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Thread: Shoulder Pain During Bench Press

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
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    Default Shoulder Pain During Bench Press

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    Hey! Thanks in advance for any help.

    I had shoulder surgery about five years ago, and since then I have been cleared by my surgeon and PT to do any physical activity I please.

    Unfortunately, when I bench press, I experience de-mobilizing pain in the shoulder when rotating from a close-grip bench press elbow position (parallel to the torso) to a traditional bench press elbow position (30% angle from the body) when unracking the weight to press. It's essentially a shoulder abduction movement that causes the pain, but only when loaded from the anterior in a prone position.

    It does not seem to affect my strength at all, and I get stronger in the bench press steadily. I imagine that I am limited and increasing in strength more slowly than I would if I did not have this problem.

    I do not feel this pain hardly any other time, and it does not affect my (overhead) press at all.

    Chiropractors think I need skeletal adjustments, massage therapists think I have adhesions that need to be massaged out. I'm a lifter, and this is a lifting problem, so I thought you guys would know better what I can do to fix or adjust my problem.

    Thanks again!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
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    Chicago Burbs, IL
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    I'm no expert on shoulders but I used this video.

    Shoulder Rehab | Mark Rippetoe

    I'd do this as an assistance and see if this changes your symptoms.

    You don't say your age, being 63, I'm more cautious about shoulders. It doesn't seem like a good idea to push through shoulder pain on the bench.

    Hope this helps.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
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    South Florida
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jarrod Schaefer View Post
    Hey! Thanks in advance for any help.

    I had shoulder surgery about five years ago, and since then I have been cleared by my surgeon and PT to do any physical activity I please.

    Unfortunately, when I bench press, I experience de-mobilizing pain in the shoulder when rotating from a close-grip bench press elbow position (parallel to the torso) to a traditional bench press elbow position (30% angle from the body) when unracking the weight to press. It's essentially a shoulder abduction movement that causes the pain, but only when loaded from the anterior in a prone position.

    It does not seem to affect my strength at all, and I get stronger in the bench press steadily. I imagine that I am limited and increasing in strength more slowly than I would if I did not have this problem.

    I do not feel this pain hardly any other time, and it does not affect my (overhead) press at all.

    Chiropractors think I need skeletal adjustments, massage therapists think I have adhesions that need to be massaged out. I'm a lifter, and this is a lifting problem, so I thought you guys would know better what I can do to fix or adjust my problem.

    Thanks again!
    This sounds like a form problem. Not sure what you're describing with "rotating from CGBP to regular bench." Post a video up top for the coaches to take a look.

    CGBP sometimes bothers shoulders. Re-read Starting Strength for correct elbow / bar path movement (you have read the book, right?).

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
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    Thanks for your response! I'll definitely watch this video and use what I see. Thank you. I am 28 btw.

  5. #5
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    Aug 2017
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    Could be a form problem. I don't purport to be an expert. A video may be a good idea, but since the pain occurs even with an unloaded bar or with no bar at all, I'm very confident that it is not. Probably a lack of proper strength-focused rehabilitation during the the healing process might have caused some improper healing to occur.

    On an aside, I'm fairly confident my form is fine; but I'll be happy to get a video. And yes, haha, I have read the book a time or two. The injury occurred years before I ever heard of Starting Strength, so I'm relearning the movements through the lens of the pain that already exists, if that makes any sense.

  6. #6
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    Mar 2014
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    Chicago, IL
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    Post a video.

  7. #7
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    Jan 2013
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    Replace barbell with dumbbells?

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by OZ-USF-UFGator View Post
    Replace barbell with dumbbells?
    Why?

  9. #9
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    Jan 2013
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nate9 View Post
    Why?
    Dumbbells offer a huge range of motion window. Someone with shoulder pain barbell pressing can have a good likelihood of using dumbbells in a ROM that will not aggravate the shoulder. The only "downside" that I can see is with your ego. a 200# barbell is likely equivalent to a pair of 65-75 pound dumbbells for me, anyway but that is inclined to inclined. Oh and dumbbells are a pain in the ass to lug around in the gym too. On the plus side, if you work your way up to using 100# dumbbells and switch back to barbell, you'll likely be doing 225 ish for the same # of reps. If the OP can use dumbbells pain free than why not replace the barbell with them. You an get strong AF with dumbbell bench presses.

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