Don't Do This Exercise At Home

... and for the sake of liability, you might not want to do this exercise, period.  The following exercise recommendation is for people who know what they're fucking doing in the gym, brass balls that's make bathyspheres look tiny by comparison in both mass and volume, and people with consider themselves to be immortal.  Conversely, that means beginners, people who consider themselves advanced but really have just lifted in a Nautilus gym for years like they're a modern day Arthur Jones, the easily injured and the timid should probably avoid this exercise like an Armenian should avoid a pack of rabid, sword-yielding Turks.

Yes, yes.  The Turks are absolutely terrifying.

What I have for you today, people, is none other than the Unassisted Reverse Grip Incline Bench Press.  By unassisted, I mean that there's no spotter within shouting distance... and the rest is hopefully self-explanatory.  I actually started doing these out of boredom one day in the gym, and found that I both love them, and that they seem to carry over nicely into my behind the neck push press and onto my reverse grip flat bench.  After I discovered these for myself, I determined that this exercise (albeit spotted) was a favorite of the Barbarian Brothers, who did all sorts of reverse grip exercises religiously.  This is one instance where my research didn't predate my execution, however, and I started doing these simply for something novel to do.

Who wouldn't emulate these guys?

I realize that most of you are at this point incredulous, as anyone who's ever tried reverse grips knows you need a spotter for handoffs, and that doing incline anything without a spotter is ill-advised no matter what grip you take.  I'll counter, however, that I actually think that this is better for your shoulders than regular grip, and provided that you're amongst the types of people I listed at the outset as capable of doing these, you should have no problem.

If you have a pic like this of yourself anywhere on the net, go ask your mom to help you find a spotter.

The key is in the setup:  to do these without a spotter, you will need to start from a standing position, leaning against the bench.  Take an even grip (I put the webbing of my thump in line with the break in the knurling on the bar, unrack the weight and place it on your upper chest.  Then, slide to the seat, reset, and commence the pressing.


An example:

I typically stick in the 1-3 rep range, as I am generally wont to do on everything.  I find that anything over that leaves me  fatigued and increases the risk of dropping the weight in my mouth.  As I'm hardly a pretty man, fucking up my face doesn't really both me, but keeping my teeth in my head does.  I've no intention of remaining in the South much longer, but should I be forced to do so, I would at least like people to recognize my Northern origins from the number of teeth that remain in my head- all of them.  Thus, any time the bar starts to go squirrelly on me, I either rack it on the low pegs or roll it to my lap and stand up.


Though I realize the massive amount of criticism I'll likely draw for making this suggestion, I don't give a fuck. If you're reading this, you're an adult who can make their own decisions.  If you cannot see the danger inherent in this, it's best if you die as quickly as possible, which means you should do this.  Irrespective, this lift is fucking awesome for the following reasons:

1. It's pretty fucking extreme, which will add a little excitement into what is doubtless a fairly drab existence for those of you who aren't smokejumpers, trapeze artists, or professional Russian roulette players.
2. It's far easier on your rotator cuffs than incline bench presses.
3. It has added massively to my overhead pressing and locking power.
4. For those of you who are image conscious, it is a hell of an upper chest builder.(cite)

Frankly, I could give a rat's ass about my upper chest, but I love this exercise.  Provided you don't suck, you're not litigious, and you want to try something new, you probably will as well.

A chest about which I care.

Bring the motherfucking ruckus.