Bench press today. bad pain...

[1badMF]

I started back at the gym today and it was a chest day. I was super disapointed at my workout today because I wen't in all pumped up ready to go and I couldn't bench press worth a shit. I started getting a bad pain in my left arm between my shoulder and my laterial head tricep. When I go and press down hard in that area it hurts bad like deep in my arm. Not really the tricep or should muscles that hurt just more like a tendon or something. It might be a tendon that runs down my arm from there but im not sure. It hurt really bad last week while doing shoulders and that workout turned to shit also because of it. I took 2 days of thinking it would be better but when I did bech press I could usually hit 315 6 or 7 good times but today I sucked and only hit it 3 times. The pain just keep me from going on. Should I take a week off or and few more days then go back to the gym? Please help!

[Motorcycleguy]

Shoulders are not something to mess around with. Go to the doctor and figure out what is wrong. Take his/her advise and DO NOT push it too early.

[BBAddict]

I've had shoulder and rotator cuff problems--don't mess with it. Don't fight the pain. Figure out what's wrong and take care of it. You'll come out way ahead in the long run.

[go Yankees]

see


a



doctor

one of my friends tore his rotator cuff benching...be very careful, coming down puts a lot of stress on your shoulder

[1badMF]

Damn you scare me. Thats when I feel it the most is when im all the way down. I set an appointment up for tomorrow. I hope they don't say, "Oh just take a couple weeks of from the gym and you'll be fine.." that would suck

[BBAddict]

Damn you scare me. Thats when I feel it the most is when im all the way down.

How far down do you go? --benching that is.

[1badMF]

Probably an inch from my chest. Sometimes I'll touch my chest but that hurts my shoulders too much.

[metalmarty]

Probably an inch from my chest. Sometimes I'll touch my chest but that hurts my shoulders too much.

I find that lowering the bar to four inches from my chest takes my shoulders out of the lift completely. Lowering the bar any further doesn't do any more for the chest, contrary to popular belief. Actually, touching the bar to your chest may take some of the stress off the pecs and strain the shoulders.

[infiniti1982]

what do you all consider perfect bench form?

Whenever I start doing flat bench, I start to get a slightly sharp (but not painful) sensation in the middle of my right pec--I tend to feel it more when I'm going light with warm up sets then I do during my heavy sets. Since I don't want to risk anything, I pretty much avoid flat bench year round, since no other movement gives me trouble.

[metalmarty]

what do you all consider perfect bench form?

Whenever I start doing flat bench, I start to get a slightly sharp (but not painful) sensation in the middle of my right pec--I tend to feel it more when I'm going light with warm up sets then I do during my heavy sets. Since I don't want to risk anything, I pretty much avoid flat bench year round, since no other movement gives me trouble.

A lot of people avoid the bench press for the same reason. I stuck with dumbells for a while at one point. But if you can do the barbell press without pain, it is probably the best mass builder for the chest.

[infiniti1982]

i might start throwing it in the mix one of two times a month, since it usually only starts to hurt after weeks of benching.

[Ashop]

Shoulders are not something to mess around with. Go to the doctor and figure out what is wrong. Take his/her advise and DO NOT push it too early.

good advice. shoulder is complex joint.

[BBAddict]

I find that lowering the bar to four inches from my chest takes my shoulders out of the lift completely. Lowering the bar any further doesn't do any more for the chest, contrary to popular belief. Actually, touching the bar to your chest may take some of the stress off the pecs and strain the shoulders.

:agree: No reason to go down to the chest in terms of muscle development. I don't feel the need or any advantage from going beyond a right angle in my arms during benching. In fact, that's how I reinjured a rotator cuff and I avoid going deeper now to save my shoulders and rotator cuff. Try doing presses only to where your arms are perpendicular after your shoulder feels better.

[1badMF]

I'll see what the doctor tells me today when I go in. I'm going to do legs today since they seem to be the only thing that hasn't broken down yet lol. I've been told that going all the way down on bench works deep inside your chest but it does make sense that when you do that, you get more into your shoulders because I do feel it more in my shoulders than chest when I go all the way.

[bowbow]

:agree: No reason to go down to the chest in terms of muscle development. I don't feel the need or any advantage from going beyond a right angle in my arms during benching. In fact, that's how I reinjured a rotator cuff and I avoid going deeper now to save my shoulders and rotator cuff. Try doing presses only to where your arms are perpendicular after your shoulder feels better.

I'm glad I saw this, I think I'm going to try this next time as well and see how it feals.