Upper back vs. chest

[JC]

Would anyone forsee any problems (other than perhaps lack of chest development/strength) from pulling/press work far outnumbering pushing work (for example a program similar to SS but with chins every session and pressing twice a week with 'light' bench on wednesday), or to word it differently working the upper back far more than the chest?

It seems to me that the scapulae perform so many different movements and adding the back musculature would make for a much more extensive programming 'to do list' than the chest, but would doing it lead to any issues? Everyone knows of excessive benching vs. bakc work leading to all sorts of problems, but would the reverse hold true... i would say not, but then again who the fuck am i and what do i know?

[Dastardly]

Nah, no problems there. Pull ups, chins and pull overs all actually use the pecs a fair bit. Having your chest held high by a mass of meat on your back is a good position to be in, gives great posture. cannot see any problems at all.

I would make make sure to overhead press a lot though.

[Jamie J. Skibicki]

I don't know why you wouldn't bench. Driving my bench up has helped drive my press up.

If you aren't going to bench much and don't have an issue with them, I would do dips.

[JC]

It's as much theoretical as anything (based in part from the 'you must do at least as much back work as benching if not twice as much bb style', part fromKSC/ Andy's programming thread response)...

Although i haven't consistently benched for about a year (excluding a few weeks' worth of light day for TM'ing my press), and have so far managed a 92.5kg press (203.9lbs). I have also done chins on every training day for the majority of that time, and am now incorporating some light theraband shit too. So it could be considered applied theory? I have toyed with dips but my 'dip station' gets too wobbly - it's some bits of wood nailed together (pretty well) based on some upturned chipboard, which doesn't sit flush on my garage floor.

[Jamie J. Skibicki]

I am a fan of ring dips.

[veryhrm]

Well, for one thing a "press" is a pushing movement. Also, the olde time strength people you may recall had comparatively little pec ( "chesticle") development though they still had big delts and triceps from all sort of overhead work.

[JC]

Yes the press is a push, but it is often cited as an exercise which works the upper back and counters the common bench problems; this is partly the origin of my thought process.

[f4thpathway]

I like to view different exercises as more than just in or out of the strength training circle. I do rows and shrugs to keep back mass on an upward progress. This isn't for bodybuilding results but such "bodybuilding" effects lead to increases in the pure strength moves. Many experienced and large lifters and coaches forget that others need to build back mass in order to better support larger squats and benches. Its easy to view the world from your own place in it.

There are going to be similar areas to address for different individuals. Building the opposite muscles of a lift's prime movers is always going to benefit the lift. As will building the smalller supporting muscles. In this regard, a certain amount of "bodybuilding" is quite alright. Especially with muscle groups that may respond better to something other than 5 reps.

Given the nature of squats, cleans, deadlifts, and presses, you want to put emphasis on the back. However, balance is necessary for all things. Don't neglect the chest and front side of the core. If you're working areas in nontypical ways for strength training, but doing so to gain strength, you aren't a broseph.

[Chode]

I am a fan of ring dips.

Ring dips are a really good way to fuck a shoulder if you don't have the experience in using rings.

[Dastardly]

I have a bigger chest than most of the people I see in gyms doing Incline, Decline & flat benching +Flyes+cable crossovers. My main training is pulling movements, pull ups, rows etc. Sometimes pull overs. I do light overhead presses as my shoulder is to injured to go heavy. But I do them often.

I ocassionally do parallel grip dumb bell bench and have very recently done the odd set of dips. But from what I can feel, overheads +pull ups have the most effect. Warming up on an empty bar (OHP) gives me epic pump in the chest.