Have shoulder problems taken the Bench Press out of your chest building arsenal?
I'm going to show you today that might not have to be the case by giving you two options.
What's up guys?
Jeff Cavaliere, ATHLEANX.COM
The Bench Press.
It's one of the classic exercises for building your chest.
But if you have shoulder problems like a lot of guys do, it can be one of the hardest exercises
for you do.
Why is that the case?
Well let me show you first what the problem is with the bench press and how the shoulders
can be aggravated with this exercise.
But then give you two alternatives that you can use.
First and foremost, we've talked about it a lot on this channel.
The shoulder being put in a vulnerable position when you're doing a lot of different weight
training exercises.
A lot of that is because, especially like an Upright Row, is because of the position
of the shoulder, the internal rotation of the shoulder.
And when we internally rotate the shoulder we don't leave a lot space inside this shoulder
joint for all the things that need to fit in there.
Ok, all the tendons, all the ligaments, all the bones that need to fit in this ball and
socket and work optimally.
So when we look at the Bench Press, when we're in this position, it really is not far different
than the Upright Row internal rotation position.
There's definately internal rotation going on at the shoulder.
So when we get back down here and do an actual Bench Press.
This position here, just because I'm laying on my back is no different than if I was standing
up.
It would still be the same internal rotation position.
As we take the bar up and then bring it down.
Ok, I always tell you guys, if you're going to do this, stop here.
Ok, the extra inches if you're going all the way down to your chest, all that does is tilt
your scapula further forward and drive your shoulder more into internal rotation.
Even if you're trying to pinch your shoulder blades together.
The weight down here, mechanically is going to tilt forward and cause this to go into
internal rotation.
So much so, that you can actually get an AC joint problem..
Which on my shoulders here, this bump came from me doing one Bench Press incorrectly
down to my chest and it popped the AC joint.
This side I don't have it, here I clearly do.
That's going to stay with me forever.
And it still bothers me from time to time.
So what can we do?
We can do what I just said, stop it a little bit above the chest, so that you're not putting
those extra couple of inches that aren't going to be worth your time guys, I promise you.
Still get the benefits of the exercise but not have to put the danger at the AC joint.
Or we can do the the Reverse Grip Bench Press.
Now how does that change things?
Because we're externally rotating, remember internal rotation is this and this.
Right, internal, external at the shoulder.
Internal, external, ok same thing.
Or internal, external.
It's all what's going on at this bone right in here.
So if I twist, internal rotation of this bone, if I open it, external rotation, more space.
Ok, same thing here, Internal rotation, external rotation.
So more room.
We get into this position, underhand, we've all of a sudden now created external rotation.
Way more room inside the shoulder, so those guys that have bulky shoulder joints are going
to find this to be much easier.
So, we grab it with about, index fingers on the smooth part, ok and we push the bar into
the lower part of our palm.
Ok, you're going to have your hands almost tilted a little bit over the bar to start,
because then when I push it up they're going to be in neutral.
So this wrist will be in neutral, not really bent back here so that you're going to be
causing wrist damage or anything like that.
So more of a neutral grip.
So again, over the top.
and then we lift up.
And then from here, we get a neutral grip going on at the wrists, I'm going to let my
elbows dip down into my sides.
I can go a little lower here because I have that extra room.
And then I squeeze up.
Ok, down to the sides and then squeeze up.
A lot of guys like this variation because they get a better squeeze on their chest.
Down, and squeeze, Down, and squeeze,
And again, no pain in the shoulders.
Especially for guys that are used to having it.
So, the Bench Press doesn't have to leave your routine completely if you have bad shoulders.
You just have to approach your exercise a little bit different.
And that's what I say here guys.
I can't ever disentwine my physical therapy background with what it is that I show you
guys here.
I know I've been starting the do more of these PT type videos, because you guys have been
asking for them.
But in ATHLEANX what we try to do in our system, is basically, you know, push all these ideas
through to your everyday training.
So that you are training smarter, I always want you to train harder, but you're training
smarter at the same time.
So you can continue to get results for many many months and years to come.
As opposed to doing something incorrectly and being laid up like I was when I screwed
up my shoulder a long time ago.
If you guys like this or if you try the Reverse Grip, leave your comments below, let me know.
and of course let me know what you want to see.
Because I'm getting a lot of my ideas based on your questions and your feedback.
I'll see you guys over at ATHLEANX.COM.
In the meantime, I'll be back here in just a couple of days with another video.