{"id":126548,"date":"2025-08-07T14:30:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T14:30:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/126548\/"},"modified":"2025-08-07T14:30:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T14:30:13","slug":"bodybuilding-legend-slams-the-most-popular-chest-exercise-as-dangerous","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/126548\/","title":{"rendered":"Bodybuilding Legend Slams the Most Popular Chest Exercise as ‘Dangerous’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bodybuilding Legend Slams the Most Popular Chest Exercise as ‘Dangerous’<\/a> originally appeared on Men’s Fitness<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Retired bodybuilder Dorian Yates recently shared a hot take that\u2019s sure to stir debate in the fitness world.<\/p>\n

On Instagram<\/a>, Yates called the flat barbell bench press a “shitty” exercise for building the pecs, warning lifters to reconsider its spot in their chest-day routines.<\/p>\n

Yates, six-time Mr. Olympia and one of bodybuilding\u2019s all-time greats, says the flat barbell bench press poses a significant injury risk, calling it “very dangerous.”<\/p>\n

“Unless you’re a powerlifter, don’t even do it,” he says. “Why risk getting injured for something that’s not really giving you any benefit?”<\/p>\n

Though controversial, he’s not far off. A 2018 review<\/a> found that pec tears are the most common muscle injury in powerlifting\u2014and the flat bench press is usually to blame.<\/p>\n

“I don\u2019t even need to ask people how they tore their pec, most likely was on flat bench,” Yates wrote in his caption.<\/p>\n

Related: The Best and Worst Chest Exercises, According to a Trainer<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

There are several other chest exercises that better build the pecs while eliminating your risk of injury, including dumbbell flyes and decline presses.<\/p>\n

The decline press is one of Yates’ favorite, calling it the best pec exercise and one he relied on for a large part of his bodybuilding career.<\/p>\n

“I\u2019m speaking from experience as well, I\u2019ve tried and tested it during the early years where I did use flat bench a lot\u2026 especially as not many gyms even had a decline bench!” Yates said.<\/p>\n

If you can find a decline bench at your gym, test out your presses here instead of the flat bench and see how it feels in comparison.<\/p>\n

For dumbbell flyes, lie on a flat bench with your arms extended, maintaining a slight bend in the elbows. Lower the dumbbells out wide like you’re going for a hug, then squeeze them back together over your chest.<\/p>\n

Related: Trainer Shares 4 Underrated Exercises to Trigger Chest Growth That Few Use<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Bodybuilding Legend Slams the Most Popular Chest Exercise as ‘Dangerous’<\/a> first appeared on Men’s Fitness on Aug 6, 2025<\/p>\n

This story was originally reported by Men’s Fitness<\/a> on Aug 6, 2025, where it first appeared.<\/p>\n