Swiss Bar

[PapaBear59]

Rip

What are your thoughts of using a Swiss Bar for reducing stress on the shoulder for the press and the bench? Jim Wendler recommends it but I wanted to get your take on using it. My shoulders are starting to hurt more and at 55 I am more interested in just being able to lift and stay as strong as possible without totally screwing myself up. I did search and I did find your response from 2009 but wondering if you have had more experience with it since then.

Thanks

[Mark Rippetoe]

Still have not used it.

[Mark E. Hurling]

What are your thoughts of using a Swiss Bar for reducing stress on the shoulder for the press and the bench? Jim Wendler recommends it but I wanted to get your take on using it. My shoulders are starting to hurt more and at 55 I am more interested in just being able to lift and stay as strong as possible without totally screwing myself up.

I stopped bench pressing for over 10 years from shoulder problems in my 40's. At 60 I started doing them again after being advised to take a more narrow grip. My shoulder problems did not recur until I got careless and started widening my grip. When I grumbled about it in my log, the kind folks here asked me if I was still using a narrower grip. I saw the light and narrowed my grip again. Now at 63, my shoulders feel fine.

This may resolve your concerns as well.

[madmaxaus]

I stopped bench pressing for over 10 years from shoulder problems in my 40's. At 60 I started doing them again after being advised to take a more narrow grip. My shoulder problems did not recur until I got careless and started widening my grip. When I grumbled about it in my log, the kind folks here asked me if I was still using a narrower grip. I saw the light and narrowed my grip again. Now at 63, my shoulders feel fine.

This may resolve your concerns as well.

+1 on this, post shoulder surgery I've found taking a narrower grip on the bench has helped manage any shoulder pain pretty well.

I've used a Swiss bar for the press and like it, however your grip width is predetermined by the bar and at 6'7 I found it to be a bit constricting.

Like all things, play around with all the options until something works for you.