench Press.

I'm a little skeptical to that however. I understand both exercises focus on the same muscle, but I think there are more factors when you are doing the bench press, like your stabilizing muscles or something. I assumed that you could probably lift a little less on the bench than on the machine. What do you guys think?

Your friend is wrong. Very wrong..

[alexamasan]

Your friend is wrong. Very wrong..

Kind to explain why?

[Entkommen115]

Kind to explain why?

The machine does not simulate the original lift because it has a fixed path and therefore does not require you to use your stabilizing muscles. The other problem with machines is that you never know how much of the mechanical load is taken off of the lift.

[alexamasan]

The machine does not simulate the original lift because it has a fixed path and therefore does not require you to use your stabilizing muscles. The other problem with machines is that you never know how much of the mechanical load is taken off of the lift.

Ahh, thank you, that is a very helpful answer.

[ZzW3iZ]

I wish I could press the same as I do on the machine, what a day that would be for me....yeah your friend is wrong

[chazzy1864]

Just to let you know, just because someone is built, doesn't mean they know anything about working out.

I know that just makes things even more confusing, but you have to take everything said to you about fitness with a grain of salt, do your own research and start to learn for yourself.

[Phil2009]

I think the weight you can lift on the chest press machine is more like what you can on a smith machine bench press, but not free weight bench press.

[PROSA]

A few months after I started going to the gym in 2002, I had worked up to 230 on one of the Hammer Strength chest machines. Wow, I thought, I'm really strong, guess it's finally time to take the plunge and try a free weight bench. Up to that point I had been strictly a machine user. Lady Luck must've been on my side, because I decided to start with only 95 pounds on the free weight bench. Needless to say, I was shocked - shocked! - to find out how heavy 95 pound with a barbell was, compared with more than twice that much on the machine. It was a struggle to complete even a single rep.

Ever since then, I've never really liked machines.

[3doz]

tell him try a max bench press the same weight he does on the machine and watch the weight come down crushing him.

[alexamasan]

tell him try a max bench press the same weight he does on the machine and watch the weight come down crushing him.

aww, that's mean

But thanks for all the comments everybody, I think the question has been answered.

[samsumon]

I stick to mostly DB..I barely do any BB pressing movements...I always end up hurting my shoulders..I dont know why but I do..

[anonymous]

A friend of mine who is pretty built told me that chest press machine is almost the same thing as a flat bench press. And he also said that whatever weight you can lift on the machine, you can lift on the Flat Bench Press.

I'm a little skeptical to that however. I understand both exercises focus on the same muscle, but I think there are more factors when you are doing the bench press, like your stabilizing muscles or something. I assumed that you could probably lift a little less on the bench than on the machine. What do you guys think?

As stated, your friend is 100% WRONG. You will lift considerably less using free weights than you would using a machine - whether it be Smith Machine, Hammer Strength or whatever your gym has.
Firstly, on a machine, you're more likely than not using the stabilizer muscles needed when doing free weights. Secondly - if using Hemmer Strength machine, you're only pushing outwards as opposed to actually lifting.

[ManimalTheGrate]

and doing bicep curls with no weight is the same as doing it with weight(NOT SEROUS!) your friend his homo erotic tell him to shhhh if he ever opens his mouth again because you cant fix stupid.

[Phil.Graham]

I stick to mostly DB..I barely do any BB pressing movements...I always end up hurting my shoulders..I dont know why but I do..

same here man.. same here

[R_Bid]

i used to triple 280 on HS incline press, and i couldn't bench more than 165.

now i do flat barbell bench on mondays, and 30-degree incline barbell bench on fridays as my first chest moves. considerably stronger now than i was when i leaned on HS as my main move.

having said that, machine presses can be AMAZING in conjunction with db presses or bb presses. stabilizers don't need much work to stay strong, so making your other press a machine move is a great way to be able to go all out dumping weight on a muscle.

[TAWS6]

A good example would be. At my gym we use to have a machine press, and I once put it on 300 and did it 20 times. The most I have ever benched 300 in my life was 3 times. Even smith machines take a good amount of weight off with the pullys helping out, that and the fact the bar is 25 lbs or less. My advice for you if you are new to bodybuilding is to start off with free weights, and get all your form down correctly. I always do free weights before machines.

[pyrolee]

I know that just makes things even more confusing, but you have to take everything said to you about fitness with a grain of salt, do your own research and start to learn for yourself.

THIS x10000000000000000

[Guard1an]

Free weights > machines IMO

[Chommer]

your friend is terribadly wrong.

the difference between machines and free weights is; machines are stable, the only think you have to do is push them up (or pull etc), and whats greater and harder about a free weight is that you have to control the weight, balance it, and push it up and bring it back down yourself.

so there for free weights are g--g-g-g-g-g-godlike

[Kross1999]

Keep working you'll get there

[deaftons]

strong bump

[CWGame]

Keep working you'll get there

This was posted when you were in elementary school....

[Masamusa87]

You have a point but Smith machine is more like stable weight the chest press also called the independent bench press can work one pec at a at a time I watched Mike O'hearn use one at destination dallas gym its nothing like th smith machone although dexter jackson said it him self he would rather use the smith do to injuries he has had abd you can focus more on the lift it self rather then keep the bar steady and thing I don't do flat bench as much do to the fact it's hard to find a true training partner 💯

[oliver12018]

I started with push ups it was weird for me benching 130 pounds was nothing I can go to 210pounds now push ups really bulid strenght

[moremass2]

I started with push ups it was weird for me benching 130 pounds was nothing I can go to 210pounds now push ups really bulid strenght

So true

[hardgainer57]

A friend of mine who is pretty built told me that chest press machine is almost the same thing as a flat bench press. And he also said that whatever weight you can lift on the machine, you can lift on the Flat Bench Press.

I'm a little skeptical to that however. I understand both exercises focus on the same muscle, but I think there are more factors when you are doing the bench press, like your stabilizing muscles or something. I assumed that you could probably lift a little less on the bench than on the machine. What do you guys think?

your friend is an idiot..get the hell off of machines. benchpress is one of the best chest building exercises out there. NON NEGOTIABLE