I have been doing Incline DB Bench Presses lately. The last few times I have had a popping in my shoulder, I think it's the lower part of the deltoid. It happens as I bring the weights down to my chest and I am almost to the bottom of my range. It feels like something is binding up and kind of pops free. It does not hurt, both sides do it a little, one more so than the other. It doesn't happen on every rep and it doesn't happen with anything else like flat bench or seated shoulder presses. Is this something I should be worried about and stop doing the lift where I experience this?
Shoulder Issue
- Thread starter cnnc97
- Start date
I wouldn't keep doing it that way. For all you know it could slowly be damaging the tendons and at unexpectedly just tear 'em up. There are a couple ways to combat these kind of problems. The first is arm positioning. If your elbows point straight out, perpendicular to your torso bring them in a bit, something closer to 45*. The other way is to limit ROM. The only benefit from bringing the weights all the way to chest level is to activate the stretch reflex in the muscle (minor thing in all reality) so instead stop when your arms are bent at 90* and push up from there. You might be able to use slightly heavier weights or do more reps so this will offset any difference in not going all the way down. I would recommend this limited ROM to any heavier weight (above 80 pounds for DBs) anyways as it is an easy way to keep your joints healthy.
- Thread starter
- #3
Thanks for the advice. I don't think I am bringing them all the way to my chest actually, and it happens before I get to 90*. If it continues I'm thinking I need to make some kind of change. Either ditch the incline and go flat or change my grip maybe so my palms are in, make it more of a triceps focus.
Also, you can change the angle you are pressing at. More angle works the front delts more, less works the chest as a whole more.
Another way to get heavy work in on the upper chest is to do reverse-grip flat bench. It is also very tricep intensive. You may wanna give it a try.
Another way to get heavy work in on the upper chest is to do reverse-grip flat bench. It is also very tricep intensive. You may wanna give it a try.
- Thread starter
- #5
I have been doing palms in DB on a flat bench to hit the triceps. Maybe I need to switch things up a little. I am doing the NROL program right now. I have already swapped DB pullover and bent over BB row in place of seated cable rows and lat pulldows because they were really hard on my elbow. I was getting severe pain right behind the inside point of my elbow on the cable rows and pulldowns.
