Not touching chest on bench press

[AminoAcid]

The bench always killed my left shoulder - it would hurt like crazy every time I bench pressed (I was using proper form and doing all of the necessary movements required to avoid impingement). Over the past several weeks, I've been lowing the bar up to the point where it is about 1-2 inches above my chest and going no lower. This has helped tremendously. I no longer feel shoulder pain when bench pressing.

Surprisingly, I also feel it more on my chest. Before, during some reps I would find myself just bouncing the bar off of my pecs, whereas now it is a much more controlled movement.


Just wanted to share my experience, in case anyone else is suffering from the same issue.

 

[beat...people...up?]

Great, you're going to give a whole bunch of people an excuse to half-rep.

You could also try DB press or floor press as an alternative. Dumbbells can allow for rotation to avoid any sticky points that irritate your shoulder when you're using a straight bar, and floor press protects the shoulders as well. I do floor press with kettlebells when my shoulder acts up.

 

[BassAckwards]

where is your hand placement (wide, shoulder width, narrow)? how are your elbows?

i tend to bench wide, so going down to chest is more difficult, especially with heavier weight. however when i do wide, my elbows get to 90 degrees and i fully extend my arms when i press.

the bar always touches my chest when i bench close grip and when my hands are shoulder width apart

 

[Bodil]

I wouldn't recommend doing ''Bench but not to my chest'' as an exercise.

Either do Floor Press or Board Press, that way you can keep track. Little do you know, you'll decrease the ROM by 0.5 inch every week, and a few months in you'll have a 315 bench by going down 5 inches.

 

[deadshot138]

Half repping will only lead to more injuries. If your shoulders hurt from benching, it’s because your form sucks.

 

[cincymma79]

Half repping will only lead to more injuries. If your shoulders hurt from benching, it’s because your form sucks.

Nah some avid bodybuilders don’t. So I’d say it depends on goals. I knew a low level pro who never touched his chest. He had great development. Arnold touched his chest though. Should be all you need

 

[AminoAcid]

I wouldn't recommend doing ''Bench but not to my chest'' as an exercise.

Either do Floor Press or Board Press, that way you can keep track. Little do you know, you'll decrease the ROM by 0.5 inch every week, and a few months in you'll have a 315 bench by going down 5 inches.

That's a good point, need to make sure I don't slowly start lowering my ROM. I keep an honest eye on it and it has remained consistent since the day I first started (about an inch or so above my chest).


So far so Good, I suppose.

 

[AminoAcid]

Half repping will only lead to more injuries. If your shoulders hurt from benching, it’s because your form sucks.

Idk. How exactly will half repping lead to further injuries?


Also, I know it's either you hit touch your chest or you don't, in which case it doesn't count as a 'full rep', but I really don't consider an inch above the chest a 'half rep'.

 

[AminoAcid]

Nah some avid bodybuilders don’t. So I’d say it depends on goals. I knew a low level pro who never touched his chest. He had great development. Arnold touched his chest though. Should be all you need

I'm not a bodybuilder and don't plan to be. I am a martial artist who only weight lifts to gain strength. Bench press is not that important for me, imo, but it is one of my favourite lifts so I have a tough time completely giving it up.

 

[Gfreak]

Do you keep a back arch when you rep? The only time you should feel pain trying to touch your chest. Is if you have bad mobility, and you bench with a flat back. (not counting injuries of course)

 

[deadshot138]

Idk. How exactly will half repping lead to further injuries?


Also, I know it's either you hit touch your chest or you don't, in which case it doesn't count as a 'full rep', but I really don't consider an inch above the chest a 'half rep'.

You will be weaker and undeveloped at certain ranges of motion of the movement if you only train a portion of it. I would go so far as to say find another exercise than do half reps on bench. Try incline and/or dumbbell presses or a variation of dips.

