Left Shoulder Pop During Bench Press

[adalke]

Hello everyone,

First of all, thank you for the amazing information and help in this forum and other places online.

I've started the program recently with no prior barbell experience. I've been working consistently, adding 10lb per workout on all 4 lifts. Currently, these are my numbers:
Squat: 135lb
Bench: 110lb
Deadlift:215lb
Press: 55lb
Weight hovers on 177lb, height 6 feet.

Recently, when doing the bench press, my left shoulder sounds a pop at the very bottom of the press. I've checked form and I consistently have a spotter to help me with it.
This pop does not hurt, but after the exercise I feel some inflammation on my shoulder. This does not happen during/after the press. One other piece of information might be useful: Before starting the program I've had a lot of trouble getting into the squat position, with the bar resting on the correct position. Since then I've started doing stretches before the workout and now I can get into position for the squat correctly. This leads me to believe I have bad shoulder mobility and it is affecting my bench press as well. I've looked for stretches for the shoulder (like this page that lists a couple: Why Does My Shoulder Pop When I Bench Press? - www.themusclemaster.com), but it doesn't seem to help. Eventually I came across some sources advising that I don't do the press all the way down to touch my chest, but stop a few inches before.
Yesterday I took an ibuprofen and attempted the bench press without going all the way down, setting the spotter arms a little above the normal for reference. This stopped the popping, and seemed to work fine. However, I understand this is not the correct way to do the exercise, and I'm not one to believe I know more than the specialists here to say that that is a solution.
I've looked through this forum but found mostly answers pertaining to experienced lifters or people who have had injuries in the past.

What should I do? Is it normal for that to happen and will it go away after a while? Should I do the exercise as I've mentioned, without going all the way down?
Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thank you again.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I have noticed several posts recently that pose lots of questions that are always answered in the book. They seem to be formatted the same, and intended to make us type a lot, and little else. Is this the AI protocol? Is it testing the board?

[Jason Donaldson]

I have noticed several posts recently that pose lots of questions that are always answered in the book. They seem to be formatted the same, and intended to make us type a lot, and little else. Is this the AI protocol? Is it testing the board?

You sound like a conspiracy theorist.

[heinz83]

Hint: read the section on "Elbows".

[adalke]

Thank you for the replies. I imagine the section on Elbows you refer to is the one talking about the humeral angle and that "it is important that the angle not change during the
rep."
I tried out an experiment by positioning myself behind the vertical rack and with the help of a spotter, using the vertical arms of the rack as a guide to ensure a complete vertical bar path. This position required much more effort to have the bar touch my chest. I did more stretches similar to the ones I usually do before squatting to get in position. Nevertheless, at the very bottom of the rep I hear a little snap sound, but this time very faintly and not as loud as before. I've experimented with different angles between the advised 90 and 45 with similar results.
Could the problem be bad shoulder/back mobility forcing incorrect form at the bottom of the rep? If so, how can I correct this? Thanks!

[Mark Rippetoe]

I have no idea what you're talking about. Post a video.

[Maybach]

The book, and a surprisingly well developed body of research, are pretty clear that the optimal bar bath for a bench press is not, in fact, completely vertical.

[heinz83]

You are not supposed to have a completely vertical bar path. The bar goes from above your neck down to your nipples. You achieve that by pointing your elbows towards your feet slightly. This prevents you from snapping off the tendon of the supraspinatus muscle.

[Mark Rippetoe]

The AI cannot post a video.