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Bench Press: Avoiding Shoulder Injuries
Iron Alliance
New member
What happened to my thread?
Crossfit obvious haz bets bench techniks, so we help with pics of crossfit lol. we help outz Oli style.
And now for the obligatory.
Crossfit obvious haz bets bench techniks, so we help with pics of crossfit lol. we help outz Oli style.
And now for the obligatory.
Look troll like hell in the bb section, but if we're going to keep it respectable anywhere it should be the strength!
Iron Alliance
New member
What do you think the pictars of scantily clad hotties looking "strong" are for?
But seriously. Find what width on bench works for you. My comfort zone is anywhere between index fingers on rings to pinky fingers on rings. I can't really get any further out on my widest and any closer in than pinkies I tend to flare too much and it becomes all delts. Not a good way to keep my shoulders in check. I'm also pretty adamant on a good set-up. Even the slightest bit of looseness in the scapula and lat's while handling anything 135+ and my form can and will go up the creek, causing my delts to take over, as they're want to do. Again not a good way to keep my shoulder's working well in the long run.
Cliff notes:
-Find "YOUR" width.
-Set up is damn important
-More crossfit hotties.
But seriously. Find what width on bench works for you. My comfort zone is anywhere between index fingers on rings to pinky fingers on rings. I can't really get any further out on my widest and any closer in than pinkies I tend to flare too much and it becomes all delts. Not a good way to keep my shoulders in check. I'm also pretty adamant on a good set-up. Even the slightest bit of looseness in the scapula and lat's while handling anything 135+ and my form can and will go up the creek, causing my delts to take over, as they're want to do. Again not a good way to keep my shoulder's working well in the long run.
Cliff notes:
-Find "YOUR" width.
-Set up is damn important
-More crossfit hotties.
Its more about tips for surviving benching long term. I'm not keen on a shoulder op, which seems to be a big thing with powerlifters. Where we're at so far:
- Proper technique (narrow grip, bench to nipples, some arch)
- Balance benching with overhead and lat work (bent row and chins)
- Xfit girls
- Proper technique (narrow grip, bench to nipples, some arch)
- Balance benching with overhead and lat work (bent row and chins)
- Xfit girls
Iron Alliance
New member
That's the thing though Oli, I've allready had a reco done on my left shoulder, completely unrelated to lifting at all, and if I benched frequently with a narrow(er) grip I'd be looking at the knife again for sure. It's about your leverages, regardless of how much weight you move.
Example: A mate of mine is atleast 6"5 pushing 6"6. His bench grip is closer than mine. Why? Because relative to his body, he has a shorter wingspan than me.
The rest, bench to nipples/some arch and balancing your pressing I'll happily agree with. I will say for shoulder health, I'd prefer you (in general) to be stronger in your back work than pressing obviously, not a 1:1 balance.
Example: A mate of mine is atleast 6"5 pushing 6"6. His bench grip is closer than mine. Why? Because relative to his body, he has a shorter wingspan than me.
The rest, bench to nipples/some arch and balancing your pressing I'll happily agree with. I will say for shoulder health, I'd prefer you (in general) to be stronger in your back work than pressing obviously, not a 1:1 balance.
Man I don't buy the wingspan thing. Back in the day my stunt as a bass player was to drop the strap as low as possible (I had one custom ordered because none were ever long enough) and played it around my knees. If you reckon a wide grip is how you need to bench I believe you but youd be an exception.
Iron Alliance
New member
Funny. I used to play guitar up high. Like nerdy high. Never liked it low slung, admittedly cool though.
Also I'm not sure how many people take into account wrist angle. With or without wraps etc. If the bar rolls back towards your fingers because of your pre-pubescent girl grip that's going to change how you hold the load, and effectively how you press it. It'll change your ability to tuck your elbows, if that's your preference etc.
Wingspan arguments or not, I've never really "thought" about it. I just bench how "I" find comfortable, I also happen to have relatively long arms and also happen to find wide(r) benching more comfortable.
You're a close(r) grip bencher yes, Oli?
Also I'm not sure how many people take into account wrist angle. With or without wraps etc. If the bar rolls back towards your fingers because of your pre-pubescent girl grip that's going to change how you hold the load, and effectively how you press it. It'll change your ability to tuck your elbows, if that's your preference etc.
