Incline bench press instead of flat bench for starting strength?

[henmaniac87]

Whats your chest measure?

How much you bench?

See what your problem is...you think these two questions have some type of relevance.

Muscle building is all about what youve got comapared to what you had, and this is different from person to person, thus why you cant judge someones physique simply based on how much they weigh.

How much do I bench, well not much compared to you, but that should be obvious, regardless Id bet good money that I have better muscle development than you, even if my chest is smaller, which Im not so sure that it is.

[Farley1324]

guys keep arguing, it's keeping me entertained during football games on commercials

Dude you should be watching SD @ SEA

It's a 7 point game and the trailing team has the ball inside the opponent's 15 with :21 left!

[Farley1324]

See what your problem is...you think these two questions have some type of relevance.

Muscle building is all about what youve got comapared to what you had, and this is different from person to person, thus why you cant judge someones physique simply based on how much they weigh.

Yeah. I don't know what I was thinking. Chest size or strength have nothing to do with how much muscle you have on your chest.

Wait, wut?


BTW: Your response here simply spotlights that you are small and weak.

[henmaniac87]

Size of muscle and muscle development are not the same thing. Some one can naturally have a bigger, untrained chest than me, but their chest would not be as developed as mine, even if mine is smaller and weaker, my chest muscle in comparison to yours has changed more.

Guaranteed.

[Farley1324]

Amount of muscle and muscle development are not the same thing. Some one can naturally have a bigger, untrained chest than me, but their chest would not be as developed as mine, even if mine is smaller and weaker, my chest muscle in comparison to yours has changed more.

Guaranteed.

Well no **** sherlock, you're 6'00" and 145 pounds.

Maybe one of these days you'll consider trying to get big and strong.


Oh, BTW: In high school I ran cross country and when I first hit the weight room it was was because I couldn't do more than about 7 pushups at a body weight of about 130 pounds. Last Friday I benched 240x8 fairly easily. So, uh, you really want to compare change/progress??

[henmaniac87]

Well no **** sherlock, you're 6'00" and 145 pounds

You dont even read, so I dont know why I bother. Youre as stubborn as they come, I feel sorry for your wife, how unlucky she is.

[Farley1324]

Oh, BTW: In high school I ran cross country and when I first hit the weight room it was because I couldn't do more than about 7 pushups at a body weight of about 130 pounds. Last Friday I benched 240x8 fairly easily. So, uh, you really want to compare change/progress??

[Kirra]

I'mma go ahead and neg the OP...

[screwedgenetics]

Didn't Rippletoe think incline was ok for those playing football? I know this was not what OP was asking about, but I I swear I remember mark saying something about the angle on incline is more football related. IDK why I even posted this seeing how that guy who is .5% BF ruined the thread. hen something

[Farley1324]

Didn't Rippletoe think incline was ok for those playing football? I know this was not what OP was asking about, but I I swear I remember mark saying something about the angle on incline is more football related. IDK why I even posted this seeing how that guy who is .5% BF ruined the thread. hen something

It's Rippetoe.

He posts over on starting strength.com. Why don't you go ask him about making exercise substitutions in Starting Strength and see what he says.


The angle of the incline is closer to what you would use in sports, yes.. Same with overhead. Still, SS is squat, bench, deadlift, press and power clean.

[bassing68]

Thanks I appreciate the response unlike the other guy who thinks looking good is not cool or something. I guess we should all strive to have big cone tits and fat all over ourselves. My fault for thinking that I want to look my best as well as getting stronger. Maybe I should drink 4 gallons of milk too and eat some steak and cheese sandwiches in the middle of the night. Women love a guy who can squat 4000 lbs it is a huge turn on no women like guys that are lean and fit. THey only like the guys in the geico cavemen commercials.

I could be wrong but it seems building the upper w/o lower would promote the cone look. Anybody else???

farley gave excellent advice, you sir cannot be helped. everything you said is just wrong. wrong. wrong. there is nothing bad about milk, steak, or cheese in sandwitch form any time of the day. "working upper chest" will not make your chest better as you have no chest to begin with. incline has been shown to increase upper chest by what 5%? you need muscle and do not need to worry about "shaping" your little chest

Yep, you're right, too much flat bench press makes 5'10" 145 pounds novices into big fat cone titted slobs. Better stick to inclines bro.

Come on guys. He came on here asking a legit question seeking advice. No reason to put him down. It's not like the trolls that are beginners who act like experts.

[Farley1324]

I am done talking about this, I don't like when people like me ask questions in regards to trying to look better aesthetically and all I get is eat x amount of calories and bench press heavy. Not what I was asking for at all, I simply said adding inclines once a week instead of flat bench and the first response I got was 5'10" 145lbs you are a weak bla bla bla and have no chest as it is. That is not a normal answer so I was not going to tolerate it. You could have simply said this. At your height and weight you dont have to worry about developing certain parts of your chest until the point where it starts getting uneven. You could have said something like that but instead you took a direct shot at me without knowing anything about me at all. How do you know that maybe I am mentally burdened by my body and that I have tried my whole life to look the way I do. That is the problem with you muscle guys all of a sudden someone like me asks a question and you target me with your funny macho ****e. Luckily I am not a weak person and have played sports my whole life but could you imagine if I was overweight my whole life and I finally reached this current body and the first thing I hear is you have no chest at all your 145lbs. Think before you talk people you dont know anyone on here personally.

