Shoulder soreness from benching

[Fatty4You]

I have been lifting for a while now, but in the last few months, I have been getting shoulder pain from doing inclince bench. I never get it from flat, just incline. It is worse with dumbbells than it is with barbell incline, but its there nonetheless. I have gotten several trainers to look at my form while i am doing incline and they say my form is very good and dont know why i am getting pain.

The pain seems to be right in the joint, and perhaps a little in the rear delt. I try to stretch my shoulders before hand, but it doesn't make a difference.

Anyone else get this, or can suggest how to get rid of it??

-Fatty

 

[DrBones]

I had shoulder problems for close to 2 years (well they still nag a bit) that totally made my shoulders ache whenever I even though about benching. I then went to a deep tissue massage therapist and bam.. within 3 sessions, I was back benching pain free... I'm talking a HUGE night and day difference. Your teres major, and scap muscles probably are very tense and have some scar tissue on them. You could also have some scar tissue on your bicep tendon or something along those lines...
Find yourself a "Deep tissue" Massage therapist and get youself checked out..
I know I'm going to go at least once a month for the rest of my life after seeing the results, just think of it as giving your car an oil change.... Its a maintenance thing..

 

[needsize]

The fact that you're only getting it on incline is kinda suspicious as the higher the incline the more your shoulders are involved. The optimum angle for incline is 30-40 degrees, but most preset benches in gyms are more like 60-70. I make my own by grabbing a flat bench and sticking some plates under the bench to create my own incline, and since I started doing that i can hit heavy inclines, 120lb dumbells, with no shoulder pain.

 

[PolishHammer1977]

Fatty,

My little brother had the same problem a couple years back. Final prognosis was that his rotator cuff could not take the pressure from that angle. It would cause immediate inflamation and pain thereafter. He stopped doing barbell inclines and replaced them with light dumbell exercises.

Everyone is different obviously but it may be relevant to you. If it hurts you to do that exercise there is one thing I would advise doing. Stop doing that exercise and replace it with another. How are shoulder presses for you? Overhead angle hurt you or just the inlcine?

Deep tissue massage is also a tremendous idea. Ice and heat as well. Stretching is always a benefit. Make sure it is slow and gradual.

 

[Fatty4You]

My shoulder press feels fine, whether I am going light or heavy. Currently i am doing behind the head press on a smith machine, but that is starting to irriate my shoulders, so i am gonna start doing them on barbell in front of the head. I actually prefer it that way, but i dont got a training partner at the moment. Ill just ask one of the floor trainers to spot me.

I was thinking that maybe it was the movement of getting dumbbells from my knees to my chest, but then it wouldnt' make sense for it to hurt on barbell cause there i am starting at the top anyway.

Perhaps i will do the massage therapy. Right now i am seeing a chiropracter for my knee, maybe ill see if he recommends anyone.

Thanks fellas,

-fatty

 

[DrBones]

Funny you mention your chiropractor... thats who recommended me to go to the deep tissue massage therapist...

 

[Fatty4You]

Bones,
Yeah, my chiropracter seems to be pretty good. Right now i can squat almost like i used to and there is only a little knee pain.... as opposed to before where it used to hurt just getting out of a chair.

However, when i started going to him, i asked if i should get my quad treated with massage [active release techniques] to break up any scar tissue that was pulling my patella tight, and he said that hte muscle would heal on its own, and correcting the flow of nerves is the priority. So, now that i think about it, i bet my chiro would nix the massage.... but i will ask him anyway.

- Fatty

 

[DrBones]

I talked to my chiro and my massage therapist about active release and they have both been telling me that they think its pretty dangerous....
Basically what it is... based on what they tell me... is something like, they will pull on your arm, and you are supposed to flex? Kinda sounds like pulling your body in two different directions if you ask me... kinda sounds dangerous...
I believe the technical term for deep tissue massage is something like cross-fibre something or other... Basically, they jam there fingers into you and push along tendons and muscles which breaks up the scar tissue... my maseuse is a fuckin beast 245 @ 6' tall... hes a monster.. my chiro is pretty big too 215 @ 5'11... I actually met my chiro at the gym... Its awesome getting treated by people who have goals VERY similar to your own..
ANyways.. best of luck with the shoulder

 

[Fatty4You]

Thats cool about your chiro. Mine is tiny, maybe a buck 30, not much more than that. I trust him though, cause he's making my knee better. Ill talk to him about my shoulder, see whats up .

-Fatty

 

[rnch]

everybody's different..............

flat bench presses gives me pain in my let shoulder, but incline and decline presses do not.