When you think about building upper body muscle, the bench press is most likely what comes to mind first. The biggest problem many lifters face with the bench press is developing shoulder pain. For some people, tension caused by the the fixed bar path creates muscle imbalances that lead to poor posture, chronic joint stress, and more.

While bench press is a solid choice for getting strong-af, there are various other exercises that can stimulate serious upper body muscle growth because they load more muscle tissue through bigger ranges of motion, all while keeping your shoulder joints healthier. 

What Makes Muscles Grow

Three factors trigger muscle growth:

• Mechanical tension: The force placed on a muscle when contracting under load, especially in its lengthened position, is the primary driver of hypertrophy.
• Metabolic stress: The build-up of metabolites such as lactate during training can contribute to cell swelling and growth factor release.
• Muscle damage: While not the main driver of hypertrophy, micro-tears from eccentric contractions can stimulate remodeling and growth when recovery is adequate.

The best muscle-building exercises do all three including working lots of muscle at once (compound movements), stretching muscles under heavy load, and allowing progressive overload without joint pain⁽¹⁾.

Where The Bench Press Falls Short

• Fixed bar path forces shoulders into positions that irritate the rotator cuff
• The bar stops at your chest, limiting stretch on chest muscles
• Your arm length and shoulder mobility affect how well it works for you

Fixed Bar Path Problems

Bench press forces you to move the bar in a straight line up and down. Your shoulders have no choice but to follow this rigid path.

This creates two issues:

• First, the bar path forces internal rotation of your shoulders at the bottom position. Your upper arm bone rotates inward while your shoulder blade stays pinned against the bench. This compresses soft tissues in your shoulder joint and can irritate the rotator cuff tendons.
• Second, the fixed path ignores your individual shoulder anatomy. Some people have longer arms relative to their torso. Others have different shoulder socket angles. The bench press bar path works for some body types but creates awkward joint positions for others.

Limited Stretch Range

Your pectoral muscles attach from your sternum and ribs to your upper arm bone. They can stretch much further than bench press allows. The bar stops when it touches your chest. This creates an artificial end point that cuts muscle stretch short.

When the bar hits your chest, your pecs are only at 60-70% of their maximum stretch length.

People with thick ribcages or short arms get even less stretch. The bar hits their chest when their arms are still several inches from full range. Their pecs barely stretch at all.

This matters because research shows muscles grow best when loaded at long lengths. The stretch position creates more mechanical tension and better growth signals than shortened positions.

Individual Structure Mismatches

The bench press assumes everyone has the same proportions, but reality and genetics differ dramatically.

• Long-armed lifters must lower the bar much further to touch their chest. This creates extreme shoulder positions that feel uncomfortable or painful. Their leverage also makes the weight feel heavier at the bottom.
• Short-armed lifters barely get any stretch before the bar hits their chest. They miss most of the range of motion that drives muscle growth.

People with limited shoulder mobility struggle to get their arms into proper bench press position without compensating through their lower back with an excessive arch and develop shoulder pain.

Barrel-chested individuals hit the bar to their chest with minimal stretch, while flat-chested people can lower much further but the bar still stops on the chest before reaching optimal stretch.

These structural differences mean bench press works well for some people and poorly for others.

When you compare bench press to exercises with deeper stretches and natural shoulder movement, it looks less impressive. Add to the fact that many people have never been taught how to bench press properly and it creates a recipe for disaster.

The good news is there are three alternative exercises accommodate different body types much better.

Here are 3 that can stimulate muscle growth without increasing joint stress:

Exercise 1: Weighted Dips

With bench press, you press horizontally. Your chest gets partial stretch and your shoulder blades stay pinned against the bench. But dips hit your chest and triceps through bigger range of motion than bench press.

With dips, you press at an angle, your chest stretches deeper at the bottom, and your shoulder blades move naturally.

Research shows muscles grow better when worked in stretched positions⁽²⁾. Studies found dips produce similar chest activation to bench press with higher triceps activation⁽³⁾.

How to do them:

• Lean forward slightly
• Lower until upper arms reach parallel with floor
• Control the descent
• Add weight only when you can do 3 sets of 12 clean bodyweight reps

Weighted Dips Options:

• Weight belt with chain: Attach plates to a dipping belt around your waist. Most comfortable and stable option.
• Dumbbell between feet: Hold a dumbbell between your feet or ankles. Works for lighter weights but gets awkward above 25-30 pounds.
• Weight vest: Distributes load evenly across your torso. Great for higher rep ranges but limited total weight capacity.
• Backpack with plates: Budget option using a sturdy backpack filled with weight plates. Less stable than other methods.

