Bench press, flys, or neither?

[Raipizo]

I've read before from Scooby (scoobys workshop) that flys are better for building the chest. I can see where he comes from, better isolation and more movement. But for the martial arts I would think the bench press to be better seeing as it is somewhat like throwing a punch. Or is there another chest exercise you fellows use that you find superior to both of these? I just find the bench press a higher carry over to whatever do in the practical world, I mean unless you smash peoples heads like grapes in between your fists, then maybe flys are more practical for you.

[bawang]

bench press light to moderate weight with maximum speed

[Frost]

i actually have no idea what you are asking: best for building the chest, best for carryover to what? punching, fighting?????????

[Kevin73]

Yes, using the flye movement can improve your chest muscles. But, if you are training for your martial art think about the other support muscles that are used in your technique.

Time would be better spent doing either a bench press or dips to also work the supporting muscles that are also used in punching.

If you have more time, it wouldn't hurt to finish off with some flyes. But again, I wouldn't concentrate the most effort on that exercise.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Yes, and no.
The chest muscles work in TWO ways, to push away and to "pull" across, so to get maximum development you have to do exercises that do those plane of motions.
The issue is not that simple though because, the development of the chest is proportionate to how MUCH weight you use and what you are going for ( size, strength, both, etc).
IN general:
The more weight you can move ( pushing execises) the more mass you can build with proper diet.
That said, there is a place for using an exercise that requires less weight BUT more stablizers, such as using DB over barbells.
The thing is that it is NOT an either/or thing.
You do both.
Low rep and high weight for strength with a barbell ( bench press for example)
Moderate weight and moderate reps for mass ( bench or incline with DB)
Low weight and high reps for endurance ( flyes with DB).

[Brule]

Weight training makes you slow and no benefit to a martial artist.

[Bernard]

Weight training makes you slow and no benefit to a martial artist.

Oh no you didn't!!!

[Raipizo]

i actually have no idea what you are asking: best for building the chest, best for carryover to what? punching, fighting?????????

Whats's better for martial arts, might have worded it weird or not been specific.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Whats's better for martial arts, might have worded it weird or not been specific.

Explosive strength and "raw" strength with minimal weight gain ( Unless you do need to put some weight of course).

[18elders]

here is a drill for push up to help develop explosiveness.

you need two chairs without arms and not on any wheels. the small metal ones are good. place them just on the outside of your arms width you will use for a push up.
get in push up position, have someone lift and hold your feet up at their arms length. now do a push up and land on the chairs with your hands, then push off and back to the ground. push up and land back on chairs etc.

have fun.

[JamesC]

Isolation movements are rarely useful for anything other than rehab, bodybuilding a particular area, or to strengthen a weak area for a compound movement.

Although I am no longer into the whole powerlifting thing like I used to be, the 4 big compound lifts still make the most sense in my mind. Bench press, overhead press, deadlift, and squats.

Why? Because they are compound movements using the largest muscle groups in the body and they teach you to use your entire body for movement. There's a reason all the big sports program utilize these exercises.

With that said, why not do both? See what you like. There's nothing that says you can't bench press AND do flyes. Or squat AND do lunges. Most likely, one is going to benefit the other.

I always did curls no matter what. Gotta look good naked.

[Frost]

Whats's better for martial arts, might have worded it weird or not been specific.

bench press.....flys have no real use form a martial point of view

[SevenStar]

I would think the bench press to be better seeing as it is somewhat like throwing a punch.

Not really. You don't need your pecs to throw a punch. Think about the mechanics of a punch. Great for grappling though.

[Raipizo]

The bench press works the arms also though where as a fly doesn't or not as much.

[BlackEChan]

I think pec muscles don't pay that much of a roll when it comes to martial arts. But when it comes to Flies vs. Chest Press, you have to turn to the hodgetwins!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpyQOC5tyk4

On the other hand, Elliot Hulse Claims that it's not the exercise that's messed up, it's YOU! Chest Press vs. Flies, most people would agree that chest press would bring more mass than flies, so it depends on what you want(mass or shape).

In the end, it's all about your genes and how well you'll respond to either one.