I could never really do a “proper” bench press without developing annoying rotator cuff tendonitis. At one point I slowly did 4 reps with 220 lbs, but stopping with the bar about 1 inch above “touching”. After not being able to work out for a month I could do 205 full ROM 1rm with someone spotting me. The first inch off the chest was uncomfortable and my shoulder was sore for a month afterwards, so I just kind of gave up on the bench press. I have mild scheuermann’s disease, so I can’t really arch my back or get my elbows way below my spine the way I see others doing. ROM issues are a big disadvantage. I started only benching 135, so it was good progress to get over 200 lbs (roughly my own body weight) in 6 months, but that exercise just wasn’t worth the pain. I had on-and-off calcification pain in my right shoulder for a couple years after. Ugh.
Yes. The dumbbell press is so much more natural because the distance between your hands isn’t fixed. It’s also probably builds muscle faster because you need stability which seems to work muscles in a more thorough way. The problem is testing a 1rm is really intimidating and not worth the risk if you work out at home. There’s a big intimidation factor just getting into position. I also remember stopping at 60 lbs each arm. I might have tried 70 once, but it felt dangerous to rep too close to failure because it’s just a lot of weight to drop in an apartment. I increased the number of reps and sets at 60 lbs but never felt comfortable to go any higher without a spotter. It seems to really make progress in this exercise you need to go to a gym and have a spotter, but going regularly was a problem for me.