You mean like this?

A 5'10" 145 lbs novice probably shouldn't be worried about something like "upper chest".

Where are the power cleans?

And lol at the 5'10" 145 pound buy complaining about fat on his chest. Seriously, just get stronger in the basic compound movements while gaining weight with plenty of protein and rest.

If you are going to post on the internet you need to grow some skin. Getting all twisted out of shape due to my above post is some pretty notable over reacting.

Seriously, I said that at your height, weight and progression level you did not need to worry about "upper chest". Then I made a lol comment implying that you do not have any fat to worry about. Finally, I gave you good, standard, to the point advice on what to do.

And you get your panties in a bunch.

[ShreddPain]

Interesting stuff has been going on. Cool

[whitneymmm]

Yeah you're right, girls don't like a big strong guy who can protect them...serious though man you shouldn't even be worried about this, you should be worried about more important things such as your diet and rest which I would say are not in check...

Lol we like it when guys actually call when they say they will.

Big and strong - only some girls. Lots of girls I know don't like big guys. I like skinny guys, dun know how that happened.

[grumble1]

Oh and real women don't care that much about looks, true story, try talking to some women.

Seriously, I've said this before and I'll say it again: if your sole interest in getting muscular is to attract the opposite sex, then reallocate that time into playing the guitar. It works better.

[Kirra]

Oh, BTW: In high school I ran cross country and when I first hit the weight room it was because I couldn't do more than about 7 pushups at a body weight of about 130 pounds. Last Friday I benched 240x8 fairly easily. So, uh, you really want to compare change/progress??

No reply to this lol?

[Farley1324]

No reply to this lol?

He ran away awhile ago.

Just like when he claimed to squat "6 plates for 6-8 reps". We assumed he meant 315 but the video still hasn't materialized...

Which would be fine if not for the way he conducts himself on the forum, the statements he makes, the insults he throws, the way he constantly gives bad advice (this has been getting less bad with time, i'll give him that) and referenes his own personal gains as proof that his advice is good....

[nungman]

You could have simply said this. At your height and weight you dont have to worry about developing certain parts of your chest until the point where it starts getting uneven..

That's exactly what they said, slim.

[tommysauder]

That's exactly what they said, slim.

This thread is hilarious.

Farley said the exact same thing the OP said he should have said...

and to this moronic comment:

"You guys can go and eat 6000 calories a day and bulk up your bodies like a goon and have diabetes and cholesterol problems in 30 years"

lol. I eat 4k / day. eggs, tuna, lean beef, fish, chicken, veggies, tofu, shakes.

I fail to see how that would give you diabetes and cholesterol problems. If you're trying to do SS to impress the ladies, you're retarded. Impress a lady by talking normally and not acting like a moron (which the later seems the way you would approach one). Having muscular bodies means you're a goon? What about the people that get muscular to make their jobs easier? And how about the fact that eating properly and gaining good muscle, and being able to lift a TV of the dresser when you're 70 years old?

I can already see it. You're one of those kids that whistle at all the girls you see wearing your hat sideways driving a $500 civic with a pop can at the end of it. Sorry bud, no matter how you look you'll get nowhere.


henmaniac87: Ive read quite a few of your posts and you should be the last one giving information on here.

LOL @

regardless Id bet good money that I have better muscle development than you

yea, because people with large pecs were born with large pecs. They obviously got "developed" during the coarse of their lives. Look in the dictionary and see what the description is for "develop"

Even if his pecs are 1mm larger than yours, his muscle development is better than yours.

[ele1122]

I personally am a big fan of incline, however, I think if you are doing starting strength there is no reason to substitute it in. If you are correctly doing Overhead presses, that should hit your upper pecs as well as shoulders (Unless I'm wrong, please correct me if that's the case)

[H1t_V3r4c]

I personally am a big fan of incline, however, I think if you are doing starting strength there is no reason to substitute it in. If you are correctly doing Overhead presses, that should hit your upper pecs as well as shoulders (Unless I'm wrong, please correct me if that's the case)

Yes, Press hits your upper chest, shoulders and arms.

[JakeG93]

I don't know about you guys, but I would definitely listen to a guy who is 6 foot 150 lbs about chest development. I mean when your that huge how much more developed can your chest get am I right?

[Kimballski]

Just read through this thread for the first time. Pure gold!

[Athasling]

yep, you're right, too much flat bench press makes 5'10" 145 pounds novices into big fat cone titted slobs. Better stick to inclines bro.

lol