Yes Eagle,
I totally agree with you on that one.
From what I found out, the muscle stimulating effect of
exercises are usually rated by several factors:
Apparently, the best exercises are compound ones, involve free
weights and requires the body to move through space. i.e. chin-ups,
parallel-bar dips, squats, deadlifts.
The second best group of exercises will probably involve
compound ones, free weights, but does not require the body to move
through space, i.e. bench press, shoulder press.
Next would still be compound exercises, but those that use
machines, i.e. bench press machine, leg extension machine.
Finally, the last one group includes the isolation types.
However, I guess bench press is still considered a core
component of any bodybuilding training regime together with a squat
and a row because it is one of the few exercises that can totally
target your chest.