The bench press has been accepted as a universal measure of strength. The popular bench press specialist Scott Mendelson even labeled it as “the lift of manhood”. Unfortunately, not all lifters excel at the lift, and even if you do – it’s never enough. The main group struggling with the bench press is formed by ectomorphs.
Height = Longer Range Of Motion
Many ectomorphs are on the taller side. Their long limbs make the bench press extra hard because the range of motion is longer. Meanwhile, the lifters with T-rex arms are having a bench press party.
Small & Fragile Bones
Ectomorphs tend to have small joints that make bench pressing even harder. Someone with an 8-inch wrist will have an easier time bench pressing than someone with a 6-inch wrist. The former will also be naturally bigger and stronger. The bigger the bone, the bigger the muscle.
Narrow Shoulders Suck For Benching
Ectomorphs tend to have narrow shoulders. This also hurts the bench press because a narrower base is less stable than a wider one.
The Bench Press is Affected By Your Bodyweight
Whether you’re a skinny or skinny-fat ectomorph, you’re probably on the lighter side of the spectrum. This instantly hits your bench press numbers because the lift is heavily affected by your bodyweight . {more on this here}.
This leads us to a series of logical questions:
Do ectomorphs have any advantage in the bench press?
Not really. All odds are against the ectomorphs. Unless you’re a genetic freak, you are going to suck at the bench press as an ecto.
What could an ectomorph do to improve his bench?
There are no magic tricks that you could use. You just have to train the lift like everybody else while expecting smaller results. You can get really strong compared to the general population, but you will never reach the genetic freaks.
Are there better chest exercises than the bench press for ectomorphs?
The fact that you’re not lifting a lot on the bench does not mean that it cannot build you up. However, if you can’t handle benching due to shoulder/wrist/elbow pain, you can try other classic movements such as weighted dips, dumbbell bench presses, and push-ups.
Don’t cry, please!
Never self-punish yourself because of things you don’t control. Who cares that your bench press sucks? Seriously? No one does. People are not even paying attention. They are too focused on their own stuff and have no time to look at you. Don’t let your ego and vanity damage your head.