What are the most overrated exercises in bodybuilding that people waste time on, and what should they be doing instead for better results?

In my opinion, BARBELL BENCH PRESS!

Seriously, though it seems to be a right of passage for young males and the stereotypical weightlifting movement everyone thinks of, (how much do you bench?) but it honestly sucks.

It’s inferior to dumbbell bench for hypertrophy, due to the stretch provided by the extra ROM. I’d say dumbbells, dips and even press up varieties offer more potential for growth than the flat barbell bench. The somewhat isolated positioning and restriction using a bar tend to target the triceps more than the chest.

Strength wise, bench pressing makes you good at… bench pressing. That’s about it. There’s not a lot of carry over to real world strength, and its not the best synergy for your other lifts or movements. Of course you’re going to be overall stronger than if you did nothing instead, but there are lots of other movements better suited to it.

All that aside, its pretty high on the danger scale. Injuries are more likely as the shoulders cant move like they really want to. If you lose control of the weight, it’s gonna end up on your chest, or throat if you’re unlucky. If you don’t have a spotter or you’re training alone, this can and has many times sadly been fatal.

If you’re training for a competition that includes bench press, you’ll obviously have to include it. But for your average person looking to build muscle and get stronger, it’s far from optimal when you consider the other options.

Let the teenage boys queue up at the bench to flex their egos at each other, you’ve got real work to do!