Shoulder pain day after close grip benching

[RollTideNation]

Couldn't find anything like my issue in the search function. Anyways, when I move my grip in, I always get a pain in the front of my shoulder capsule, in between my pecs and delts. It's not a good soreness pain, this is an actual pain. I've tried warming up my RC before workouts, band shoulder dislocations, false grip, etc. I always get this pain the day after I close grip bench.

I usually bench with my ring fingers on the rings because I never get this pain from benching that way, but when my hands come inside the rings, I know for sure I'll be hurting the next few days.

What to do?

If I need to scrap the exercise and stick to normal grip benching (I moved the grip in last workout and I'm actually a bit stronger with a closer grip), what should I replace CGBP with to overload the triceps?

[CROMAGS1985]

I would do two things...

1. Get a solid shoulder health routine going. Rotator cuff work, band distractions, pull aparts, lax ball pressure etc. I would do these everyday regardless of what I was training.

2. I would sub out close grip for a board press variation that doesn't elicit the same painful results. It may take trying 1, 2 or 3 board and varying grips but whatever.

[tom11]

Well close grip bench presses are dangerous for shoulder impingement, if they hurt you stop them immediately. Same thing as dips, I would say that dips are way more dangerous but CGBP can cause impingement too.

[Silentpoet]

Maybe swap out floor presses.

[JimmyMcQuaid]

If you have access to a swiss bar or football bar, or any bat that allows a neutral grip try that out. For some people the angles on an EZ curl bar allow for close grips without pain. The board press idea is a good one. And one final one I have is if you have access to a smith machine is extra wide reverse grip bench presses - like hands out as far as possible. This one can be tricky but once you find the right groove - usually with the bar touching well below your nipples - it will hammer your triceps.

[RollTideNation]

Man I sure appreciate y'all. Reps to all of you.

@silentpoet- My current bench routine is whatever my buddy calls for. He's pretty much a master of the bench press and I suck bawlz, so I'm just letting him take over. I usually do pause bench for either 6x3, or 5x5 on light weeks, followed by CGBP, and then floor press to end the core lift portion of the workout. After that, it's triceps, upper back, biceps, etc.

@jimmy- I don't have any access to neutral grip bars, so I will definitely give that smith exercise a shot. Sounds awesome.

[jcpeyton]

Man I sure appreciate y'all. Reps to all of you.

@silentpoet- My current bench routine is whatever my buddy calls for. He's pretty much a master of the bench press and I suck bawlz, so I'm just letting him take over. I usually do pause bench for either 6x3, or 5x5 on light weeks, followed by CGBP, and then floor press to end the core lift portion of the workout. After that, it's triceps, upper back, biceps, etc.

@jimmy- I don't have any access to neutral grip bars, so I will definitely give that smith exercise a shot. Sounds awesome.

I had something similar to what you are describing a couple of years back. I went to the doc and he told me I had bursitis and really I needed to rest it and change the angle of my lifts for a period. I talked to another guy in the gym when I noticed him benching on the smith machine with the bar pushing out and away. He said he also had bursitis and that this particular movement seemed to make things manageable. I can concur. I started doing those for a while and I could gradually get my weights back up to where they were normal again. It should be noted that I was also coming off rehab from a cervical impingement and my rehab had me really overloading my shoulders so the bursitis was likely a result of that. Nevertheless - worth a shot right? Good luck. I have no shoulder issues today.

[RollTideNation]

I had something similar to what you are describing a couple of years back. I went to the doc and he told me I had bursitis and really I needed to rest it and change the angle of my lifts for a period. I talked to another guy in the gym when I noticed him benching on the smith machine with the bar pushing out and away. He said he also had bursitis and that this particular movement seemed to make things manageable. I can concur. I started doing those for a while and I could gradually get my weights back up to where they were normal again. It should be noted that I was also coming off rehab from a cervical impingement and my rehab had me really overloading my shoulders so the bursitis was likely a result of that. Nevertheless - worth a shot right? Good luck. I have no shoulder issues today.

Thanks for the input man. I'll try my best to incorporate your advice.