Bench Press: Why does my shoulder hurt?!
The bench press is one of the best upper body strength-building exercises we have at our disposal - but why does it cause shoulder pain for so many people?
Here at [Backspace], shoulder injuries from the gym are something that we see very often - and one of our most common complaints is that nagging, aching shoulder always seems to flare up when you are trying to get through the bench pressing part of your gym session or trying for a new personal best lift on the bench.
But here’s the thing - with proper technique, it should be a pain-free exercise!
Today I want to share some tips you can apply in your next gym session, which will get you on your way to a stronger, pain-free bench press!
HOW YOU START DICTATES HOW YOU FINISH
The most important thing to learn with the bench press is that the starting position you adopt BEFORE lowering the bar to your chest is crucial for how the entire lift will go.
HOW SO?
The position of your shoulder joint during the lift will strongly dictate which muscles are recruited more or less intensely. The common issue is adopting too much of a relaxed shoulder and upper back position throughout the movement, and this results in the shoulder moving backwards towards the bench when you lower the weight and then forwards off the bench pad when you press the weight. This may sound like a normal thing to happen, but in fact, you want to minimise movement of the shoulder and upper back to almost zero!
Instead, aim to keep your shoulder blades retracted (aka squeezed together like you are holding a pencil between your shoulder blades) throughout the entire movement. This is a safer and more stable position for your shoulder joint, and the most mechanically optimal position to move the heaviest weight, for more repetitions.
The retracted position will minimise pressure and excessive loading on the front of your shoulder, and get you on your way to smashing new personal bests - without the pain!
Think about it like this… the set-up position SHOULD feel slightly uncomfortably squeezed in the upper back, so if you are nice and relaxed - you have some work to do :)
I hope you can find this snippet of training advice useful, however, if you are still struggling with that nagging shoulder pain that just won’t go away - then feel free to get in touch with us at [Backspace], where we offer comprehensive assessment and treatment plans to help get you on the right track and on your way to your next personal best.
Ethan Brownlee DC
Chiropractor at [Backspace]