Do oly lifters bench?

[Carnivroar]

I need an excuse to quit benching.

[Dastardly]

Some do some dont. Mostly dont.

I dont think the benching helps that much, (according to many sources inc sportivny press, pressing causes detriment to jerks) but many lifters like to get a little swole up top to match their squat legs. If an oly lifter wants to do some pressing work, surely it would be better to do it overhead anyway? In the form of presses, push presses, bnp presses, push jerks etc... Chinese lifters do a lot of those.

I started push jerking since I tore my labrum and cannot do normal pressing. A very fun exercise.

[Carnivroar]

Do presses hit the chest?

[blowdpanis]

Do presses hit the chest?

With a bit of leanback, probably a little (mainly clavicular head), not a lot. Rip would argue that keeping bench in would help drive up the press, and I'd be inclined to agree, to a point, where that point is "is an actual competitive olympic weightlifter whose time is valuable to the point of excluding what isn't absolutely necessary to drive up the actual competition lifts."

For a weekend warrior focusing on oly lifts, I'd probably still keep in some bench (barbell or dumbbell) or weighted dips, I think.

[tertius]

The chinese don't even have benches in their training facility, I seem to recall. No benching will tend to leave a fella with small chesticles.
Rip has commented that he benches occasionally to keep his chest from looking funny.

[RobCor]

Carni, for as strong as you are you seem to avoid things that are hard, e.g. heavy bench/clean. Why is that?

[Carnivroar]

Here's what, if I stopped benching and did dips instead, will that take care of my chest?

And Rob, I'm starting to really like cleaning now. I'm definitely gonna work on it more.

[msingh]

Did he say how to program the press and push press?
M: Press, W:Push Press: F:Press?

[Marotta]

Carni, for as strong as you are you seem to avoid things that are hard, e.g. heavy bench/clean. Why is that?

Because he's a limp-wristed, slack-jawed pansy boy.

[mstrofbass]

Because he's a limp-wristed, slack-jawed pansy boy.

Don't forget, he's not American-made.