5 Ways to Make Bench Pressing More Shoulder Friendly
The bench press. There’s no mistaking it’s popularity. Walk into most gyms and you’re bound to see an inverse relationship between the number of bench press stations available and squat racks. Likewise, it’s no coincidence that there’s a lot barrel chested guys walking around with chicken legs than vice versa.
I get it, though. As dudes (and yes, women can enter the conversation too, but they’re not nearly as enamored) it’s almost engrained in our DNA out of the womb to bench press.
Ask any guy what he did the first time he stepped foot in a gym and nine times out of ten he’s gonna say “come on man, I benched.”
No exercise is as glamorized nor put on pedestal as the bench press. Moreover, no exercise eats up one’s shoulders like the bench press.
That said, the bench press isn’t going away anytime soon (not that it should, it’s a fantastic exercise), but below are a few suggestions on how tweak it so that your shoulders are less likely to hate you.
1. Uh, Stop Benching (Just for a Little While)
Whenever I start working with someone and they start to describe how much their shoulder hurts one of the first questions I’ll ask is what their benching frequency is like.
More often than not, to put it lightly, it’s a lot.
And while I realize it’s borderline asinine for me to say (because it seems so obvious), I’m going to say it anyways: stop benching.
If bench pressing hurts your shoulder, stop doing it Sherlock!
But since most guys will react by pounding their feet to ground and screaming, “no, no, no, NO!” and then act as if I just ruined their world and said “you’re not leaving this table until you finish your veggies Mister!” I’ll usually lighten the blow by telling them that I only want them to lay low for a week or two, just to see if their symptoms subside.
In the interim I’ll suggest they ramp up their horizontal rowing frequency to the tune of 2:1 or 3:1 (pull:push) ratio and start adding in more push-up variations (which will usually end up being more of a challenge than they think).
Guys often scoff at push-ups, but you’d be surprised as to how many can’t perform them correctly, let alone be able to do ten straight.
I LOVE push-ups in that they’re a closed chain exercise (bench pressing is open chain) which allow for a little more wiggle room for the scapulae to actually move. Conversely, with the bench press, the shoulder blades are glued to the bench itself which can be problematic down the road.
Sure, setting the scapulae in place for stability and transference of force is paramount, but considering the long-term ramifications that can have on shoulder health, it “may” not be ideal for some.
In any case, it’s amazing how much better most shoulders will feel after a couple of weeks of laying off the bench press and addressing muscular imbalances by including more rowing into the mix.
Speaking truthfully, outside of the powerlifting realm I’d be perfectly content with nixing benching altogether for most guys and just opting for push-up variations and dumbbell work. But since pigs will fly before that happens, and guys are going to want to bench press no matter what, here are some more options.
2. Change Your Hand Position
Utilizing more of a narrow or close grip variation will undoubtedly be more “shoulder friendly” in the long run. When we bench with a wider grip it’s a lot easier for the elbows to flare out, which in turn makes the shoulder more vulnerable, unstable, and want to flip us the bird.
Don’t go too narrow however. The one caveat with using a super narrow grip is that we’ll tend to “crowd” ourselves once the bar reaches chest height and the scapulae will dip into anterior tilt and cause more anterior humeral glide (which again, will lead to more instability, not to mention a pissed off bicep tendon).
My general rule of thumb for close grip is roughly shoulder width apart, maybe a teeny tiny bit less depending on the person. For a frame of reference, here’s a picture I snaked off of Mike Robertson’s site:
3. Get a Hand-Off For the Love of God
If you ask any powerlifter or strength coach how important the initial set-up is for the bench press, they’ll inevitably say it’s VERY important.
I don’t want to get into the specifics here – you can easily go read anything Dave Tate has written on the topic – but suffice it to say it’s crucial to set a stable base of support when benching. And that’s going to entail setting your shoulder blades together AND DOWN!!!
A lot of guys will set up properly only to lose everything once they go to un-rack the bar. In order to un-rack the bar they’ll have to protract and abduct the shoulders which kind of defeats the purpose of going through the trouble to set up.
For whatever reason some guys are stubborn when it comes to getting or asking for a hand-off, as if it’s some kind of hit on their manhood.
You’re asking for a hand-off, not for a pedicure. Not that there’s anything wrong with getting a pedicure from time to time. They’re actually quite lovely sometimes. Er, I mean, that’s what I’ve heard at least.
*runs off in the other direction*
Anyhoo, I actually dedicated an entire blog not too long ago on the importance of getting a proper hand-off and the benefits of doing so, so I won’t belabor the point here.