 

[deadshot138]

Nah some avid bodybuilders don’t. So I’d say it depends on goals. I knew a low level pro who never touched his chest. He had great development. Arnold touched his chest though. Should be all you need

You can train like shit on gear and still get results. Those “constant tension” idiots can get away with it but people pursuing strength and athletic ability should train the whole range of motion.

 

[JauntyAngle]

If your shoulders hurt from benching, it’s because your form sucks.

I don't think that is true at all. Some people just have shoulders that are more prone to injury. In general I think this whole 'Perfect form means no pain or injury' is just wishful thinking.

 

[KnightTemplar]

The bench always killed my left shoulder - it would hurt like crazy every time I bench pressed (I was using proper form and doing all of the necessary movements required to avoid impingement). Over the past several weeks, I've been lowing the bar up to the point where it is about 1-2 inches above my chest and going no lower. This has helped tremendously. I no longer feel shoulder pain when bench pressing.

Surprisingly, I also feel it more on my chest. Before, during some reps I would find myself just bouncing the bar off of my pecs, whereas now it is a much more controlled movement.


Just wanted to share my experience, in case anyone else is suffering from the same issue.

Floor Press or Bench with Swiss Bar should be easier on the shoulders while giving better gains than partial reps.

If you are really set on doing partials, Pin Press or Board Press would still be a better option than just stopping the bar before you reach your chest.

 

[deadshot138]

I don't think that is true at all. Some people just have shoulders that are more prone to injury. In general I think this whole 'Perfect form means no pain or injury' is just wishful thinking.

Yes but something has to be causing that injury, most likely a technical issue.

 

[beat...people...up?]

Yes but something has to be causing that injury, most likely a technical issue.

He said it in his first post: he was using the "touch the chest" cue as an excuse to bounce the bar off his pecs and use momentum to get it up. That's the technical issue. I'd venture to say that if he dropped the weight a bit and did full ROM in a controlled way, he would fix the shoulder thing in the same way that his inch-from-chest reps do.

I do understand this. I used to use "speed squats" as an excuse to dive-bomb them and get away with using my stretch reflex. I forced myself to do pause squats and box squats and now I don't do that anymore.

 

[Oblivian]

He said it in his first post: he was using the "touch the chest" cue as an excuse to bounce the bar off his pecs and use momentum to get it up. That's the technical issue. I'd venture to say that if he dropped the weight a bit and did full ROM in a controlled way, he would fix the shoulder thing in the same way that his inch-from-chest reps do.

I do understand this. I used to use "speed squats" as an excuse to dive-bomb them and get away with using my stretch reflex. I forced myself to do pause squats and box squats and now I don't do that anymore.

Divebombing and losing form due to that is one thing, but there is no issue with using your stretch reflex on squats.

 

[AminoAcid]

Do you keep a back arch when you rep? The only time you should feel pain trying to touch your chest. Is if you have bad mobility, and you bench with a flat back. (not counting injuries of course)

I do arch my back, but nothing crazy like the way you see in those YouTube vids.

Perhaps I do have some bad shoulder mobility.

 

[AminoAcid]

Floor Press or Bench with Swiss Bar should be easier on the shoulders while giving better gains than partial reps.

If you are really set on doing partials, Pin Press or Board Press would still be a better option than just stopping the bar before you reach your chest.

Question, how do you floor press? Like I know you lay on the floor and push the bar up, but how do you get the bar in position?

 

[AminoAcid]

He said it in his first post: he was using the "touch the chest" cue as an excuse to bounce the bar off his pecs and use momentum to get it up. That's the technical issue. I'd venture to say that if he dropped the weight a bit and did full ROM in a controlled way, he would fix the shoulder thing in the same way that his inch-from-chest reps do.

That could be true and I think I am going to try that out the next time I bench.

Usually I only had about 1 uncontrolled rep out of the 15-18 that I do through 3 sets. But who knows, that very well could cause some underlying shoulder problems down the road. It's just a bit tougher when you bench without a spotter and you really want to get that last rep in to complete the perfect set.