PRO TIP: Another great option without adding weight are ring dips.

Weighted Dips Progression Tips:

Start with 5-10 pounds additional weight once you hit the bodyweight rep targets. Add 2.5-5 pounds per week maximum. Weight belts offer the most versatility and comfort for heavy loads. Weight vests work better for higher rep training and feel more natural during the movement.

Exercise 2: Overhead Press

Although the lats and upper back stabilize the lowering portion of the bench press, it mainly works front delts and triceps. The overhead press develops all three shoulder heads plus upper chest, triceps, and upper back.

The overhead press however works the shoulders in all directions. At the bottom, front and side shoulders stretch under load. Your upper back stabilizes everything the entire lift.

Research shows overhead pressing activates more shoulder muscles than bench press⁽⁴⁾. Your triceps work in a stretched position at the bottom when your elbows are bent and arms are lowered.

How to do them:

• Start with bar at upper chest level
• Keep core tight and glutes squeezed
• Press straight up over shoulders
• Do them standing or seated

Overhead barbell presses can also instigate shoulder issues. If this is a concern for you, we have an entire guide of 7 muscle-building alternatives here.

Exercise 3: Weighted Pull-Ups

Pull-ups work the entire back side of your upper body. Your lats, middle traps, rhomboids, rear delts, and biceps all get worked.

At the bottom hang, your lats and biceps stretch to maximum length under load. This stretched position promotes better growth⁽²⁾.

Studies show pull-ups activate lat muscles more than rows or pulldowns. They work biceps harder than most curling exercises⁽⁵⁾.

How to do them:

• Grip slightly wider than shoulders
• Start from full hang with straight arms
• Pull until chest touches bar
• Lower with control
• Add weight when you do 8-10 perfect reps

Weighted Pull-Up Options:

• Weight belt with chain: This is the most common method because most gyms have belts for this purpose. Hang plates from a belt around your waist. Weight hangs freely without interfering with movement.
• Dumbbell between feet: Squeeze a dumbbell between your feet. Requires good coordination and grip strength.
• Weight vest: Even weight distribution makes pull-ups feel different but works well. Limited to vest capacity (usually 20-50 pounds max).
• Weighted backpack: Fill with plates or sandbags. Weight sits higher on your back, changing the movement slightly.
• Ankle weights: Strap weights to your ankles. Less common but works for lighter loads.

Weighted Pull-Up Progression Tips:

Start with 5-10 pounds additional weight once you hit the bodyweight rep targets. Add 2.5-5 pounds per week maximum. Weight belts offer the most versatility and comfort for heavy loads. Weight vests work better for higher rep training and feel more natural during the movement.

For a list of 13 more compound back exercises for muscle mass and strength, click here.

Why These Three Exercises Work So Well Together

These three exercises create a perfect training system because they address every weakness of bench press while amplifying muscle growth potential^(6).

Let's explain each in detail so you fully understand these concepts.

Range of Motion Superiority

Bench press stops when the bar hits your chest. This cuts your range of motion short, especially if you have a thick ribcage or short arms. Dips let you go several inches deeper. Your chest muscles stretch to their maximum length at the bottom position. Overhead press stretches your front and side deltoids completely at the starting position. Pull-ups create maximum lat and bicep stretch at the dead hang position.

Research shows muscles grow 2-3 times more when trained in stretched positions compared to shortened positions. These three exercises maximize this stretch advantage.

Complete Muscle Coverage

Bench press mainly hits chest, front delts, and triceps. Your side delts, rear delts, upper traps, lats, rhomboids, and biceps get minimal work.

This trio covers everything:

• Dips: Chest, triceps, front delts
• Overhead press: All three delt heads, upper chest, triceps, upper traps
• Pull-ups: Lats, rhomboids, middle traps, rear delts, biceps

You work every major upper body muscle through its full range of motion.

Joint Health Protection

Bench press pins your shoulder blades against the bench. This restricts natural scapular movement and can overload the shoulder joint capsule. Many lifters develop shoulder impingement from excessive bench pressing.

All three alternatives allow natural scapular movement. Your shoulder blades retract and protract freely during dips. They upwardly rotate during overhead press. They depress and retract during pull-ups. This keeps your shoulders healthy long-term.

Strength Balance

Bench press only trains horizontal pushing. This can create muscle imbalances that lead to forward rounded shoulders and poor posture.

