“The worst exercise for bodybuilding” - that's what Jay Cutler thinks about the bench press.

According to the 4x Mr Olympia, most lifters prefer the bench press as their first movement, yet it is the one that causes more long-term damage.

On his YouTube channel, JayCutletTv, he revealed, “Practically everyone I know who benches tears their chest during the straight barbell bench press. Bench press is the worst exercise for the shoulder joint.”

However, Cutler still benches sometimes without heavy weights because this exercise “puts way too much pressure on the shoulder joint and everyone ends up tearing a pec."

For Cutler, who made history in 2006 by winning the Mr. Olympia after defeating Ronnie Coleman, performing bench press was never a good experience.

How Did The Bench Press Affect Cutler?

Jay Cutler’s view, as someone who bench-pressed around 500 pounds in 19, was the result of his experience training with Ronnie Coleman. Cutler recalled his experience when he pushed himself to match up with Coleman's dominance.

“I'm going to bench press cuz Ronnie Coleman was a big bench presser. He always did flat bench cuz we trained together when we traveled. I remember specifically when we went and we trained in Pittsburgh, he would do chest on Saturday..... And I remember getting up to four plates and being so strong and ripping through the reps, and like I got to like six or seven, and all of a sudden, oh, I felt a little twinge twice.”

This was scary for him, and that happened around 2005, when he was a runner-up. It was the time when Coleman was close to securing his title at the Olympia. So, obviously, a single torn pec could have cost Cutler everything.

Don't believe his word? Let's analyze his fear through science. A study by Kayvon Golshani in the Journal of Orthopaedics found that 40-70% of respondents reported pectoralis major injuries from bench pressing.

However, with a lighter weight, one can avoid such injuries. Jay Cutler also admitted that pec injuries can not occur if you bench press with weights like 135 pounds. These injuries happen when you lift with ego.

Other instances of the adverse effects of the bench press

There are multiple instances from which we can see how bench pressing with intense weight caused severe health issues. For instance, Kevin Levrone, the former IFBB Pro, in 1993, had a serious injury that tore Levrone’s minor and major pectorals.

That injury came while he was bench pressing 600 pounds. Another incident took place in January 2025, where Tristan Barnes, a competitive bodybuilder, tore his pec while bench pressing with 308 lbs.

So, Cutler understands the cost it can give you, and that is why he said,” As soon as I started making good money with bodybuilding, I removed the flat bench barbell bench press from my list of exercises. When bodybuilding became my bread and butter, the risk simply wasn't worth it. Anyone who says you need to bench press with a barbell for big chest muscles is wrong”.

The message is simple. Bench press helps build strength and stamina, but, for longevity, dumbbells and machines can help build muscle without any risk. Jay Cutler, in his prime, did not abandon this exercise, he mastered it.

But now, when you hit the gym, just be more cautious and do the bench press with proper guidance. And let us know what you think!

Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Joyita Das