scapular position with benchpress

[xlifter]

This post is primarily for a therapist athletic trainer etc with some understanding of the shoulder complex Sorry I guess this is not about anabolic steroids. I am just hoping that an avid lifter here may also have some background that may be helpful with these questions.

I have had myofascial pain of the low traps for about 6 years. Shortly after this pain developed I began having shoulder pain (likely RC impingement) with bench press. I eventually quit lifting because of this.
I have tried many times over the past six years to rehab this injury and resume serious lifting.

I still suffer from interscapular myofascial pain, but I have recently discovered that I can perform bench press if I make a supreme effort to fully retract and slightly depress my scapula while lowering the weight to my chest. As a matter of fact I feel like it is quite hard to bring the bar all the way to my chest with out fully retracting my scapula.

My theory of course is that inhibition of my low traps and possibly rhomboids secondary to pain impaired my mechanics (scapulohumeral rhythm) and caused the shoulder dysfunction. So I am interested in what degree does the average person retract (pinch together) there shoulder blades with bench press???

I was discussing this with a physical therapist at work that is a personal and athletic trainer. She informed me that there should be no movement of the shoulder blades with bench press because the bar should not come to the chest but rather the upper arms should only come parallel to the floor. She stated that scapular movement should not be substituted for glenohumeral movement to achieve full range. I find this concept strange for two reasons. First of all I have never heard of anyone else who thinks full range of motion with the bench press is not the bar to the chest. Also any therapist understands that scapular movement is required for correct mechanics of the shoulder complex with flexion of the shoulder. So I see no reason why scapular retraction should not be required for full horizontal abduction of the shoulder. Does anyone have an opinion on what full range of motion for the bench press should be with respect for proper body mechanics?

 

[ZKaudio]

Last year, I fractured my scapula doing something stupid. Needless to say, it caused me to change up my chest routine a lot. I do NO barbench now, dumbells for everything. I focus mostly on incline and most importantly, I try to use a narrow bench so that my bones aren't supporting my upper body, I like most of the pressure to be put on my middle back as opposed to the scapuli. This has helped me out a lot... hope it can help u

 

[xlifter]

Thanks for the info ZKaudio,

Have you tried partial ROM with barbell bench press. You might be able to do partial ROM without much scapular movement. I guess I may give partil ROM a try. I have tried dumbells in the past and they do bother my shoulders somewhat but maybe I should try partial reps with them as well.

Yes, I think what this therapist was telling me might be beneficia;l to me and you. It just seemed real strange to me that she felt no one should perform full bench presses to the chest because it excedes our natural ROM.

I think before my injury bench press to the chest felt very natural.

Good luck with that scapula fracture

Xlifter

 

[Riker29]

Half of what you said, admitedly, went right over my head.

One thing I have noticed, for me is that I think mnany guys drop the weight far far far too low when doing presses, and this places undue stress across the scapula.

I have stopped lowering the bar so much and the stres on min scapula and shoulders has dropped a lot. I now focus my muscular contractions more at the top of the movement and I think I have seen more results.

So much for the macho "hit the bar with your chest" BS.

 

[the_only_sepe]

it is proper form while benching to fully retract the scapula, it keeps the shoulders from doing any of the pushing, you will notice with the retacted scapula you wont be able to lock out the elbows, so If your elbows are locking out while benching , you are using your delts tooo much!

 

[Bulldog_10]

it is proper form while benching to fully retract the scapula, it keeps the shoulders from doing any of the pushing, you will notice with the retacted scapula you wont be able to lock out the elbows, so If your elbows are locking out while benching , you are using your delts tooo much!

Exactly my opinion. To use correct form for the bench press you should fully retract the scapulas. If you try this you will notice that you are using the pectoralis much more efficiently. Most people use their delts WAY too much during the bench press. BTW, it is the same for incline and decline.

Just to let you know, I'm a Clinical Excercise Phys. major.

 

[tee]

I dont know if this will help or not, but I figured Id tell you. My friend messed up his shoulder/back in the scapula area and also had trouble benching. He now uses a towel rolled up on his chest, or one of those bar pads on the bar when benching. He is still a big mofo despite the limited movement of the bar while benching and he said it keeps his shoulder/scapula area from hurting like it did. Hope that can help.

 

[solidj55]

Read about the form powerlifters use for bench press and it should help your problem. Pinch your shoulder blades together while laying on the bench and push with the heals of your feet as if your trying to push your traps and upper back into the bench. I use partial movements ie. board presses, floor presses, etc as Maximum effort exercises to build up my lockout strength for bench press but I also do full range benches too. I dont believe that partial bench press movements like what that woman told you will benifit you unless your powerlifting like what I spoke about but thats just my opinion.

 

[xlifter]

Thanks everyone for the responses.

I also posted this on the powerlifting board. I am going to go over there and see if I got any responses.

Yesterday was my first time visiting the powerlifting board. It was very interesting. I happened to run across a post "Bench press 101" or something like that. It also said that your scapula need to be fully retracted. I am glad to hear that from several different sources. Now I just need to re-train my rhomboids and traps to contract like they used to. Maybe it won’t increase my interscapular pain too much. I alternate bench press with rowing. I hope the stretch I get with the rowing will offset some of the pain and tightness I get in my low traps and rhomboids.

I am ready to continue my argument/discussion with the Therapist at work, but she is moving and I am on vacation now so I guess I will just have to forget about it

Thanks again

Xlifter

 

[solidj55]

just bitch smack your therapist in the mouth and do what you gotta do man. i know a lot of these people are very well educated but they are more concerned with "safety" vs results in the gym.