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What's the best way to prevent pec tears?
- Thread starter casavant
- Start date
latinus_spicticus
New member
Dude, I've had the same exact problems as you in the past 6 months. Both pecs (left and right) have been slightly torn b/c of bad form. Also, I am (was, before my most recent tear) at your level of bench strength as far as repping 315 goes.
Learn to tuck your elbows to your sides and bring the bar down to your upper abs. 45 degrees is not sufficient if you are already having problems with form, IMO. Take it in to as close to 90 degrees (ie parallel with your torso) as possible. Also,take Hannibal's bench form advice, and try to get some bands and learn how to use your lats to lower the bar. Hook the bands up to your power rack, attatch them to your bar, and pull them down to your upper abs as if you were doing a "reverse" bench press. Search for more info on this exercise on elitefitnesssystems.com or here if you need to. I would suggest buying the "average" strength jumpstretch bands for your level. Those are what I bough and the one time I used them they felt perfect. If you can't afford bands, concentrate on chest supported or lying/bent-over rows. I would read a lot of the elitefts.com articles on bench technique and review them over and over again before you get hurt. Let me reiterate this-- if I had done the same, I would not have injured both pecs. It is also a good idea to get the WSB videos and/or go to IrishPower's website to get a good indication of how things are properly done, form-wise. This has finally sunk in as I suffered a tear a couple of weeks ago that could've been prevented by using proper bench press form. Realize this-- once you get to a certain strength level, which for me was a double-bodyweight raw bench, you are in danger of injury at any time during presses, especially in the pectoral/shoulder area. Luckily, I am young and will be back within a couple of months, but you better bet your ass I will be enforcing proper form from here on out, and will be throwing on an Inzer Blast shirt with the back cut out for my "heavies" (as per IrishPower's advice).
Good luck with your training.
Learn to tuck your elbows to your sides and bring the bar down to your upper abs. 45 degrees is not sufficient if you are already having problems with form, IMO. Take it in to as close to 90 degrees (ie parallel with your torso) as possible. Also,take Hannibal's bench form advice, and try to get some bands and learn how to use your lats to lower the bar. Hook the bands up to your power rack, attatch them to your bar, and pull them down to your upper abs as if you were doing a "reverse" bench press. Search for more info on this exercise on elitefitnesssystems.com or here if you need to. I would suggest buying the "average" strength jumpstretch bands for your level. Those are what I bough and the one time I used them they felt perfect. If you can't afford bands, concentrate on chest supported or lying/bent-over rows. I would read a lot of the elitefts.com articles on bench technique and review them over and over again before you get hurt. Let me reiterate this-- if I had done the same, I would not have injured both pecs. It is also a good idea to get the WSB videos and/or go to IrishPower's website to get a good indication of how things are properly done, form-wise. This has finally sunk in as I suffered a tear a couple of weeks ago that could've been prevented by using proper bench press form. Realize this-- once you get to a certain strength level, which for me was a double-bodyweight raw bench, you are in danger of injury at any time during presses, especially in the pectoral/shoulder area. Luckily, I am young and will be back within a couple of months, but you better bet your ass I will be enforcing proper form from here on out, and will be throwing on an Inzer Blast shirt with the back cut out for my "heavies" (as per IrishPower's advice).
Good luck with your training.
benchmonster
New member
Even shorter answer.
Get a bench shirt.
B.
Get a bench shirt.
B.
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