For those too lazy to click on the link, here’s the video component for your viewing pleasure.
4. Board Presses
We actually have a checklist of progressions that we like our clients and athletes to go through before they actually touch a standard bench press. It starts all the way down with push-up isometric holds (pain free ROM) all the way up to the end game of bench pressing like a boss.
Somewhere in the middle are board presses.
Board presses are beneficial for a variety of reasons
1. For the sake of this conversation they’re fantastic because they allow us to limit the ROM so that benching it’s pain free. But we’re still benching, so psychologically it’s a huge win for most guys.
We can start with a 4-5 board press and work our way down three, two, and then one…..so it’s a nice sliding scale of progressions.
2. A bit off topic, board presses are also a fantastic way to teach the body to hold more weight. Because of the reduced ROM, we’re able to load the bar heavier and you can program your CNS to “feel” what it’s like to hold a heavier load.
3. Plus, board presses are an awesome exercise to hammer the triceps.
5. Decline Bench Press
Eric Cressey noted this point yesterday during a staff in-service and is something he’s goes into much more detail on in his Elite Training Mentorship series.
When we’re referencing true “impingement” syndrome with most guys, many will light up when they reach roughly 80-90 degrees of shoulder flexion.
With the decline bench, it’s not uncommon to see 10-15 degrees less shoulder flexion and subsequently guys tend to stay outside of that “danger” zone. So, this is yet another way to make benching a bit more shoulder friendly, and serves as a nice progression leading up to regular bench pressing down the road.
Comments for This Entry
Steve Bergeron
Solid post dude. I'm a big fan of DB and KB floor presses and 1-arm floor presses as well with cranky shoulders. 1-arm KB floor press is surprisingly challenging to do with good technique for many.August 15, 2013 at 9:11 am |
TonyGentilcore
Thanks dude - always appreciate it when top notch coaches chime in!August 17, 2013 at 2:43 pm |
Jani
I'd love to know how people do decline bar/dumbell presses without sliding off :( I need a bloody rubber suit for traction or something.August 15, 2013 at 9:54 am |
TonyGentilcore
Jani - If you add on some mini-bands (length wise) on the bench that will work like a charm in helping you slide off the bench.August 15, 2013 at 6:09 pm |
Jani
That's actually a great idea, Tony! Thanks :D I'll sweep my fiance's ps3 fit mini-bands, mwahaha! Thank you for the great articles, too btw!August 16, 2013 at 11:33 am |
TonyGentilcore
No worries at all Jani.August 19, 2013 at 10:21 am |
Jeremy
I came away from that article with a hope to sneak a peek at your list of chest progressions.... and any other progression lists. :DAugust 15, 2013 at 11:37 am |
TonyGentilcore
Guess you'll just have to buy Muscle Imbalances Revealed - Upper Body......;o)August 15, 2013 at 6:08 pm |
John Phung
#6: Reverse Grip Bench Press ;) http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/master_the_reversegrip_bench_pressAugust 15, 2013 at 2:01 pm |
TonyGentilcore
Um, no.....August 15, 2013 at 3:25 pm |
John Phung
Oh yeah? Why's that?August 15, 2013 at 3:37 pm |
TonyGentilcore
Not really a fan of the valgus stress on the elbows with that one. I'm sure it's a fine exercise, but the cost/benefit is a little too skewed for my liking.August 15, 2013 at 6:08 pm |
Daniel Rodriguez
Great stuff as always Tony. I wanted to know your opinion about using a weight plate underneath the bench to make a slight decline, Christian Thibaudeau wrote about it in T-Nation but I'd like to know your opinion about it.August 15, 2013 at 8:35 pm |
TonyGentilcore
That would work just fine Daniel. I see no reason why that wouldn't be an easy way to implement a decline.August 17, 2013 at 2:44 pm |
Gareth
What about neutral grip press with a swiss bar or similar?August 16, 2013 at 5:42 am |
TonyGentilcore
That would be a fantastic option, especially given that the neutral grip allows for a bit more external rotation in the shoulder. But I wanted to focus more on straight bar variations in this post since most guys won't have access to such a bar.August 17, 2013 at 2:45 pm |
Hare
Barbell bench doesn't bother me, but incline DB bench often gets one shoulder inventing new words just to cuss me out. Is there a way to make DB bench more shoulder-friendly? (fwiw, I only bench once a week)August 16, 2013 at 3:09 pm |
TonyGentilcore
Well, a few things: 1. Don't use an incline (as that will promote more shoulder flexion). Start with a decline and go from there. 2. Use more of a neutral grip when holding the DBs.August 19, 2013 at 10:22 am |
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Shauna
