Dodgy Shoulder

[PaulCaine5]

The other day when I was in the gym I lifted around 15 kilos on the incline, 15 on the normal bench press and then could not even lift 7.5 kilos on the decline without my shoulder hurting. Does anyone have any tips on how to stop this. Its the first time its happened in 4 months. Could it be technique or does it need resting or something?

[Down_Under]

Do u go till the bar touches your chest? If so your using ur alot of your shoulders when pressing, (maybe they arent strong enough to keep up with your chest)

Try lowering the bar until your arms are parallel with the ground, that way your using more of your chest, anywhere past there you use your shoulders.

I think thats what I learnt from Fudo, or maybe I miss understood.

Hope I'm right.

Brad

[PaulCaine5]

Yeah most of the time I bring the bar down to my chest and then go back to the top slowly. So this could be the problem then?

[Fudomyo]

KoN has it right.

BTN presses, and too much range of motion on bench/incline presses will make your shoulders sore. It's just a question of when. All the range of motion in your shoulder makes it one of the weakest joints you have.

Take it easy for a week or so. Then try lifting but just until your upper arms are parallel with the ground. You can handle a lot more weight like this, but ease into it, or you will piss off your shouders again.

Sitting DB/military presses will have to make up for the lack of shoulder stimulation.

Fudo

[cursor]

I've had rotator cuff problems from way back (back to those days before you boys were born... ). I find that when I'm bench pressing (especially on the last couple of reps in a set), my form starts to slip some. When I don't pay strict attention to form, and maintain my elbows close to my sides, my shoulders hurt like a bugger for weeks following (cursor slaps himself upside the head and says, "don't do that!").

I have personally found the tight-elbows technique to make more of a difference in avoiding shoulder injury than the limiting technique of not lowering the upper arm below horizontal.

Experiment and report back!