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Bench pressing and shoulder pain

Posted on 10/31/21 at 10:01 am
Posted by HurricaneDunc
Houston
Member since Nov 2008
10472 posts
Posted on 10/31/21 at 10:01 am
I’ve been back into lifting for about 10 months. I can’t pinpoint the moment when I was injured, but it seems like one day my shoulder started hurting when going through my normal press day. Went back to the gym and I have a pretty high level of pain when I bench. Other exercises don’t seem to bother it much if at all. It bothers me some when I sleep, but just an uncomfortable feeling. Pain is primarily at the top of the shoulder.
I’ve more or less taken the week off, but anxious to get back to working out.

Any thoughts on what type of injury this could be?
Posted by transcend
Austin, TX
Member since Aug 2013
4166 posts
Posted on 10/31/21 at 10:08 am to
Switch to dumbbells only or use a slingshot and never look back
Posted by TigerInCbus
Raymond
Member since Feb 2018
358 posts
Posted on 10/31/21 at 11:07 am to
I am going through the same thing. Had an MRI this week and came back with a torn labrum. I meet with my ortho on Tuesday to discuss the path forward.
Posted by HurricaneDunc
Houston
Member since Nov 2008
10472 posts
Posted on 10/31/21 at 11:50 am to
That’s definitely not what I want to hear. Sort of hoping I can just let it heal up

I have full range of motion. No stiffness. Just hurts to do chest press exercises.
This post was edited on 10/31/21 at 11:52 am
Posted by DeafJam73
Baton Rouge
Member since Sep 2010
18390 posts
Posted on 10/31/21 at 11:59 am to
Have someone who knows how to bench check your form. Sounds like a technique issue.

Why are you training the bench press? Are you trying to be a powerlifter or just train the powerlifts?
This post was edited on 10/31/21 at 12:13 pm
Posted by HurricaneDunc
Houston
Member since Nov 2008
10472 posts
Posted on 10/31/21 at 12:34 pm to
I have no doubt it’s technique. Hoping it will recover from rest.

Just training bench to workout chest. Not training to be a power lifter.
Posted by TigerInCbus
Raymond
Member since Feb 2018
358 posts
Posted on 10/31/21 at 12:38 pm to
Same here. I feel pain at the very end of my RoM but nothing is limited; however, I can’t put any weight on my shoulder - can’t even do a push-up without pain.
Posted by The Silverback
Neptune
Member since May 2013
2036 posts
Posted on 10/31/21 at 2:13 pm to
Get a light resistance band and warm up your shoulders and biceps (hammer curls) before benching. Keep elbows in and back tight throughout the lift and make sure the bar is at correct height.

Get your shoulder checked out by a chiropractor and start icing shoulders 20 minutes a day, whether you train or not (a 1000+ pound bencher taught me this).

Get it looked at then start doing the above. Remember it needs to be a tight, controlled lift.
Posted by pwejr88
Red Stick
Member since Apr 2007
36151 posts
Posted on 10/31/21 at 2:24 pm to
Had the same thing and got some great advice in here:

When benching, act like your trying to bend the bar in half as you lift. (You’ll feel more pressure on the outside of your hands)
You might go light for a few weeks, but then it will stop hurting all together.
Posted by DeafJam73
Baton Rouge
Member since Sep 2010
18390 posts
Posted on 10/31/21 at 4:42 pm to
quote:

Just training bench to workout chest. Not training to be a power lifter.


There are other exercises that work the chest with less risk than the bench press. Dumbbell press, flies, pec deck, etc. if your goal is to work the chest. Bench press is great for building strength, but not the best for building the chest. It’s more of a tricep driven exercise. Chest stimulation is not as great.
Posted by onelochevy
Slidell, LA
Member since Jan 2011
16527 posts
Posted on 10/31/21 at 7:10 pm to
Shoulder pain here as well. For me, I do 2 things. First, squeeze the hell out of your shoulder blades when you're pressing. That helps a ton. Second is I board press. I attach a bench block to my bar that's about 4 inches thick. I don't get any pain as long as I don't go all the way to my chest.
Posted by DVinBR
Member since Jan 2013
12941 posts
Posted on 10/31/21 at 10:05 pm to
check your bar path, my bench press path follows below:

Posted by Mac
Forked Island, USA
Member since Nov 2007
14656 posts
Posted on 11/1/21 at 3:58 pm to
I'm dealing with pretty much the exact same thing right now. Started lifting 5 days a week last July when Reds opened back up.

Can't pinpoint when it happened I started experiencing shoulder pain during bench press about a month ago. Bothers me when I sleep and after I wake up but once I get going for the day I never notice it. Full ROM with no pain. My pain is located in the front of the shoulder and along the back seemingly on the edge/beneath the scapula.
Posted by bakersman
Grant parish
Member since Apr 2011
5704 posts
Posted on 11/5/21 at 10:35 pm to
Get checked out. I had the same issue and I kept putting it off until I couldn’t take it anymore. Turned out to be a torn biceps tendon in the socket. Needed surgery to repair it
Posted by HurricaneDunc
Houston
Member since Nov 2008
10472 posts
Posted on 11/5/21 at 10:52 pm to
Went back to the gym yesterday. I could do chest exercises with dumbbells. It wasn’t painless but definitely manageable. I did super light shoulder press with really zero discomfort. Incline hammer was completely fine. It’s all when I do bench press. Wondering if maybe I just tweaked some muscle in the upper chest.
Posted by bakersman
Grant parish
Member since Apr 2011
5704 posts
Posted on 11/6/21 at 6:32 am to
Mine was the same way. I switched from barbell to dumbbell presses because was bearable. We’re getting older and there’s no shame in taking a break to get checked out. I had surgery in February and I’m 6 weeks in back at the gym.
Posted by TheZaba
FL
Member since Oct 2008
6181 posts
Posted on 11/6/21 at 11:38 am to
quote:

Went back to the gym yesterday. I could do chest exercises with dumbbells. It wasn’t painless but definitely manageable. I did super light shoulder press with really zero discomfort. Incline hammer was completely fine. It’s all when I do bench press. Wondering if maybe I just tweaked some muscle in the upper chest.
Other things to look at modifying if should press was good is trying to limit how far behind your torso your elbows go

Might not be a bad idea to try a floor press or just modify your range while you still feel it a little
Posted by DeafJam73
Baton Rouge
Member since Sep 2010
18390 posts
Posted on 11/6/21 at 12:20 pm to
quote:

Other things to look at modifying if should press was good is trying to limit how far behind your torso your elbows go


This. Big factor.
Posted by zatetic
Member since Nov 2015
5677 posts
Posted on 11/6/21 at 1:25 pm to
Can always check that maybe you need more range of motion. Like dumbells but hold them parallel to body instead of perpendicular. I also like doing pullovers to make sure the shoulders are in good working order. Don't want the shoulders rounding forward...
Posted by dirtytigers
225
Member since Dec 2014
2459 posts
Posted on 11/10/21 at 10:09 am to
Id follow this advice on the press path.

I tore my rotator cuff pitching in high school and never dealt with it. Never would touch my chest while benching because of a sharp pain. Stretching and strengthening other muscles with exercises such as decline pushups helped me get over this. Only downfall is after changing it up I lost like 50 lbs on my bench reteaching my muscles how to work in the correct fashion, but correct form is much more important
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