Posted on Dutchbodybuilding.com. I maxed on the Bench Press yesterday. It went easy. But afterwards I had shoulder pain.
One day later my shoulder still hurts from the Bench Press. The pain is on the right side. First it was in the front of my shoulder. Today the pain is more on the side of my shoulder.
It’s not really the muscle that hurts, but more the joint/bone. The shoulder pain goes into my biceps. I can feel it in the inside of my elbow & in my forearm. My wrist also hurts.
What’s the cause of my shoulder pain? The Bench Press? A nerve stuck? I fear having to cut the weight on the Bench Press if this shoulder pain doesn’t go away soon.
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Bench Press & Shoulder Pain. When you have pain in your:
- Arms: biceps, wrists, elbows, forearms, …
- Shoulders: front, back, ..
- Neck
Check your shoulderblade. If your shoulderblade doesn’t work like it should, other muscles will compensate. In the long-term this translates into pain. Pain is your body telling you something is wrong. Listen to your body & you’ll avoid injuries.
Never train through the pain. Think long-term. It’s better to cut the weight for 2 weeks, than no upper body training during 2 months. Here are some solutions for shoulder pain.
Bench Press Technique. Check your technique on the Bench Press:
- Shoulders back & down
- Chest forward
Don’t let your shoulders come forward. It leads to injury. You just maxed on the Bench Press. Cut back the weight and focus on speed & technique. This will give your shoulder time to recover.
Shoulder Posture. Same as for the Bench Press. Shoulders back & down when sitting behind your computer, shoulders back & down when walking around, shoulders back & down when driving your car. Don’t be a Quasimodo.
Behind the Neck Band Pulldowns. This is one of the many exercises that you can use to strengthen your lower traps. They also put your shoulderblades where they should be.
- Grip a mini band at shoulder-width
- Look forward
- Chest forward
- Shoulders back
- Squeeze your glutes
- Keep your torso upright
- Pull the elbows forward, not back
- Pull the band down behind your neck
- Hold the contraction & reverse the movement
If you don’t have bands, you can perform the same exercise while standing against a wall. The same rules apply.
- Back against the wall
- Elbows & hands against the wall
- Pull your elbows down toward your sides
- Squeeze at the bottom
- Reverse the movement
Ghost Pulling Knifes. I got this one from Super Joints by Pavel Tsatsouline.
- Look forward
- Chest forward
- Shoulders back & down
- Torso upright
- Squeeze your glutes
- Right hand on your spine
- Left hand behind your head
- Tighten your right biceps
- Tighten your upper back
- Pull your right shoulder forward
- Pull forward with your left hand
- Push your neck back
- Hold for the contraction
Perform 3×20 Behind the Neck Band Pulldowns & 2×60 seconds Ghost Pulling Knifes several times a week. Take some time off the Bench Press & the shoulder pain will go away in no time. Good luck.
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