How to stop training shoulders during my chest routine!!errr

[Jacktheripper]

Ok guys. I found that when working my chest, my shoulders come into play a lil too much! Any advice on stopping this problem??
-jtr

[Boa]

This is probably down to form. You need to keep your shoulders BACK throughout the whole of the Bench Press movement. Actively hold your shoulders back by imagining that you're trying to hold a small object BETWEEN your shoulder blades. This is essentially the opposite of hunching your shoulders - something which you often see people doing when bench pressing, particularly when they're using a heavy weight and they're arms are coming up to full extension...not very clear but I hope you get the general idea...

[Boa]

oh yes, one other thing...You say that you feel that your "shoulders are coming into play too much" so I assume that this means that you're not really feeling it in your chest. Well, assuming that your form is right (see last reply), I would definately pre-exhaust your pecs by doing 2 or 3 sets of Flies (Dumbell or Machine) before your pressing. This will ensure that even if your shoulders are getting a hell of a workout from this chest movement (and remember it is always going to involve significant shoulder involvement even if performed in perfect form), you will still be fully exhausting your pecs as required...

[Mr.Lean]

I see 95% of people train chest with bad form. Roll your shoulders back, and ensure the bar or dumbells are parrallel to your nipple area on your chest not the top/bottom of your shoulders.

[ShreddedShruggin]

I just took the oldest thread i could find and bumped it

-Grimface

[The Real Deal]

I just took the oldest thread i could find and bumped it

-Grimface

lol why?

[YuMadThough]

Concentrate on keeping an arch in your back and making your upper body as thin as possible by drawing in your shoulder blades and sticking your chest up.

[Smasher285]

When I perform a barbell bench press it works my shoulders more than my chest. So now I use dumbbells instead, they work my chest more. You won't be able to lift as much as you bench when you use dumbbells though.

[vision1]

Concentrate on keep an arch in your back and making your upper body as thin as possible by drawing in your shoulder blades in and sticking your chest up.

[YuMadThough]

Lol my bad........edited it

[fbweller34]

I also have this problem. For the majority of my lifting years, chest has been my strong suit but recently (within 6 months), i've noticed my chest has gotten significantly smaller and my shoulders and even back try to compensate for my chest. I often quit midway through chest workouts because i literally on feel it in my shoulders (more so on my right shoulder). I think this could be because of my lack of keeping my shoulders back. Has anyone every had this happen to them? I'm a little worried that i might have injured my right pectoral because I remember have some pain a while back there. However, the significant loss of size is in both pecs.

[Al Swearengen]

decline press with a hammer strength machine or the like, will isolate chest about as much as you can from shoulders, that and dips.

[ZenBrah]

Epic necrobump

[WheytWut92]

I also have this problem. For the majority of my lifting years, chest has been my strong suit but recently (within 6 months), i've noticed my chest has gotten significantly smaller and my shoulders and even back try to compensate for my chest. I often quit midway through chest workouts because i literally on feel it in my shoulders (more so on my right shoulder). I think this could be because of my lack of keeping my shoulders back. Has anyone every had this happen to them? I'm a little worried that i might have injured my right pectoral because I remember have some pain a while back there. However, the significant loss of size is in both pecs.

this, i can only go so far before it completely turns into a front delt workout and thats with my shoulder blades pinned, feels bad man. I wish training chest could be as simple as everything else.

strong double bump

[ooojordanooo]

this, i can only go so far before it completely turns into a front delt workout and thats with my shoulder blades pinned, feels bad man. I wish training chest could be as simple as everything else.

strong double bump

Roll on this 10 year old thread!

[GHODT55]

focus on fully flexing youre pecs while youre pressing

[Saulhhh]

Dont flex but tighten up your back almost as if you were flexing it. Then go ahead with your benchpress. SRS

[gashcader]

Dont flex but tighten up your back almost as if you were flexing it. Then go ahead with your benchpress. SRS

you were 5 when this thread started.

[Drakken682]

Do you feel tired in the upper part of your torso? I used to confuse "using my shoulders" with "getting pumped just below my shoulders", which is where the upper chest link up to your delt. It's normal. The giveaway is that your whole chest gets sore, too.

[DCSpartan]

you were 5 when this thread started.

epic

[Retardo-pex]

Ok guys. I found that when working my chest, my shoulders come into play a lil too much! Any advice on stopping this problem??
-jtr

Kep your shoulder blades pinched and tight throughout your chest movements, stick your chest out ( requires alil arch if you aren't already), and find out which hand/arm position works best for you in terms of feeling the target muscle groups. 9 time out of 10 you are pressing too far out, meaning you are letting your shoulder blades roll forward.

Basically you should be able to put something on your front delt during a bench press and that something should not really move form its initial position.

* Saw post above mine, looked at post date, realized I was in the clear due to join date. MY ADVICE STANDS

[jvalla]

you were 5 when this thread started.

He is now 8.

[y0lked]

He is now 8.

epic bump thread is epic

[sujithsimon888]

Found this thread helpful in 2019.