Barbell chest press: doubt?!

[SunBoy]

I am loving the bench press on my 5x5 routine. I am getting stronger and it feels great. My question, that in fact is turning always on my head when I am so excited about bench press is:

Does this excercice is good enough for the whole chest, or it is needed also an upper chest excercice like incline chest press / dumbell presses?

 

I also do dips, but this also seems to target mainly the lower / middle chest.

 

Greetz

[VeganEssentials]

The chest, like abs, is one muscle group, so any pressing movement you do, you're going to be using the entire group even if some exercises feel like they tend to "hit" parts of the group better than others. If I recall correctly, a slight incline on bench pressing actually activates the most muscle fiber, but most people tend to feel it in their chest the most doing decline, go figure. In any case, as long as you're lifting hard and heavy on the 5x5, you shouldn't have any additional need to do something else for chest at this point - flat bench pressing will definitely work everything you want it to, even if it doesn't feel the same as incline or decline.

[LoganKost]

I've always wondered this too. The debate about hitting different parts of muscles is confusing. I do flat DB press, incline DP press and dips, just to make sure. But I've never been sure if it's necessary.

[SunBoy]

The chest, like abs, is one muscle group, so any pressing movement you do, you're going to be using the entire group even if some exercises feel like they tend to "hit" parts of the group better than others. If I recall correctly, a slight incline on bench pressing actually activates the most muscle fiber, but most people tend to feel it in their chest the most doing decline, go figure. In any case, as long as you're lifting hard and heavy on the 5x5, you shouldn't have any additional need to do something else for chest at this point - flat bench pressing will definitely work everything you want it to, even if it doesn't feel the same as incline or decline.

 

Thx guys for the replies I see the point, probably the answer of VeganEssentials" about the hitted part of the muscle is correct.

I will do sometimes an incline bench / bb press. But the main ex. will be heavy flat bench press.

[Zack]

If I recall correctly, a slight incline on bench pressing actually activates the most muscle fiber

 

The study I saw on this actually showed declines to activate the most muscle fibers, but only by an insignificant amount imo.

 

I still don't do them though, I don't want my head exploding.

[chrisjs]

I still don't do them though, I don't want my head exploding.

I've whacked my head too many times lying back on the decline bench...

[chrisjs]

From the 5% of the T-Nation that's not crap articles to hawking biotest, here's some EMG numbers regarding how various chest exercises hit the muscles: http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/inside_the_muscles_best_chest_and_triceps_exercises

[ambetious]

Bench press pretty much trains your whole chest but it is always nice to through in a few sets of some incline movements as well just to make sure that you get full development.