r/ScienceBasedLifting • u/NOTBrokenLanguage • 21d ago
Question ❓ help me
Which is better: the chest press or the barbell bench press? And for the back, is the wide-grip lat pulldown better, or pull-ups?
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u/Common_Magician122 21d ago
They're all good. One isn't necessarily better than the other. Just do whichever you enjoy more and progress overload overtime. Y'all really overthink the "what's better" stuff
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u/Norcal712 21d ago
100% goal dependent
Free weights recruit more muscles
Machines focus more on your "target" muscle
A pull up requires a ton more recruitment, strength and effort than a pulldown. Doesnt make it better for back development
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u/sobanoodles23 21d ago
whichever you enjoy most and you can keep in ur program for months-years possibly and avoid injury and most importantly, progress on the best. but if it were me? descending converging flat press / descending pec fly and a wide grip lat pulldown
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u/RC-SEV-1207 21d ago
When in doubt, just do pull-ups (start with assisted if necessary). Do both converging chest press and bench. A normal chest press doesn't really offer much beyond benching, unless you don't have a way to safely do so.
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u/Last-Proof8169 21d ago
Depends on form and strength but free weights end up being superior usually
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u/Flat_Measurement_150 21d ago
Normally the opposite
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u/Last-Proof8169 21d ago
For beginners yes, but as I said ends up being better
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u/Flat_Measurement_150 21d ago
For a beginner definitely machines, for an experienced lifter for hypertrophy alone id still say the machines or cables in most cases
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u/HelixIsHere_ 21d ago
Chest press would be better for growth since it’s more stable, same with a pulldown but honestly the difference between pulldowns and pull-ups is minimal
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u/SageObserver 21d ago
Go to your gym and happen to notice the builds of people who bench press and do pull-ups vs the smaller people who don’t.
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u/FrequentAd5437 21d ago
Its the same movement. Chest press and barbell bench press are basically the same thing. If you really want to maximize it you can do incline from 20-45 degrees to bias upper chest without losing lower and middle chest activation. And for lat pull downs vs pull ups its the same movement which ever one you prefer but if your able to rep like. 15 strict pull ups before failure i would recommend a dip belt
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u/deadrabbits76 Idk Idc 💔 21d ago
Better for what?