Shoulder Hurts after Bench Press.

One of the more common injuries associated with bench/chest press, is shoulder Pain. Here are some of the potential causes and solutions.

Potential causes for shoulder pain:

1. Warm up - Either your warm up isn't sufficient or you’re just plain avoiding the arm up altogether. So an easy fix is to start doing warm ups prior to your bench and make sure it is representative of the movement and movement patterns you are about to attempt. So if you are doing bench press and your warm up includes some lunges and a bit of light jogging, we are not doing anything representative for you movement. Although this will get your heart rate up and increase general blood flow into the muscles, if you are getting shoulder pain, try to incorporate a light pushing movement. This could be some kneeling press ups, some banded flys or any other light movement that has a similar movement pattern.

   
   

2. Dynamic stretching - This is an extension of your warm up, but also good just as and when you are feeling a bit stiff. If. You feel like the dynamic stretches reduces the pain, this is more than likely a sign that the issue is a muscular or tendon issue.

   
   

3. Ego Lifting - Essentially you are lifting too much weight. If you are able to lift the weight, but unable to do so whilst maintaining form, then it’s too heavy. So drop the weight down, or at least reduce your reps.

   
   

4. Technique - Either you are losing technique due to the load being to heavy, or you don’t have the correct technique in the first place. the bench press requires attention throughout the body; from the feet to the wrists. There is a lot to think about, but the most common mistake people tend to make is flaring the elbows. Essentially this is allowing your elbows to raise up away from your torso, which in turn put pressure and extra load onto the shoulder. Top tip is to keep your humorous (upper arm) approximately 45 degrees from the torso.

   
   

5. Recovery - I say this all the time because it is so important for the regular gym goer: your recovery should match your workout intensity. If you are training regularly (3-5 times p/week) you should be ensuring that you are prioritising your recovery. This means adequate nutrition to support your body, water for hydration, rest/sleep, stretching, sports massage therapy and living a generally active lifestyle.

Sports Massage Therapy can be a huge help for someone who trains regularly. Regular Massage maintenance every 4 to 6 weeks is a great way to keep on top of your recover. If you are finding that you are getting regular issues and starting to feel like your body needs an MOT, it might be worth booking in for a session.