Wingspan arguments or not, I've never really "thought" about it. I just bench how "I" find comfortable, I also happen to have relatively long arms and also happen to find wide(r) benching more comfortable.
You're a close(r) grip bencher yes, Oli?
Iron Alliance
New member
Utterly useless as a back exercise. I'm told for an "explosiveness" building upper body movement they're quite good and a lot of MMA fighter swear by them.
I think it's more a movement you train to get better at that movement. It does look cool though. I swear I've seen a guy hanging onto a bar while doing "The Worm".
I think it's more a movement you train to get better at that movement. It does look cool though. I swear I've seen a guy hanging onto a bar while doing "The Worm".
Oli one big problem here: you stated Lat work as important to reduce injuries through benching. It is not the lats you are interested in it is the rhomboids, lower and mid trap fibres and the external rotators. You lats in fact internally rotate the shoulder and do not retract the scapula and minimally depress it (the two movements you want).
Back on topic.
Andy has always said we need to pass the test of time.
I started benching in 1980 and eventually tore my pec in 1996.
For 16 years I benched with a thumb spacing out from the knurling. I was able to bent row 140kg x 6 while benching roughly the same, a few more reps on the bench. I did lots of seated overhead pressing as well.
During those 16 years I never once even had a sore shoulder.
Fast forward to 2007 and I stupidly benched 150kg with my severed pec, same grip. Not having an attached pec transferred far too much weight onto the right shoulder.
It hurt so bad, I eventually had a 3 year break lol...overkill.
I have started benching again and have found that my shoulder feels better with a slightly wider grip.
I believe if I had never severed my pec, my shoulder would never have got injured with my close grip and elbows out wide.
The pec tear was caused by stupidity, not bench technique, but thats another story.
Andy has always said we need to pass the test of time.
I started benching in 1980 and eventually tore my pec in 1996.
For 16 years I benched with a thumb spacing out from the knurling. I was able to bent row 140kg x 6 while benching roughly the same, a few more reps on the bench. I did lots of seated overhead pressing as well.
During those 16 years I never once even had a sore shoulder.
Fast forward to 2007 and I stupidly benched 150kg with my severed pec, same grip. Not having an attached pec transferred far too much weight onto the right shoulder.
It hurt so bad, I eventually had a 3 year break lol...overkill.
I have started benching again and have found that my shoulder feels better with a slightly wider grip.
I believe if I had never severed my pec, my shoulder would never have got injured with my close grip and elbows out wide.
The pec tear was caused by stupidity, not bench technique, but thats another story.
Iron Alliance
New member
Despite only being a young buck in this game, I've found having a stronger row/pull than press is beneficial to longevity. I know my bent row is a fair bit stronger than my bench. 120kg x 10 is generally no worries and form stays solid. No way I can do that with bench, yet. Now I can move upto 130-140kg, and form start's to get a little loose with the row's but still 5-6 reps is do-able, whereas bench is a 140kg max, and a double or triple if I'm lucky at 130kg.
Now I focused a lot on re-hab and back work initially due to a torn rotator cuff and general fraying of the should socket/joint cartilege. So I may be a little biased towards shoulder health and pre-hab + back work, but as I've said even after all that it's just finding what works best for you. Otherwise it would be like saying, Sumo is the strongest style of pull because you have less rom. That's a rather big blanket statement.
For the record I've only ever ONCE had a shoulder problem when benching, it was my right shoulder, not the one that had a reco and was due to a shitty set-up in my early days of benching. Scapula wasn't set, no real form at all, right delt took too much weight and tweaked a little. Proper set-up, grip set for my liking and I've never had a twinge since.
Now I focused a lot on re-hab and back work initially due to a torn rotator cuff and general fraying of the should socket/joint cartilege. So I may be a little biased towards shoulder health and pre-hab + back work, but as I've said even after all that it's just finding what works best for you. Otherwise it would be like saying, Sumo is the strongest style of pull because you have less rom. That's a rather big blanket statement.
For the record I've only ever ONCE had a shoulder problem when benching, it was my right shoulder, not the one that had a reco and was due to a shitty set-up in my early days of benching. Scapula wasn't set, no real form at all, right delt took too much weight and tweaked a little. Proper set-up, grip set for my liking and I've never had a twinge since.
