what strength gains of benefits am I missing out if I dont do the bench press?
Pec Development
The Bench Press provide pec development. The overhead press provides virtually none.
The pecs are the largest anterior muscle groups.
Unlike other lifts the bench press doesn’t have many benefits outside the gym.
The Bench Press For Sports
The Bench Press is good movement for sports like American Football, Judo, Karate, Boxing, as well as some other sports.
In a daily activity in which you are standing and pushing horizontally, you are performing a "Horizontal Bench Press".
So, there is some carry over from the Bench Press on things outside the gym.
With that said, one of the best upper body exercise is...
The Upper Body Dip
This movement has often been touted as "Upper Body Squats".
Dips allow you work the muscles through a greater range of movement than the Bench Press.
The bottom part of the Dip provides a weight stretch, ensuring greater flexibility as well as greater muscle involvement.
Performing an exercise like the Dip that stretches the muscles elicits some Muscle Damage, which promotes an increase in muscle mass. The three components of optimizing muscle mass are the synergistic effect of: Muscle Damage, Metabolic Stress, and Mechanical Tensio.
The Bench Press doesn't allow for full range movement unless performed with a Cambered Olympic Bar or Dumbbells.
With Dips, you can train to failure without getting the weight stuck on you as you would in the Bench Press.
Olympic Lifter and The Bench Press
Olympic Lifter recognize that some Bench Pressing is necessary. However, they limit their Bench Press Training. That because too much Bench Pressing limits their flexibility in the Snatch.
Many Powerlifers find the Olympic Snatch difficult. That because they are not flexible enough to get the bar far enough back behind their head in a Squat Snatch.
An interesting side note, in a situation in with an individual that has limited flexibility a Squat Snatch or Power Squat Snatch. have them performing a Split Snatch or Power Split Snatch.
The Split Snatch and Power Split Snatch allows them to get the bar back behind their head. The Spit Snatch also has a greater carry over to sports.
The Mirror Effect
One of the issues men who are obsessed with Bench Press , is they tend to train only what they see in the mirror from the waste up.
Some Pec Training Is Better Than NO Pec Training
Some pec training should be part of your program: Bench Press, Dumbbell Bench Press, Dips, Push Ups, etc. Doing something is better than doing nothing.
Kenny Croxdale