I QUIT: The Barbell Bench Press
BY EBENEZER SAMUEL, C.S.C.S., MEN’S HEALTH FITNESS DIRECTOR
THE BARBELL BENCH PRESS is widely viewed as one of the gold standards of fitness. It’s the only strength exercise that football players test at the yearly NFL Scouting Combine. It’s also one that took me years to master. I eventually beefed up my bench to more than 250 pounds and was able to pump out reps at 225 with ease.
For a long time, I had no interest in quitting the move I’d done every single week since high school. But a few years ago, I was in a Bronx gym talking about a nagging shoulder pain. An older bodybuilder who’d frequently given me advice suggested I switch to dumbbell presses. They’d be easier on my shoulder and might aid in chest development. I’d heard that before but brushed it off—until two weeks later, when the pain intensified. For the first time ever, I quit an exercise—a decision
