Flat bench press

[mrk_bb]

I have been bench pressing for like 6 months odd, and have improved my strength from struggling with 100lbs to being able to press 160lbs 3 reps. I know that's not much weight. The form I used was-wider than shoulder width grip elbows out to the sides and under the bar and I squeeze my shoulder blades together as I bring the weight down.

I read recently that elbows out to the sides will cause shoulder injury, and the press should be executed with elbows tucked in. Elbows tucked in confused me, but someone said this ment elbows pointing towards feet. I tried this. Now, I have this odd, off-and-on, sharp pain in my shoulders (I don't know if it is a direct effect of this odd pressing position). So I messed around with 50lbs on a bar playing with different postions and elbows pointed at me feet agravates that pain. Pressing with my wider grip and elbows out felt much better and as if I had more power.

Did I missunderstand someone about the "elbows tucked in" thing, coz I just don't see how that could be better for your shoulder joints?

Thanks

[Sacramento M3]

First exercise on this page.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exer...inMuscle=Chest

Elbows kinda look like they are pointing more out than in to me. I would stick with your original method. Anything that causes pain like that is probably not correct.

[maidenfan]

The shoulder injuries with a wide grip come from the excessive shoulder rotation. Narrow your grip some and focus on tucking the elbows into your body. Focusing on pulling the bar apart with your hands as you do the lift will keep your elbows tucked.

[mrk_bb]

The shoulder injuries with a wide grip come from the excessive shoulder rotation. Narrow your grip some and focus on tucking the elbows into your body. Focusing on pulling the bar apart with your hands as you do the lift will keep your elbows tucked.

That's exactly what I don't understand. How can u tuck your elbows in? To me that would mean pointing my elbows toward my feet, which sux. Keeping your elbows under/ inline with the bar and trying not to flare your elbows out (which would probably involve lifting your shoulders off the bench and obviously wrong) would seem the natural way to press.

I'm talking about normal bench pressing not CG.

[Dark Phoenix]

i think it means not to keep your elbows and shoulders in a perfectly straight lik=ne..or so that picture would show. Maybe you took tucked as an over statement.

[mischiev]

stick with what you're comfortable with.
anyhow there's a DO and DO NOT Picture, the DO looks fine to me

[$AJ]

The shoulder injuries with a wide grip come from the excessive shoulder rotation. Narrow your grip some and focus on tucking the elbows into your body. Focusing on pulling the bar apart with your hands as you do the lift will keep your elbows tucked.

yep. elbows in doesn't literally mean they point at you 100% of the time; it means that they arn't splaying out.