Incline bench causing shoulder pain

[mmr604]

When doing incline bench presses I am having pain in the rotator cuff of both shoulders. The pain isn't awful but I feel it's limiting the amount I am lifting, my incline bench is awful. Can any give some suggestions to help improve this. Maybe I need to work my shoulders more.

[FueledByYelyah]

How do your shoulders feel during flat bench? Decline? If fine, lower the weight on the incline and have someone check your form. It could be a form problem and/or too much weight.

[ChadManAU]

You can do what I did for this and do chest and shoulder on the same day. Do chest first, limits your shoulder work a little but with flat, incline and then military you are working your rotater cuff pretty hard. Will give you a little more of a break in between beating on that cuff.

[Bumpus]

Form could be the reason. Seems like people tend to flare their elbows out more on incline. Also that ROM may just not be in the cards for you. Movement above the shoulder is more likely to have the tendons and ligaments in the shoulder/rotator cuff rub on bones. Evaluate form, try DB incline press. If pain gets such that it paralyzes your movement or causes your shoulder to lock up seek medical attention. Prefereably you find the cause of pain before that.

[nrr40]

Are you warming up your rotator cuffs? This happens to me some times if I dont.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhAPCPAskJU

[curtism16]

I have had the same shoulder pain my right shoulder would always pop during incline press... dumbell incline presses helped me and when I do the barbell press I find a spot I can bring it down to where my shoulder doesn't pop

[Labello]

Easy solution, stop doing incline BP.

srs.

When I first started training I went hardcore on that mofo, and my shoulder was ruined for ever (srs). So when I do do incline, its usually just dumbellpress, or slight angle smith machine press.

[patrick4588]

warm up your rotator cuff, makes all the difference in the world. I use DB almost exclusively for incline because BB is uncomfortable. I tore my rotator cuff back in high school and it bothers me when doing BB.

[Tommy W.]

2 things,

First, warm up the shoulders thoroughly with very light presses or band work or something that you feel is loosening things up.

Secondly, ditch bar presses and go to dumbells for presses. This allows the hands to be turned at whatever angle you need to alleviate the discomfort.

[kusok]

Are you warming up your rotator cuffs? This happens to me some times if I dont.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhAPCPAskJU

What does it mean if when I do his second warm-up exercise I get incredible crunching noises in my shoulders... Doesn't hurt one bit or anything like that, never hurts when I lift anything in any way, and I do decent weight on inclines (90+ lbs DBs), but boy does that **** crunch when I do that warm-up...

[anonymous]

retract your shoulder blades, pinch them HARD

you have to flare on the incline, that's the whole point - if you tuck the groove doesn't work

band work for the shoulders before lifting


I used not to be able to do this lift without serious shoulder pain but I found if I go slow, pause for a beat at the bottom and don't go under 8 reps (or so) it's pain free.

[MarineHillsTuff]

When doing incline bench presses I am having pain in the rotator cuff of both shoulders. The pain isn't awful but I feel it's limiting the amount I am lifting, my incline bench is awful. Can any give some suggestions to help improve this. Maybe I need to work my shoulders more.

OP - Someone suggested doing the incline with dumbbells instead of a bar to me, I have a similar thread to yours right now. Have you tried that out?

[RomanianNatural]

When doing incline bench presses I am having pain in the rotator cuff of both shoulders. The pain isn't awful but I feel it's limiting the amount I am lifting, my incline bench is awful. Can any give some suggestions to help improve this. Maybe I need to work my shoulders more.

how low do you go on your press?

[DJAuto]

Allowing the RC to heal and slowly mixing in rehab work both outside and during your workout routine is highly suggested.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=529968