The Bench press is probably the most useless exercise in the gym - especially for triathletes. Focus on power clings, one leg squats, and other leg exercises you can do STANDING UP - this is the key. Toss in some core exercises and your done.
I don’t know what a power cling is.
I think he meant ‘power cleans’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FaHg0Aqz9A
Thanks for the informative replies so far everyone, with the exception of Tri-Banter who contributed nothing and should go sit in the corner and give his head a shake.
For those who mentioned that bench pressing does nothing to improve your triathlon performance, I couldn’t agree more, and do not care. I “race” as a hobby because I love to run, swim and bike, and because I’m lucky enough to live somewhere that I can do all three things year round in beautiful surroundings. I don’t care about getting on the podium, or qualifying for Kona. Maybe one day I will; for now I do not. I lift because I have a life and goals outside of triathlon. I am also a builder, so being strong helps me day in and day out at work when I’m lifting beams, trusses, or climbing around scaffolding all day. No 30k run will help you with that. Not to mention, from purely a vanity stand point, I enjoy looking better naked then most of the hardcore SBR people who wont touch a dumb bell because it will make them 5 seconds slower on race day. 
I should clarify that it’s not really improving my bench press that is my main goal, it is improving my chest strength. Bench press just seems to be the corner stone for all chest routines out there. Some of you mentioned it can cause problems with shoulder injuries, which I have experienced first hand (the motion aggravated a previous injury). I think one of the reasons with my lack of progress is because I am somewhat nervous of re-injuring my shoulder. If there is a way to improve chest strength without killing myself with the bench press I would be all for it. I’ll definitely look into all the suggestions, articles and routines here, they sound great!
I don’t think he asked if it was functional or not, nor did he relate his bench to getting faster or what you thought about it. I’m just saying…
Simplicity is best unless you’re really, really stuck (i.e.: lifting well above bodyweight). Keeping in mind that often when you get “stuck” it could be because you’re simply not eating enough. And I am not just talking about protein.
As for the bench being bad for your shoulders… well I have seen a lot of “experienced” people having the most shocking form and am in no way surprised when they complain that their shoulder are wrecked. Or their neck gets strained or their wrists hurt. “Nah keep your feet off the ground bro, isolates the pecs more” “Don’t wrap your thumb around, you’ll get more reps out” “Nice wide grip, keep the arms at right angles to the chest” etc etc.
Others who know what they are doing seem to have no issues with this and have nice strong shoulders. Like any exercise, if it is done incorrectly then it can (and will) injure you. There is a lot of “bro-science” handed down from one gym-rat to another, most of which is utter crap. Like the gentleman who gave me some friendly advice the other day that my squat would be better if I took off my shoes (I was wearing lifting shoes) and that going below parallel would injury my knees. He then proceeded to do 1/2 squats at about 50% of body weight.
Strength training is like tri training is many regards. While hugely complex training methods may yield results sometime the simplest things work the best… if you keep at it.
Mark Rippetoe, Jim Wendler (as mentioned above), Dan John are all people who do know what they are talking about (there are many more but these are the ones that come to mind). Look up their stuff.
Figure out your 1RM with this calculator http://www.oocities.org/~slopitch/mainpage.html . I have rounded down 5-10 lbs in the past for a baseline.
Use this pound chart to find press weight for 3 sets (page 190)
http://books.google.com/...ge&q&f=false
Weeks 1-4= 3x10 reps
Weeks 5-8= 3x5 reps
Weeks 9-12=3x3 reps
The entire Nebraska program is great for strength gains.
KW
I’m all about functional strength training. I see no value in the bench press and is why I cut it out of my routine years ago. My racing times have not suffered one bit.
I think the OP wants to intimidate some of the teenage punks that frequent his gym and neighborhood. Teens respect strength and big muscles. In that light, having a big chest is functional and, therefore, revamping his bench press routine is vital.
Big chest and strength are not necessarily synonymous. The training for strength is a different type of lifting than lifting for size.
For the OP:
As others have said, bench is not necessarily the best. I prefer dumbbell flys (decline/reg/incline), pushups and dips (Done properly, not just the tricep jackhammer impression you see some people doing.) I love pushups as you can vary hand distance, placement, and there are many many different variations (Such as the diamond hand, dip forward back. Also called a marine pushup.).
I like dumbbell exercises as you are forced to use more ancillary muscles to help stabilize, it’s a more complete workout, and you can put your hands in a better position than when locked into an Olympic bar. The other alternative is to use the curl bar that looks like a really long oval with a couple vertical bars in the middle. It’s a close grip so you won’t be able to use as much weight, but it’s a nice change of pace.
Be warned if you use dumbbells though, start light and work up. You won’t be able to lift near as much weight, as you lose the synergistic effects of the bar.
John
I love the bro-science analogy.
Not sure if you have a training partner in the gym. I never do, if you find yourself in the same boat go find a smith machine. Google it if you don’t know what that is.
Focus on one main exercise and work at improving it. A 9-12 week program should yield good results for you. Then rotate into something else for 9-12 weeks and go at it again if you want more results.
The key exercise you do first. But honestly, do ALL the exercises people mention here. Arnie recommends a minimum of 14 sets per muscle group. I typically do chest/back the same day. You can superset chest/back routines very effectively.
I’m not sure how fit you are, but doing more sets doesn’t hurt assuming you’re not compromising form. Higher weight, smaller rep sets will net you better short term gains. Even 1-3 rep sets during a build phase are good.
Be realistic with the results you want. A short stocky guy has a much better natural build for bench press than a tall skinny guy.
Smith machines are the invention of the Devil and should all be melted in something more useful.
Like a barbell.
I maintain that anyone using or advocating the use of a Smith machine does not know what they are talking about.
The only thing I can tell you, bro is to be VERY cautious about extending your elbows very far behind or below your back. I’ve had two shoulder surgeries and probably need one more as a result of getting decent pecs. If you’re as serious as it looks like you are, it’d probably be worth getting a true professional opinion and extremely proper technique - and I’m not talking about the hulk at the local gym who just got his certification within the last couple of years. Best to you!
Smith machine helps push the limits when you don’t have a spotter. You need to push the limits to break through plateaus. The trick is pushing the limit but not past it. I wouldn’t argue against a barbell as a better choice all things equal.
Personally, I prefer dumbbells for shape. You also can’t get stuck under a dumbbell.
No, it doesn’t. If you are concerned about being crushed by a bar then a) try harder to find a spotter b) use a power rack.
Given the OP wants to improve their bench they should have spotters and/or power racks. Otherwise they should find a new gym.