Stop Fighting for Flat Bench on Monday
Walk into any gym on Monday and you’ll see it.
Every flat bench taken.
Guys pacing behind racks.
Everyone chasing the same lift.
Flat bench has become the default. The test. The ego lift.
But what if the reason your flat bench is stuck… is because you keep putting it first?
The Shift That Changes Everything
Back in the Golden Era, Arnold, Franco, and the crew weren’t obsessed with flat bench first. Incline was a staple. It wasn’t an accessory, it was a priority.
Most of those guys were pressing mid-to-high 400s. Some cracked into the 500s. And they built their upper chest and pressing strength from the top down.
When I’m bodybuilding-focused, I always started with incline. When I shifted into powerlifting, I moved flat bench first. Both have their place.
But here’s what I’ve learned over decades under the bar: if your flat bench is stuck, prioritize incline.
Why Incline Carries Over
Incline forces you to:
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Stay tighter through your upper back
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Drive through your shoulders and upper chest
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Control the bar path with better discipline
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Develop strength in a slightly longer pressing range
That upper chest development? That stability? That control?
It shows up when you go back to flat.
How to Apply It
If you want to test this:
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Start your week with incline bench first.
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Use a high touch point (upper chest).
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Rotate grips: close, medium, wide.
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Push progressive overload just like you would on flat.
Run it for 4–6 weeks, then go back to flat and see what happens.
The Bigger Lesson
Sometimes progress doesn’t come from doing more of the same. It comes from changing the order.
Shift your focus. Challenge your ego. Build from a new angle.
That’s how you keep progressing.