These three exercises balance your strength in multiple planes:

• Vertical pushing (overhead press)
• Vertical pulling (pull-ups)
• Diagonal pushing (dips)

This prevents imbalances and builds functional strength you use in real life.

How To Program These Exercises

Push Day

• Weighted dips: 4 sets of 6-10 reps
• Overhead press: 4 sets of 6-10 reps  
• Incline dumbbell press: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Lateral raises: 3 sets of 12-15 reps

Pull Day

• Weighted pull-ups: 4 sets of 6-10 reps
• Barbell rows: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
• Face pulls: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
• Barbell curls: 3 sets of 10-12 reps

Add weight when you hit the top rep range with perfect form. For bodyweight exercises, build reps first, then add external weight.

Here are some important mistakes to avoid:

Cutting Range of Motion Short

While partial reps do have value in terms of increasing volume and time under tension, you'll want to do as many full reps as possible with control of the weight before doing partial reps. The stretched position at the bottom of each movement triggers the most muscle growth. Sacrificing ROM for increased weight and you lose a lot of growth stimulus.

Full range also builds strength through complete movement patterns. Partial range creates strength only in short ranges. This leads to injury when you need strength at end ranges.

Adding Weight Too Fast

Your muscles adapt faster than your tendons and ligaments. Tendons take 12-16 weeks to strengthen while muscles adapt in 4-6 weeks. Rush the weight increases and you risk tendon injuries.

Start with bodyweight versions. Master 10-12 perfect reps before adding external load. Then add 2.5-5 pounds per week maximum. Your joints need time to handle increased stress.

Many people add 10-15 pounds per session because they feel strong. This can lead to elbow tendonitis from weighted dips, shoulder impingement from overhead press, or bicep tendon strain from weighted pull-ups.

Ignoring Push-Pull Balance

Your body works in opposing muscle pairs. Chest opposes upper back. Front delts oppose rear delts. Triceps oppose biceps.

If you only do pushing exercises (dips and overhead press), your chest and front delts become dominant. This pulls your shoulders forward and creates rounded posture. Your upper back weakens and your shoulders internally rotate.

Maintain 1:1 push-pull ratio minimum. For every set of dips or overhead press, do equal sets of pull-ups or rows. Better yet, if you can, do slightly more pulling than pushing to counteract daily forward posture.

Training Through Joint Pain

Muscle soreness differs from joint pain. Muscle soreness feels like burning or aching in the muscle belly. This is normal after hard training.

Joint pain feels sharp, pinching, or grinding. It occurs at the joint itself (shoulder, elbow, wrist). This signals tissue damage or inflammation.

Stop immediately if you feel joint pain. Sharp shoulder pain during dips means irritated rotator cuff. Elbow pain during overhead press suggests poor shoulder mobility. Wrist pain during pull-ups indicates grip issues.

Adjust your technique, reduce range of motion, or substitute exercises. Training through joint pain leads to chronic injuries that sideline you for months.

The Bottom Line

Bench press works for some people. If you love it and make progress, keep doing it. If you struggle with progress or shoulder issues, try these three exercises.

Weighted dips, overhead presses, and pull-ups stress muscles in positions that promote growth and go easier on your joints long-term. Give these exercises three months. Focus on perfect form, add weight gradually, and your upper body will look and feel incredible.

And if you want to give yourself a boost, add THE MASS STACK to your routine.

The Mass Stack is perfect for men seeking maximum muscle & strength gains while still on a budget. Satisfied customers report finishing their 4 to 8 week cycles with harder muscles, increased vascularity and muscle fullness.

References:
(1) Pedrosa G, et al. 2022. Influence of muscle length in resistance training-induced muscle hypertrophy. Eur J Appl Physiol. 122(1): 1–15. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34595524/

(2) Saeterbakken AH, et al. 2017. Effects of bench press variations on muscle activity and performance. J Hum Kinet. 57:61–71. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28713469/

(3) Behm DG, et al. 2002. Electromyographic activity of upper body musculature during stable and unstable push-ups and overhead presses. J Strength Cond Res. 16(3): 416–422. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12173957/

(4) Pedrosa G, et al. 2022. Influence of muscle length in resistance training-induced muscle hypertrophy. Eur J Appl Physiol. 122(1): 1–15. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34595524/

(5) Youdas JW, et al. 2010. An electromyographic analysis of the lat pull-down. J Strength Cond Res. 24(7): 1728–1736. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20543740/

(6) Schoenfeld BJ. 2010. The mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 24(10): 2857–2872. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20847704/