Neccessary to train for Function?

Wow, if that article is true then I wonder how all those guys have built huge pecs with only bench press all these decades. Must have been magic or something.
 
Depends.

I didn't read the article but I know what T nation talks about.

I think what I would take from "functional training" would be real simple.

Train with free weights and compound movements as often as possible b/c majority of these lifts mimic sometype of real world movement.

But then again were in life do you use the bench press often?....you don't.

So take it article with a grain of salt.
 
<div>
(Joe.Muscle @ Aug. 14 2006,22:56)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">But then again were in life do you use the bench press often?....you don't.</div>
when in real life does anyone do a slide push-up? Bench presses are great for performing bench presses, great for building triceps and good for offensive lineman, for 90% of everyone else, functionally irrelevant.
 
I think Chad should stick to strength training and stop giving advice for hypertrophy.

Geeesh...what a mish mash of non-sensical information!
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<div>
(Joe.Muscle @ Aug. 15 2006,03:56)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Depends.

I didn't read the article but I know what  T nation talks about.

I think what I would take from &quot;functional training&quot; would be real simple.

Train with free weights and compound movements as often as possible b/c majority of these lifts mimic sometype of real world movement.

But then again were in life do you use the bench press often?....you don't.

So take it article with a grain of salt.</div>
every time you push open a door or a trolley,truck,you are doing a bench press without the bench
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TBH i have never found flat-bench-press to be a great chest builder,i prefer incline-db-presses
 
Yeah and I've found that dips do more for pec development for me than bench, but I like bench press anyway and wouldn't rely on just one or the other. I probably won't be doing slide pushups as a part of my routine though.
 
<div>
(Totentanz @ Aug. 15 2006,13:28)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Yeah and I've found that dips do more for pec development for me than bench, but I like bench press anyway and wouldn't rely on just one or the other.  I probably won't be doing slide pushups as a part of my routine though.</div>
yeah i forgot to add dips..agree about the slide pushups
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but he might have a point about cable bench
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I am with you guys. I had been doing flat bench as my primary chest exercise for years (pre-HST), but never saw much improvement in the area. It was only when I switched to HST and a weighted dips-inclice bench combo that I achieved a noticeable change. While I can't deny that perhaps the switch to HST made all the difference, I feel that heavy weighted dips are far better that flat bench press when it comes to overall chest development.

Regards,
Dimitris
 
Any time you read an atricle and the title is something like &quot;How to get Massive _ in 6 weeks.&quot; It is always 99% BS.

Never fails
 
<div>
(9to5lifter @ Aug. 15 2006,08:42)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I am with you guys. I had been doing flat bench as my primary chest exercise for years (pre-HST), but never saw much improvement in the area. It was only when I switched to HST and a weighted dips-inclice bench combo that I achieved a noticeable change. While I can't deny that perhaps the switch to HST made all the difference, I feel that heavy weighted dips are far better that flat bench press when it comes to overall chest development.

Regards,
Dimitris</div>
Count me in as a new believer in Dips. I was real good at them in high school, but I stopped doing them in favor of flat benching. Since recent shoulder injuries have caused me to abandon flat BB benching, I have just started incorporating dips again, and my results have been excellent.
 
For flat bench, one of the points he makes is that there is less strain on the pecs than there is on the triceps for much of the movement esp. towards the fully extended position.

The way I see it is that there will always be transference of load during a compound movement. That's what makes them so good. In this case the 'weaker' triceps muscles take more strain during a part of the lift that is relatively easier as there is more mechanical advantage the nearer the arms are to lockout. When the bar is on or near the chest the pecs have to work like hell to keep the bar moving. It doesn't matter if they aren't working as hard for the rest of the movement. To increase TUT just do another set!

I also remember reading that as a muscle reaches it's peak contracted position it can generate less force. If this is the case then benching fits in nicely.

I agree with everyone else though that weighted dips are just awesome and whilst benching gives me a few shoulder niggles, dipping has always felt very natural.
 
Benching aside, I've always felt that the injury-prone behind-the-head movements were pretty useless in the real world, unless you happen to be a WCW wrestler or something weird that way. I've pushed many sheets of plywood up onto a roof (incline bench) but I've never tried it backwards!
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<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Any time you read an atricle and the title is something like &quot;How to get Massive _ in 6 weeks.&quot; It is always 99% BS.

Never fails </div>

I do a lot of trending at work and...man what a statement! True as can be!
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<div>
(Fausto @ Aug. 16 2006,08:35)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"> <div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Any time you read an atricle and the title is something like &quot;How to get Massive _ in 6 weeks.&quot; It is always 99% BS.

Never fails </div>

I do a lot of trending at work and...man what a statement! True as can be!
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</div>
actually he did that with the title &quot;tongue in cheek&quot;
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<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">actually he did that with the title &quot;tongue in cheek&quot;</div>

Still come out as BS if you ask me!
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I am one of the guys who actually likes Waterbury training ideas.

However as someone else said...I believe it was Tot, they have to make money every week on that site by writing articles...so a lot of stuff just gets recycled and twisted to keep the articles coming.
 
Ol and to add to that...one thing I have learned quickly is this.

Any training routine at best is only about 25% of your gains....the majority of gains are won and lost in the kitchen...( I battle with this everyday).

So someone like Waterbury or anyone else who has the time to eat...eat and eat some more with sufficient protein and calories as well as rest will grow to some degree.
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I battle with this everyday</div>

Ditto
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my one and only battle! Many times frustrating.

Anyone of you guys ever tried ABCDE approach? Does it work?

<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I am one of the guys who actually likes Waterbury training ideas.</div>

Not much wrong with his strength programs but this one was BS, hey...even I may end up BS'ing some time
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Hopefully you guys will stop me on my tracks.
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