Bench Press vs Weighted Push-ups

I've been wanting to talk about this for a while and it's time to address this exercise rivalry.  The method is simple; compare these two exercises in four categories and see which one is the true king of compound chest exercises.

1. SIZE:

If you read my stuff, you wanna know which exercise will put more size on you.  I haven't seen significant data that indicates which exercise does hypertrophy better, so I'm gonna break down what's happening during these two exercises and make a decision based on that.

Bench Press and Push-up both work the Pectoralis Major, Front Deltoid, Lateral Head of the triceps and Medial Head of the triceps.  Both exercises primarily do three things: horizontal adduction, elbow extension and partial shoulder flexion.

Without official data we can assume that both exercises build the triceps and delts about equally.  There are going to be differences in how the chest is loaded though.  Flat Bench and Push-ups likely build the lower chest about equally.  When it comes to building upper chest Incline Bench Press is the classic.  Decline Push-ups also target upper chest.  Until we have more information, I recommend sticking to the Incline Bench for reliable upper chest building.

We're not done with physique talk yet.  Push-ups train more functions than the Bench Press and has additional physique benefits.  Push-ups safely train loaded scapular protraction, making it arguably the best Serratus Anterior builder.  You want the best physique you can possibly achieve? Build that Serratus Anterior. Most people don't even know have it, but it really stands out when it's well-developed.

WINNER: Both.  Incline Bench for upper chest.  Flat Bench, Decline Bench and Push-ups for triceps, shoulders and lower chest.  Push-ups for SERRATUS ANTERIOR.  Optimal combo on paper is Incline Bench + Weighted Push-up.


2. PERFORMANCE:

The best choice for improving performance depends on what you need to perform well at.  If you’re a powerlifter, get off the floor and under a bar because benching is ⅓ of your sport.

You a field or combat athlete? Don't ignore Push-ups, because the core strength and Serratus Anterior gains have tremendous carryover to striking power.  Push-ups have plank properties; when done correctly, the abs are trained by doing their job and resisting extension of your lumbar spine.  Serratus Anterior is the Boxer’s Muscle.  Develop stronger scapular protraction and you're more likely to be the guy standing, while your opponent's laid out on the floor, not knowing what hit him.  The Single-arm Push-ups you see in Rocky movies aren't just hype either.  Get good at these. Get so good that you can do them with weight .   As good as Weighted Push-ups are, don't sleep on other options.  The INCLINE BENCH PRESS specifically is another top choice because it'll get you strong at a common striking angle.  In this case it'd be a more sensible choice than flat or decline benching.

WINNER: Depends on the sport

3. SAFETY:

If you're diligent about keeping your Rotator Cuffs and Delts strong and healthy and keeping your mobility in check, the Bench Press and Weighted Push-up are both safe when executed correctly.  More tends to go wrong when benching though.  It's not unusual to hear about guys developing chronic shoulder pain from long-term benching, but this comes down to human error.  Benching heavy enough and often enough with a bad bar path, incorrect hand placement and poor elbow positioning is what will usually wreck a rotator cuff.  A lot can also go wrong when doing Weighted Push-ups, but it's harder to screw up the eccentric and generally more forgiving in regard to joint health.  As long as you're wrists aren't screwed up, you'll probably be capable of pain-free Push-ups.

WINNER: Weighted Push-ups but both are 100% safe when done correctly.  Bench Press is just easier to screw up.


4. CONVENIENCE:

You see everyone benching and no one doing Weighted Push-ups because the Bench Press is easier to set up.  Grab some dumbbells or slap some plates on a barbell and you're ready to bench.  Doing Weighted Push-ups with light weight is easy to set-up, but once you need more than a 45 lb plate, the set-up becomes an issue.  You're going to need a second person to help load you up or use a more time-consuming method.   

WINNER: Bench Press

OVERALL:

This strictly comes down to what your goals are.  Both exercises serve unique purposes and it's up to you to know how to use them and fit them into a program.  After reading this, you should have a better idea of how to do that.

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