Dr. Jonathon Perry

Shoulder pain with bench press??

I am not the biggest fan barbell bench press, but it is a staple in most workout programs out there. Shoulder pain caused by bench press can be due to many different mechanisms involving positioning, mechanics, muscle activation, etc. Each individual is different, so the exact reason behind the pain needs to be determined to best guide treatment/rehab (seek a health practitioner of some sort).
One of the possible reasons behind should pain during bench press could be not recruiting the lats/scapular retractors as a stabilizer, causing increased tension on the biceps tendon (due to the path of the bar). This irritation can lead to pain in the front of the shoulder, which will get worse if not addressed.
Here is a little to trick to try to help with this! By wrapping the band around your wrists, you are forced to activate those stabilizing muscles. This will make the movement more efficient (change the path of the bar) and shoulder friendly.
This is by no means a substitute for corrective exercise/rehab and is not a permanent solution. The goal is to help with your technique so you will not need the band to produce the same result in the future. Give it a try during your next push session and see if it works for you!
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