David Dellanave mentioned to me that he can do BB guillotine presses without botching his shoulders. I was amazed and decided to give it a go. Don't tell David that they hurt just a tiny bit when I do them, but they have worked magic for my shoulder. Fwiw, I don't think I trashed it by traditional benching, but a variety of things and the kicker was probably the wide grip pullups and clapping push-ups. But my shoulder hurt all the time. When I started working with David, I told him my goal was to be able to reach to my back seat to retrieve something and to be able to take off my shirt without pain. We spent a lot of time eliminating/modifying (lots of shoulder width neutral grip) stuff that aggravated my shoulder, and the guillotine presses were the final touch that really made it better. Goal!August 31, 2013 at 10:14 am |
TonyGentilcore
Nice Shauna. Glad to hear they're feeling better. David's a smart dude for sure. Can't say I ever tried the Guillotine press - I may have to give it a go!September 1, 2013 at 8:41 am |
coachkoosh
Just wanted to say thanks for this article. Do you have a favorite type of pushup variation? I remember you guys prescribing switches last year when I was at CP. Also, thoughts on ring pushups ?September 2, 2013 at 4:40 pm |
TonyGentilcore
You're welcome. My favorite push-up is one that 1) someone can do correctly and 2) isn't painful. There are a million and one different variations, so it's hard to say which one is my absolute favorite. Ring push-ups are hit or miss. Most people are going to go into excessive glenohumeral extension (elbows passed the midline) which is going to cause more anterior glide and instability in the shoulder joint. That's definitely a variation that I consider fairly advanced and will use on a case-by-case basis. Someone with a history of shoulder issues should probably steer clear.September 3, 2013 at 6:33 am |
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[…] Shoulder-Friendly Bench Pressing […]September 27, 2013 at 6:01 am |
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[…] more insight on how you can make bench pressing a little more “shoulder friendly” check out THIS article from a few months ago discussing five other strategies you can implement […]August 1, 2014 at 5:06 am |
Goose
I find that my shoulders are fine on any exercise with chest, Yet whenever i have done decline bench press with dumbbells i get pain in my shoulders after 2-3 reps?March 10, 2015 at 4:48 pm |
TonyGentilcore
Huh, well that's a conundrum. You're an outlier for sure.March 11, 2015 at 2:23 am |
cheesedips .
All the ipf Europeans and Russians bench wide. What gives?June 19, 2015 at 8:27 pm |
MarkInCA
If anyone knows any good push up variations, please let me know. I've got injuries all over (rot cuff, L4/5, knee) so I really need options beyond the benchDecember 2, 2015 at 1:02 pm |
TonyGentilcore
Markin - sorry to hear about your shoulder woes. If you do a search on the site and type in "push ups" I'm positive you'll come up with several variations that will be a good fit.December 3, 2015 at 8:26 am |
Fiona Simmins
Hey Tony..I read your articles on tnation but came across this article during a web search. I just wanted to let you know how much I look forward to, and enjoy reading your pieces. I can always count on you for laughs and knowledge. Thank you.January 6, 2016 at 12:37 pm |
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[…] Gentilcore, a performance coach at Cressey Performance in Massachusetts, also has tips to make the bench press more shoulder friendly. With a little homework and a lot of practice, you’ll get the benefits of a good-looking bench, […]April 27, 2016 at 5:44 am |
Ethan
Right on. My friend injured his shoulder and continued to bench and it messed him up even more unfortunately :(. one resource I have used in the past that has helped me use proper form and avoid injury is critical bench. I wrote a nice little review of it on my site if anyone wants to check it out. http://fitnessaspiration.com/critical-bench-review/June 3, 2017 at 8:50 pm |
Rui
This is a great article! I too i'm facing some shoulder impingement and tried push-ups the other day and it burned my chest and triceps like never before. Totally unexpected. My only question is, should i, for a limited period of time, drop completely my bench pressing and focus on push-ups? Or can i implement as pre-fatigue before my bench session? I'm running a very basic beginner programJanuary 16, 2019 at 5:51 pm |
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Tony
Do to shoulder impingement pain I have had to change the way I bench press. I have found that using a Slingshot in conjunction with Benchblokz has put me back in the game. At age 54 I'm benching as much as ever in my life.February 4, 2020 at 8:49 am |