Replacement exercise for bench/tris

[LAZERGUNPEWPEW]

Hey again fellas. I've been looking around for a replacement exercise for the bench press and most tricep dumbells exercises. I keep getting told there is no replacement, which is probably true.

The problem is, I have no cartilidge in my jaw or my left elbow (no idea why). So whenever I bench press and there is a weight pressing down onto my elbow, and I press it up, my elbow "clicks". It feels as though this is a bone on bone action, and it does the same when I'm doing dumbell tricep exercises that requires my elbow to bend.

I can do pushups fine, and any type of pullup/chin up seems to work. Dumbell bicep curls with or without a bar don't seem to aggravate it either.Dumbell flies are fine as well because I'm not bending my elbow. I've checked my posture on my bench press a few times to make sure its correct and it seems to be fine.

Is there any sort of exercise or combination of exercises I can do to get similar bench press results? Even if I try to "power through" them my elbow ends up with a dull constant pain that feels far different than muscle discomfort and I know isn't doing me any favors.

Chinups and pullups seem to be key right now, can I combine those with pushups and flies and get similiar results? Are there some exercises that are better than others to replace a bench press with? Or other compound lifts I can try. I don't have machines and usually just use free weights at home.

[McGee]

Triceps: I've found that I have elbow pain doing skullcrushers but not any if I am doing dips or kickbacks. However, in my experience kickbacks are difficult to do properly and I never noticed much progression doing them. Dips might be your best bet.

Kickbacks: http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...BKickback.html
Dips: http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...tBenchDip.html

Chest: I don't think there is a replacement for bench press. I don't have any experience w/flies, but bench is something that you should be doing if you can. Exrx has chest dip as a listed exercise and might be something worth looking into.
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...tChestDip.html

You should check out www.exrx.net , it's a great wealth of knowledge and they have tons of different lifts for each muscle group.

If you're navigating the exercises for each muscle group, btw:
o Bold: Basic exercises
o Regular: Exercises that can either have a basic or auxiliary classification.
o Italic: Auxiliary exercises

[fapling]

have you seen a doctor about your elbow? that sounds painful/bad...

[LAZERGUNPEWPEW]

Originally Posted by McGee

Triceps: I've found that I have elbow pain doing skullcrushers but not any if I am doing dips or kickbacks. However, in my experience kickbacks are difficult to do properly and I never noticed much progression doing them. Dips might be your best bet.

Kickbacks: http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...BKickback.html
Dips: http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...tBenchDip.html

Chest: I don't think there is a replacement for bench press. I don't have any experience w/flies, but bench is something that you should be doing if you can. Exrx has chest dip as a listed exercise and might be something worth looking into.
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...tChestDip.html

You should check out www.exrx.net , it's a great wealth of knowledge and they have tons of different lifts for each muscle group.

If you're navigating the exercises for each muscle group, btw:
o Bold: Basic exercises
o Regular: Exercises that can either have a basic or auxiliary classification.
o Italic: Auxiliary exercises

Thanks! I was looking for that site a few days ago and forgot the letters so I couldn't find it haha, I've been there before and it really is awesome. I'll try out some of those exercises, thanks. I'm trying to sort through which ones are "best" and will give me the most bang for my exercise time so that should start me off well.

And Fapling, nah I haven't been to the doctor in hell, probably my entire life haha. My elbow doesn't bother me unless I'm applying weight like in a bench press. My dentist knows I have no cartilidge in my jaw and the risk of surgery to insert synthetic cartilidge is too risky / expensive. I have a few injuries I just live on with. Not a big fan of doctors, and besides, ignorance is bliss right :P

[s0me0nesmind1]

Try a fly machine or do fly with dumbbells if you want to target chest. But bench will always be better since im guessing it works a lot more chest muscles.

[Gibonius]

Originally Posted by s0me0nesmind1

Try a fly machine or do fly with dumbbells if you want to target chest. But bench will always be better since im guessing it works a lot more chest muscles.

They work the same muscles in the chest, you can just move a lot more weight with bench. More weight = better workout.

Bench does work more muscles overall though, gets the shoulders and triceps.

[mainbrotha]

Weighted push ups, brah.

[skadeeb]

I'd say weighted chest dips are your best bet. I always find those hit my chest hard, often harder than any pressing motion.

[fapling]

i second/third the dips...and i think you should see a doctor, but it's your body..

and just curious, how will doing weighted exercises that hit your tris and involve your elbow not still cause the problem? i think i'm missing something

[Electrikfuzz050]

See a doctor.

[coalesce]

I'm also gonna have to say that you probably shouldn't be working out if you really are missing cartilage in your joints. Start taking glucosamine chondroitin and see if it helps your joints.

[vinnie]

Originally Posted by LAZERGUNPEWPEW

And Fapling, nah I haven't been to the doctor in hell, probably my entire life haha. I have a few injuries I just live on with. Not a big fan of doctors, and besides, ignorance is bliss right :P

This right here is why in most western countries men have a ~5% lower life span than women. By the time the hit the doctor about anything they are either okay, permanently incapacitated or dying.

You suspect you are missing elbow cartilage. You have no plan of doing anything about it, just want to 'work around it'. In 20-30 years when your quality of life is severly impacted, then you will consider seeing a doc.

The thing with joints is they never really get better on their own. Soft tissue injuries are fine usually, get a shark bite in your thigh and if you live to the hospital you will just end up with a cool scar and a bit of a limp. Tear a couple of ligaments off the bone or rip up some cartilage though... and that joint will probably never work 100% again. The neat part with cartilage injuries is that they tend to be degenerative. Once deterioration starts, without intervention it is a permanent and worsening process.

Good luck though. Hope you find some exercises that let you fuck up your elbow a bit slower.

[Matador Herz]

Originally Posted by vinnie

Good luck though. Hope you find some exercises that let you fuck up your elbow a bit slower.

wuhwuhwuhwuhwuh

[Artesial]

Originally Posted by LAZERGUNPEWPEW

Thanks! I was looking for that site a few days ago and forgot the letters so I couldn't find it haha, I've been there before and it really is awesome. I'll try out some of those exercises, thanks. I'm trying to sort through which ones are "best" and will give me the most bang for my exercise time so that should start me off well.

And Fapling, nah I haven't been to the doctor in hell, probably my entire life haha. My elbow doesn't bother me unless I'm applying weight like in a bench press. My dentist knows I have no cartilidge in my jaw and the risk of surgery to insert synthetic cartilidge is too risky / expensive. I have a few injuries I just live on with. Not a big fan of doctors, and besides, ignorance is bliss right :P

I was going to assist you until I read your last part. Stop hurting yourself, see a doctor of some sort for your joints and stop being ignorant.

[Coqui]

If you can do pushups, put a couple 45 pound plates on your back and start pushing.