Rows or Chins Instead of Bench

Bigger Stronger Leaner Jim Wendler 5/3/1 Coaching
1

Jim

My name is Jules I am a strength coach at Revolutionary Strength Academy and Gladiators Academy. Here I train a lot MMA fighters, BJJ, and Judo players. I have used your method for some time now and it works great for not frying out the CNS while these guys train their sport.

I want to sub an pulling exercise for push I have done this already but I wanted your professional opinion.

I have taken out the bench press and used it as secondary exercise, while replacing it with DB rows, Kroc Rows, and whatever the athlete was weak at the most.

I wanted to know what would you sub for while taken out the Bench Press? Would it be Vertical pull or a Horizontal Pull? And why?

I chose the to take out bench because the Military Press has provided enough shoulder work and we need more pulling power than push.

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Just quickly chiming in - in my experience, the pulling muscles respond better to volume. So working up to a 3rm on chins is less useful for shoulder health and pulling capacity than doing something like 30-50 total reps. Just a thought.

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[quote]JULES BRUCHEZ wrote:
Jim

My name is Jules I am a strength coach at Revolutionary Strength Academy and Gladiators Academy. Here I train a lot MMA fighters, BJJ, and Judo players. I have used your method for some time now and it works great for not frying out the CNS while these guys train their sport.

I want to sub an pulling exercise for push I have done this already but I wanted your professional opinion.

I have taken out the bench press and used it as secondary exercise, while replacing it with DB rows, Kroc Rows, and whatever the athlete was weak at the most.

I wanted to know what would you sub for while taken out the Bench Press? Would it be Vertical pull or a Horizontal Pull? And why?

I chose the to take out bench because the Military Press has provided enough shoulder work and we need more pulling power than push.[/quote]

I am hardly a professional but this program was thought out/written/tested for many years. With this in mind, there is a reason we use rows/chins/curls as assistant work and not main work. Like the guy said above me, the do tend to respond to higher volume. Also, the limitations of the barbell row/chin as a programmed lift has been addressed ad nauseum.

This is my opinion.

However, if you see fit to change the program to fit your opinion by all means.