# FITNESS and NUTRITION FORUM > WORKOUT AND TRAINING >  Dorian Yates - Chest

## boz

I am a fan on his page on facebook, and recently he posted something that i found very interesting, many might of u, might of already heard him say this but here it is anyway, and i quote.

"I don't even include flat benching in my pec routine, because I think it stresses the front deltoids far too much to be an effective exercise for building the chest. Also, the angle of the flat bench press puts the pec tendons in a vulnerable position. 

Many torn pecs in bodybuilding have been the result of heavy flat bench presses." - Dorian Yates.

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## Gaspari1255

Yates is a firm believer in Decline bench and he made me a believer too. I stick to Decline BB and 15-20 degree incline smith presses, and I finish off at the end with a cable or pec dec. It has done me good.

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## D7M

I haven't done flat barbell press in years.

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## LatissimusaurousRex

It's def nothing new, a lot of people have said and will say goodbye to flat bench. A lot of studies to prove how it leads to injury too. Nonetheless, it's a staple for many and will probably remain so. I like it.

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## Gaspari1255

> It's def nothing new, a lot of people have said and will say goodbye to flat bench. A lot of studies to prove how it leads to injury too. Nonetheless, it's a staple for many and will probably remain so. I like it.


"If it ain't broken, then don't fix it."

^Quote I live by.

If it's still doing you good and you see progress, then party on, lol.

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## LatissimusaurousRex

^ word!  :Big Grin:

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## Tbound

Check his wall for one of the most recent vids he posted....thinking yesterday....A sweet piece from the blood and guts film....it's a must see.


> I am a fan on his page on facebook, and recently he posted something that i found very interesting, many might of u, might of already heard him say this but here it is anyway, and i quote.
> 
> "I don't even include flat benching in my pec routine, because I think it stresses the front deltoids far too much to be an effective exercise for building the chest. Also, the angle of the flat bench press puts the pec tendons in a vulnerable position. 
> 
> Many torn pecs in bodybuilding have been the result of heavy flat bench presses." - Dorian Yates.

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## Tbound

I've never gotten a damn thing from bench......except sore front caps.

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## CMB

Nothing wrong with regular BB bench. Some choose not to do it, that's fine. 

However I am 100% believer in decline. It is the most underrated workout in bodybuilding. <--- yes I know, dorian said this.

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## Standby

im probably going to cut it out or atleast only do dumbbells. i can barely move any weight cause my rotators elbow and front delts kill when i use the bar

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## marcus300

I havent done heavy flat bench for over 10 year but I do high reps burns with dumbbells after a chest session many times. I use to be a big flat bencher but again I have problems with injuries and the angle doesnt suit me anymore and I can honestly say it hasnt effected me in a bad way by not focusing on flat press.

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## nguadagno

ha i wish my friends could see this, typical college kids who are glued to the flat bench

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## Bullseye Forever

> I've never gotten a damn thing from bench......except sore front caps.


i have,a torn labrum ligament

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## jtuner77

I haven't seen any real growth in my chest till I took out the flat bench, now all I do is incline and decline. Best thing I ever could have done. Now I just need to widen the pec a bit

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## bodybuilder

The only flat i do is with dumbbells.

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## Standby

ok i think its official next week i wont be doing flat ill hit incline and decline harder

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## songdog

Well it sounds good to me.Kill my wrist but inclines or declines dont.

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## Str8Jakked

I remember talking to him and Leroy about this and said that it was nice to meet people who felt the same about Decline especially since physiologically speaking regarding chest building, it makes the most sense to use Decline.

Although, we are all individuals so if you are achieving your desired results by using a Flat Bench, by all means continue- if not give Decline a try, you might be surprised.

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## stpete

Flat Bench DB's all the way.

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## BG

I do it once a month, I go as far as I can with dumbbells for 3 weeks the do a barbell workout and the next week feels like a fresh start with dumbbells. By week 2 back on dumbbells Im getting past my max at the end of the last 3rd week.

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## Standby

hmmm i like what your saying BG im gunna have to give it some thought

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## TheClinch

> I havent done heavy flat bench for over 10 year but I do high reps burns with dumbbells after a chest session many times. I use to be a big flat bencher but again I have problems with injuries and the angle doesnt suit me anymore and I can honestly say it hasnt effected me in a bad way by not focusing on flat press.


What does your chest program consist of marcus?

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## TheClinch

By far my strongest chest exercise is flat barbell bench:-$ Will it really be that beneficial to focus more on decline, incline, & flys?

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## terraj

weighted dips

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## marcus300

> What does your chest program consist of marcus?



It looks something like this at the moment

Smith machine incline press or incline dumbbell press - 
2 warm up sets
2 working sets which include 2 x dropsets to failure + forced 

Incline flyes -
2 working sets which include dropsets to failure + forced

Decline press - 
2 working set which include dropsets to failure + forced

Flat dumbbell flyes superset with flat dumbbell press
2 working sets to failure - high reps

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## TheClinch

> It looks something like this at the moment
> 
> Smith machine incline press or incline dumbbell press - 
> 2 warm up sets
> 2 working sets which include 2 x dropsets to failure + forced 
> 
> Incline flyes -
> 2 working sets which include dropsets to failure + forced
> 
> ...


Thanks for sharing. I'm shocked so many people aren't incorporating flat bench. But hey, if these routines are working, they're working!

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## brad1986

Technique is everything. MOst people hurt themselves flat benching because they come down beyond there R.O.M. saying flat bech is bad is like saying pushups are bad. Use a reasonable wt and work within your natural R.O.M and youll be fine.....Personally i feel bench is an ego lift anyway and serves no real purpose (dumbells are much better imo) but doesnt meant you shouldnt do it. Dorian yates also claims to train only 3 times per week for 45 mins total sooooo you have to realize not everboyd has dorians genetics and not everybody is on the amount of gear he was on either

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## themoreyouknow

I almost never do flat barbell bench anymore, always dumbbells and light weight at that. Heavy flat bench just puts too much stress on the front delts.

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## thingysmeg

I messed up my rotator cuff doing flat bench...

ever since I've only been doing incline and decline and well, my chest is bigger than ever now and my delts are not so out of proportion!

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## Panzerfaust

**** the BB bench press! If it works for you, then keep doing it but I think it's overrated.

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## Monstruoso

my shoulder thanked me the day i stopped doing bb flat bench presses

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## Armykid93

I never do flat. Bench anymore. Dumbbells for me

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