Take a break from incline?

[Outlier]

Since July of 2015, incline bench press has been the foundation of my chest routine. I have made some good gains, nothing spectacular but consistent and decent gains. I am considering replacing incline bp with the hammer strength press (basically flat bench) for a few months. Bad idea? My overall goal is to add more volume to my chest and the hammer strength press gives me a pump far superior to incline and traditional flat. The rest of my routine would consist of decline bench and flies.

 

[Big_poppa_Bren]

I don't see a problem with it, switch it up. Your body adapts very quickly to stresses that are routine. It will do nothing but good things.

 

[T_verde77]

Nothing wrong with that at all. I like to switch out an exercise every couple months. take whatever exercise u are the best at and u feel like your stretght has stopping increasing and swap that exercise out for something else.

 

[weighted chinup]

hammer strength press gives me a pump far superior to incline and traditional flat.

Quality of pump isn't a useful indicator for growth.

My advice: don't switch. Sounds like you are getting pretty good at incline, why switch now? You'll be dropping the movement for something else before things got really interesting with your incline strength.

Pointless imo. It's change for the sake of change, and unless there is a real reason for, it will just slow down long term progress. It's one of the biggest pitfalls lifters make - wrongfully assuming they have to change something just because.

 

[T_verde77]

Quality of pump isn't a useful indicator for growth.

My advice: don't switch. Sounds like you are getting pretty good at incline, why switch now? You'll be dropping the movement for something else before things got really interesting with your incline strength.

Pointless imo. It's change for the sake of change, and unless there is a real reason for, it will just slow down long term progress. It's one of the biggest pitfalls lifters make - wrongfully assuming they have to change something just because.

Agreed forsure. Honestly my chest exercises I don't change up a whole lot unless all the benches are taken. hard workout with good form is what really matter imo

 

[rutman]

Inclines are where it's at for a massive well developed chest. It'd be a major mistake to switch, imo

 

[T_verde77]

Inclines are where it's at for a massive well developed chest. It'd be a major mistake to switch, imo

Imo also. I've always kept flys and incline in my chest workouts. most of the size comes from incline workouts. I'd switch out the flat bench press before anything else maybe for some fly variation exercises