My delts are failing on bench press

[rml27v]

Always when I do any kind of press (incline, decline, flat) barbell or dumbells I feel that my delts are being worked a lot more than my pecs.
What exercises are u doing if you want the failure of pecs? For example am sure that my pecs can handle more work when I am doing BP because when I do my 5 rm max on the last two reps midway I can feel burn in my lateral delts. Dips feel way better for me, actually I feel my pecs are being worked way more and in that exercises, i can feel that pecs are going to failure and not triceps or delts which is what I want.
Has anyone had the good progress of pecs with dips?

[PeaceWithin]

What does your bench form look like?

[Dams3]

Always when I do any kind of press (incline, decline, flat) barbell or dumbells I feel that my delts are being worked a lot more than my pecs.
What exercises are u doing if you want the failure of pecs? For example am sure that my pecs can handle more work when I am doing BP because when I do my 5 rm max on the last two reps midway I can feel burn in my lateral delts. Dips feel way better for me, actually I feel my pecs are being worked way more and in that exercises, i can feel that pecs are going to failure and not triceps or delts which is what I want.
Has anyone had the good progress of pecs with dips?

Watch videos on bench form. If that doesnt work, post again

[Junsuiakai]

What does your bench form look like?

100% this, most important thing when benching is to dig your traps into the bench, this puts your shoulders into a safe position.

I found my optimal way of benching. It goes like this.....

1. Lay down on bench
2. retract scapula and dig traps into bench.
3. grab the bar at a width that is optimal for chest activation for me
4. make sure the bar is in the bottom of my hands and bend the bar in my mind.
5. put my feet in the right place where I feel like I'm pushing myself across the bench, and keep this tension the entire time.
6. Brace my core and unrack the bar, bringing it over my shoulders.


If you do these 6 steps, you'll be able to unrack even heavy weight and it'll feel light, you'll feel your chest engaged a lot more and you'll eliminate shoulder pain/usage and elbow discomfort.

[PeaceWithin]

100% this, most important thing when benching is to dig your traps into the bench, this puts your shoulders into a safe position.

I found my optimal way of benching. It goes like this.....

1. Lay down on bench
2. retract scapula and dig traps into bench.
3. grab the bar at a width that is optimal for chest activation for me
4. make sure the bar is in the bottom of my hands and bend the bar in my mind.
5. put my feet in the right place where I feel like I'm pushing myself across the bench, and keep this tension the entire time.
6. Brace my core and unrack the bar, bringing it over my shoulders.


If you do these 6 steps, you'll be able to unrack even heavy weight and it'll feel light, you'll feel your chest engaged a lot more and you'll eliminate shoulder pain/usage and elbow discomfort.

This. Repped for being less lazy than me. Lol

[Junsuiakai]

This. Repped for being less lazy than me. Lol

One thing I forgot to mention though... If the bar path is not curved aka from top of shoulders to chest, then you aren't in the right position.

Also dips are goat for chest. I prefer them over bench but it is harder to overload on dips and feel safe. I believe dips put way more stress on your shoulders.

[Garage Rat]

More than likely a technique issue.
Many people do presses for chest with the chest collapsed making the delts/shoulders become more involved.
Some start out with an arch in their upper body and soon collapse after a rep or two.
You should try to maintain the arch through out.
Arm position should be more of an elbow out position away from the body.
If using dumbbells try to arc them in while pressing contracting and feeling the chest but don't let the DB's fall inward rather keep weight centered over the wrists..
Really think in your head the arm from elbow to shoulder is coming in towards your chest squeezing the pecs.
Start with light or moderate weight.
Going to heavy turns the movement into a strength movement getting the weight up any way you can and taking away from the good feel on the pecs.

[rml27v]

100% this, most important thing when benching is to dig your traps into the bench, this puts your shoulders into a safe position.

I found my optimal way of benching. It goes like this.....

1. Lay down on bench
2. retract scapula and dig traps into bench.
3. grab the bar at a width that is optimal for chest activation for me
4. make sure the bar is in the bottom of my hands and bend the bar in my mind.
5. put my feet in the right place where I feel like I'm pushing myself across the bench, and keep this tension the entire time.
6. Brace my core and unrack the bar, bringing it over my shoulders.


If you do these 6 steps, you'll be able to unrack even heavy weight and it'll feel light, you'll feel your chest engaged a lot more and you'll eliminate shoulder pain/usage and elbow discomfort.

I don't know man... I have watched a lot of videos on form and I have tried wide, narrow, retracting the scapula (that video with a black guy with 3 steps lol) but that hasn't worked. Do not get me wrong my pecs are for sure working, but they are not the muscle group that is failing me. Also, i think I prefer dumbells way over barbell. I have had some good progress with d flys. With barbell somehow I think that rom is way less than with dumbelss, that stretch at the bottom of the movement really feels good.

[Junsuiakai]

I don't know man... I have watched a lot of videos on form and I have tried wide, narrow, retracting the scapula (that video with a black guy with 3 steps lol) but that hasn't worked. Do not get me wrong my pecs are for sure working, but they are not the muscle group that is failing me. Also, i think I prefer dumbells way over barbell. I have had some good progress with d flys. With barbell somehow I think that rom is way less than with dumbelss, that stretch at the bottom of the movement really feels good.

Then by all means bro, focus on dumbbells. A lot of bros use only dumb bells and have great results.

[sooby]

supplement some chest accessory movements with your bench press. Try low cable flies, DB presses.

[Tommy W.]

Some good tips on form here, I'd say the biggest reason for delts being activated is because of rolling shoulders up. You need to keep your shoulders DOWN and planted. Concentrate mentally on using the pecs while performing the exercise.

[MyEgoProblem]

My money is that your Form is off.

Second possibility is Your shoulders could just be weak as piss compared to your tits n tris. What's your full rom ohp numbers!? From the clavicles, not some half rep from above the chin crap :-P

Video your bench form..
or all of this is just monkeys slinging **** to see if anything sticks..

[Junsuiakai]

Some good tips on form here, I'd say the biggest reason for delts being activated is because of rolling shoulders up. You need to keep your shoulders DOWN and planted. Concentrate mentally on using the pecs while performing the exercise.

Strangely enough, I always do this, but today a guy asked me why? I said because that is how you are supposed to do it, and he responded "If I do that, I only feel it in my delts"

I couldn't wrap my head around what he was saying, but by what you are saying.. He must have thought I was pinching my shoulder blades but he didn't notice that I also pulled my shoulders down.

I'll have to explain it to him next time.