Shoulder Issue - Workaround.

[Julian Ganter]

Hi everyone,

so my shoulder pain returned i had problems with impingement for the last years and now it's coming back after hitting 200 lbs on bench.
Overhead pressing is still possible "almost" pain free. For some time i will ditch the bench press and keep only pressing.

Would alternating OHP and floor presses additionally be a reasonable substitute for bench pressing as it can be loaded heavier than OHP?

Also my left scapula feel like it has bad tracking, it's sometime more an abrupt movement than smooth gliding. I Incorporated warm-ups that move my scapula in all planes.
This improves the movement of the scapula but i'm not too sure if i could maybe do something superior.

Any suggestions? Thanks for the help!

PS: i'm already seeing a PT & doctor.

[danomite!]

Do you have a recent bench video you can share? Also review fig 5-16 on page 159 of the blue book.

[Julian Ganter]

Can you tell me the chapter? I've only got the books as an e-book. The pages there depend on font size...

If this chapter is about the bench press . I am pinching my shoulder blades hard back and down. The bar contacts a little below my nipples. And the arm angle should be fine. I reread the chapter Yesterday.

I have no video of my bench at all. But the best video i could provide in my next session would be 90 lbs x 5. I don't know if that helps?

[danomite!]

Definitely get some video. Your perception of how you are performing the lift may be very different than reality. See the stickies on filming angles, etc... to get the best possible view for feedback. The figure I referenced is in the bench chapter in the common problems section. Both fig 5-14 and 5-16 concerning arm angle and bar path.

At the risk of projecting my own issues- I was starting to develop some shoulder pain after benching a while back. I hadn't filmed the lift in some time because I felt I had it down pat. The next session I filmed it to see what was going on. I was correctly lowering the bar on an angle to nipple height. When the bar started up it drifted quickly back over my shoulders. That's where my issue was. Just a form creep over time that I would have caught sooner if I filmed more frequently (or had a coach, or at the least a decent training partner). A video will tell the tale. Good luck!