With pec tears becoming more common in bodybuilding, questions about exercise selections have surfaced. In a recent video, shared on Nov. 12, 2025, industry expert Bob Cicherillo shared that the bench press is the worst exercise in the world because it puts the pec insertion in a vulnerable position.
Pec tears have definitely had an impact on the sport of bodybuilding. Just four weeks before aiming to reclaim the Mr. Olympia title, Derek Lunsford revealed that he tore his chest on the bench press. Despite the setback, he still managed to win back the Sandow trophy following an incredibly close battle with his rival, Hadi Choopan.
Bodybuilder Charles Griffen suffered a similar injury, which forced him to take a substantial break from competition. It’s not just bodybuilders; even prolific strongman competitors have dealt with this issue, including World’s Strongest Man champs Hafthor Bjornsson and Brian Shaw. Despite its popularity, Cicherillo believes it’s best to just avoid the bench press altogether.
Bob Cicherillo: “Don’t Ever Bench Press… It’s the Worst Exercise in the World”
In the interview, Cicherillo stressed that the bench press is the worst exercise in the world. He said ’99, if not 100 percent’ of the time, pec tears are caused by the bench press.
“Don’t ever bench press. It’s the worst exercise in the world. Let me ask you something, you know anybody that’s ever torn their pec? What were they doing? 99, if not 100 percent out of 100, is the bench press.”
He said he’s known hundreds of people who’ve suffered torn pecs from the bench press because it puts the muscle insertion in a vulnerable position.
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“I know hundreds of people over the years who have torn pecs, hundreds. Everyone was on the bench press because it’s a bad position to be in.
Here’s the thing, just because that exercise has been around since day one doesn’t mean it’s the best. That’s all they had back then.”
For most people, one arm is longer than the other, and when lifting heavy weight, Cicherillo explained that all of the pressure and tension is concentrated in one area.
“Just putting your arms in this position, coming down like this, it’s a bad position for the insertion. Everyone usually has got one arm a little longer than the other. It doesn’t really come into play until you got 500 pounds and you’re coming down. Well, guess what? It’s not even. One is a little bit lower than the other, and that’s where all the tension and pressure go. Boom, it snaps off, and that’s it,” he shared.
He added that there are hundreds of better alternatives, from pec decks to dips.
“There’s 100 exercises that are better than the bench press. Inclines, flies, pec decks, dips, incline dumbbells, any variation thereof, any of the various machines, if you have access to those but the bench press… I’ll tell you what, save yourself the effort. Don’t ever bench press.”
Cicherillo hasn’t been the only big name from bodybuilding to condemn the bench press. 2024 Arnold Classic champion Wesley Vissers recently opened up about its risks. “The Dutch Oak” emphasized that during the bench press, at the top of each repetition, there’s more stress on the elbow and triceps instead of the chest muscles.
Cicherillo believes the bench press is too risky, especially for competitive bodybuilders. He advocates for moves like flies, dips, or incline dumbbell pressing to build a well-developed chest.
RELATED: Jay Cutler’s Bench Press Secret: Increase Your Max with Lighter Weight and Higher Reps
Watch the full video from the Muscle Talks Podcast YouTube channel below: