• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
BarBend

BarBend

The Online Home for Strength Sports

  • News
    • CrossFit
    • Strongman
    • Bodybuilding
    • Top Athletes
    • Powerlifting
    • Weightlifting
    • Competition Results
    • Latest Research
  • Reviews
    • Recovery
      • Best Cold Plunges
      • Best Saunas
      • Best Mini Massage Guns
      • Individual Recovery Reviews
    • Supplements
      • Best Protein
        • Best Whey Protein Powders
        • Best Vegan Protein Powders
        • Best Whey Isolate Protein Powders
        • Best Mass Gainers
        • Best Protein Bars
      • Best Pre-Workouts
        • Best Pre-Workouts for Women
        • Best Pre-Workouts for Men
        • Best Non-Stim Pre-Workouts
        • Strongest Pre-Workouts
      • Best Creatine
      • Best Electrolyte Supplements
      • Best Greens Powder
      • Best Meal Replacements
      • Best Nitric Oxide Supplements
      • Best Fat Burners
        • Best Fat Burners for Men
        • Best Fat Burners for Women
        • Best Non-Stim Fat Burners
      • More Supplements
        • Best Supplements for Muscle Growth
        • Best Supplements for CrossFit
        • Best Supplements for Weight Loss
        • Best Supplements for Bodybuilding
        • Best Supplements for Men
        • Best Supplement Stacks
      • Individual Supplements Reviews
    • Equipment
      • Cardio
        • Best Treadmills
        • Best Rowing Machines
        • Best Exercise Bikes
        • Best Ellipticals
        • Best Recumbent Bikes
      • Strength
        • Best Adjustable Dumbbells
        • Best Dumbbells
        • Best Kettlebells
        • Best Barbells
        • Best Squat Racks
        • Best Free Weights
        • Best Weight Benches
        • Best Resistance Bands
        • Best Slam Balls
        • Best Weighted Vests
        • Best Leg Extension Machines
        • Best Cable Machines
        • Best Power Racks
        • Best Pull Up Bars
      • Best Home Gyms
        • Best Smart Home Gyms
        • Best Gym Equipment Under $100
        • Best Home Gym Essentials
        • Best Home Gym Flooring
      • Individual Equipment Reviews
    • Fitness Accessories
      • Apparel
        • Best Weightlifting Shoes
        • Best Cross Training Shoes
        • Best Gym Bags
        • Best Gym Shorts
      • Training
        • Best Weightlifting Belts
        • Best Knee Sleeves
        • Best Lifting Straps
        • Best Grip Strengtheners
        • Best Wrist Wraps
        • Best Lifting Gloves
      • Individual Fitness Product Reviews
    • Certifications
      • Best Sports Nutrition Certifications
      • Best Personal Trainer Certifications
      • Best Nutrition Certifications
      • Individual Certifications Reviews
    • Programs
      • Best Online Workout Programs
      • Best Workout Streaming Services
      • Best Home Workout Programs
      • Individual Program Reviews
  • Nutrition
    • Diets
      • Carb Cycling
      • Vertical Diet
      • Reverse Dieting
      • Carnivore Diet
      • Ketogenic Diet
      • Intermittent Fasting
      • IIFYM Diet
    • Fat Loss
      • Macros for Fat Loss
      • Calorie Deficits
      • Natural Fat Burners
      • Cut 2 Pounds Weekly
    • Muscle Gain
      • How to Dirty Bulk
      • Go From Cutting to Bulking
      • Eat These Carbs
      • How to Eat for Muscle
    • Supplement Guides
      • Pre-Workout
      • Whey Protein
      • Mass Gainers
      • Greens Powders
      • Creatine
      • BCAAs
    • Nutrition Tips
      • Daily Protein Needs
      • Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition
      • Foods With Creatine
      • Bulking Tips
  • Training
    • Workouts
      • Back Workouts
      • At-Home Workouts
      • Chest & Back Workouts
      • Full-Body Workout
      • HIIT Workouts
    • Exercise Guides
      • Deadlift
      • Bench Press
      • Back Squat
      • Overhead Press
      • Bent-Over Row
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Crunches
      • Farmer’s Carry
    • Best Exercises
      • Shoulder Exercises
      • Back Exercises
      • Chest Exercises
      • Glute Exercises
      • Ab Exercises
      • Hamstring Exercises
      • Quad Exercises
      • Calf Exercises
      • Biceps Exercises
      • Triceps Exercises
    • Programs
      • Push-Up Program
      • Pull-Up Program
      • German Volume Training
      • 5/3/1 Program
      • Powerbuilding Program
      • The Cube Method
      • 5×5 Program
      • Bodybuilding Programs
      • Build Your Own Program
    • Fat Loss
      • How to Burn Fat
      • Spot Fat Reduction
      • How to Train on a Cut
      • Body Conditioning
      • Workouts
        • Kettlebell Circuits
        • Dumbbell Complexes
        • Farmer’s Carry Workouts
    • Muscle Gain
      • Muscle Hypertrophy Explained
      • How to Build Muscle
      • How to Maintain Muscle
      • What Researchers Say About Muscle Gain
        • Workouts
          • 20-Minute Workouts
          • Kettlebell Circuits
          • CrossFit Workouts for Muscle
          • Bodybuilding Workouts
  • Calculators
    • Protein Intake Calculator
    • Macros Calculator
    • BMR Calculator
    • Squat Calculator
    • Calorie Calculator
News

Squat University’s 5 Tips for Pain-Free Shoulders While Bench Pressing

Dynamic shoulder movements, foam rolling, and pressing variations can alleviate shoulder pain.

Written by Terry Ramos
Last updated on August 31st, 2023

Squat University is known for high-quality lifting advice for athletes in multiple sports, including strongmen, bodybuilding, CrossFit, powerlifting, weightlifting, various field sports, and more, to train healthy and pain-free over the long term. One of the most common issues from consistent lifting is an excess strain on the shoulders during a bench press. Squat University has advice to remedy that.

On Aug. 26, 2023, Squat University published its top five tips to eradicate shoulder pain while bench pressing in a video on its YouTube channel. Check it out below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QU-_Du-Zk3I&ab_channel=SquatUniversity

[Related: Does Crash Dieting Negatively Affect Body Composition and Muscle Gains?]

1. “Lock 3” Shoulder Routine

For the first tip, Dr. Aaron Horschig, a physical therapy doctor and coach head of Squat University, has his assistant, Micah, lie prone on the floor. With light weights – one to two-and-a-half pounds – the routine begins with lifting the arms backward into the air, engaging the posterior muscles in the shoulders. There isn’t much range of motion, but it helps with posterior flexibility and strength, which is an important facet for weightlifters, who are typically anterior-dominant in the torso/shoulders.

Fifteen to 20 reps with lighter weight and palms up is generally enough to create more body balance. Micah then flipped their hands’ palms down. They flared their arms and lifted them a few inches while not over-retracting the rhomboids. Dr. Horschig suggested focusing on the hands rather than pinching in the back to train the rotator cuffs and lats. 

The final position is a “T” formation, with straightened arms out to the sides. For all these movements – 15-20 repetitions each – Dr. Horschig implored slowly lowering the weight rather than slamming them to the floor.

2. External Shoulder Rotation

With a foam roller positioned underneath the arm while lying on their side, Micah externally rotated a five-pound dumbbell slowly. This trained the infraspinatus — a thick triangular rotator cuff muscle — keeping their shoulder immobilized while maintaining external rotation torque. (1)

The recommendation was 15 to 20 slow reps that don’t go beyond parallel to the floor or eclipse perpendicular at the top to prevent the shoulders from rotating over. The foam roller mimics the arms’ position during a traditional flat bench press. The elbows don’t flare but rather maintain a natural pressing position with a slight tuck.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Squat University (@squat_university)

[Related: The Best Beginner Workout Plan To Start Your Fitness Journey]

3. Banded Bench Press

Dr. Horschig placed a resistance band around Micah’s wrists, who laid in the bench press position without any weight. Dr. Horschig said to “break the band,” which “engages the lateral shoulder muscles by tensioning the band.” Maintaining that tension, Micah performed a bench press comprised of a five-second eccentric and a five-second concentric.

This increases posterior shoulder support by engaging those muscles and keeping them active throughout the movement. Dr. Horschig recommended six to 10 reps or as many as one can do without shoulder pain.

4. Kettlebell Upside-Down Bench Press

Micah pressed their fingers on their off-hand into their core, ensuring the abdomen was engaged. Micah braced their core and stiffened the abs to push the fingers out. Next, they engaged their back by flexing their shoulders onto the bench. Lastly, they performed a single-arm bench press with a kettlebell facing up, creating instability. By engaging the core, back, and shoulders, the kettlebell shouldn’t fall. They performed two sets of five to 10 reps per arm.

With the weight away from their body, Micah stabilized to create an effective lift. If the lats or the core are engaged, the kettlebell wobbles and falls. This increase in stability prevents the shoulders from compensating for the poor bracing and thus lowers the risk of injury.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Squat University (@squat_university)

[Related: The 6 Best Landmine Shoulder Exercises You Can Do]

5. Engage Upper Back Properly

“Pull your shoulder blades back and down,” Dr. Horschig says. “This will engage your lats and your rhomboids to set your back into a strong, powerful position.” For visualization purposes, this is like putting the shoulders into the back pockets, clinching all the muscles in the middle and upper back.

For this exercise, they implemented five-second negatives and three-second pauses at the bottom. Micah performed five sets of three slow reps at 30 to 40 percent of their one-rep max. During the negatives, Micah focused on pulling the bar with their upper back to expose back and shoulder stability deficiencies.

More Lifting Content

  • How To Do The Deficit Deadlift To Enhance Your Pulling Power
  • How to Do the Kettlebell Clean
  • How to Do the Cuban Press for Stronger, Healthier Shoulders

Reference

  1. Williams, J., Sinkler, M., & Obremskey, W. (2023). Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Infraspinatus Muscle. Statpearls Publishing. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513255/

Featured image: @squat_university on Instagram

About Terry Ramos

As a personal trainer and writer, Terry loves changing lives through coaching and the written word. Terry has a B.S. in Kinesiology and is an American College of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer. Find out more about Terry's training services here: terrys-training.ck.page/b777772623

View All Articles

Primary Sidebar

Latest News

Ashley Kaltwasser’s Tricks For Longevity in Competitive Bikini Bodybuilding

Enahoro Asein (83KG) Deadlifts a Monster 355-Kilogram (783-Pound) Triple Raw

2023 Rising Phoenix and Arizona Pro Women’s Bodybuilding Show Preview

2023 Sheru Classic France Pro Bodybuilding Show Preview

2023 Daytona Pro-Am Bodybuilding Show Preview

Latest Reviews

Alaskan Cold Plunge Feature

Redwood Outdoors Alaskan Cold Plunge Review

Living.Fit Grip Strengthener Review

Bells of Steel Competition Kettlebell Review

Bells of Steel Barenaked Powerlifting Bar 2.0 Review

REP BlackWing Feature

REP Fitness BlackWing Weight Bench Review

Be the smartest person in your gym

The BarBend newsletter is everything you need to know about strength in a 3 minute read.

I Want In!
BarBend

BarBend is an independent website. The views expressed on this site may come from individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view of BarBend or any other organization. BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting.

  • About Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

Sections

  • CrossFit
  • Strongman
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Weightlifting
  • Reviews
  • Nutrition
  • Training

More

  • BarBend Newsletter
  • BarBend Podcast
  • The Ripped Report
  • 1RM Calculator
  • BMR Calculator
  • Macros Calculator
  • Protein Calculator
  • Squat Calculator

Policies

  • Accessibility
  • Advice Disclaimer
  • Cookies Policy
  • Disclaimers
  • Disclosures
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Copyright © 2023 · BarBend Inc · Sitemap