The bench press has a long-standing tradition of being the number one lift for strengthening the upper body. Far from it serving the purpose of a 'masculine' exercise for an ego-measuring contest, the bench press offers much more in return than the superficial view that is commonly held on it: stronger muscles in your arms; greater bone density in your humerus, forearms, and wrists; more muscle mass in your shoulders, triceps, and pecs; and greater mental resilience. It takes a pinch of courage to attempt a heavy bench set. How heavy 'heavy' really is, is anyone's guess. I suppose the only person to find out is you. Nothing in life is guaranteed. Apart from two things: one, you need to  bench press for reasons outlined above - whether you want to, or not. And two, my promise that it will all be worth it in the end. The following article is a break-down (...)