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Shoulder position is one of the most critical aspects of bench pressing, yet it's also one of the most common areas where mistakes occur. A frequent error I see lifters make is keeping their shoulders high during the movement. This position not only limits your strength potential but also puts unnecessary strain on your shoulders, increasing the risk of injury. Watch my video below for a visual, and then read on for more detail.
Shoulder Position
While you may have heard to keep your shoulders back, it's the down part that is extra important and often overlooked. Bringing your shoulders back and down is necessary for proper activation of your lats and lower traps. Here's some important pointers:
Engage the lats and lower traps: These muscles lock your shoulder down into place and work together to stabilize your shoulder blade while you're moving a heavy (or light) bar above you. Imagine trying to jump while on a moving canoe versus on solid ground. A solid base will always give you more power and stability. The more stable your shoulder blade is, the less extra "wobble" happens higher up in the shoulder, elbow and wrist, which leads to a smaller chance of things to go wrong.
Upper Back Arch: To allow your shoulders to move into this position, you need to arch your upper back. This arch helps retract the shoulder blades and sets your shoulders in the optimal position for pressing. While you don't have to arch as high as some powerlifters do, you do need to do it just enough so that your shoulders are down and back. If you feel any lower back discomfort, you may be arching too much through your lower back and not enough from the upper back. Furthermore, there are certain lower back conditions that may make this uncomfortable, so if that's you, you should be assessed by a healthcare provider who understands this technique and how to modify (like myself, which you can contact me here!)
Active Engagement: Once your shoulders are back, you need to actively engage your lats to pull the shoulders down into place the entire time. This is not a passive setup - you're creating tension and stability throughout the lift. Your whole body will feel it if you're doing it right!
The Role of Leg Drive
Proper shoulder positioning isn't just about what's happening in your upper body. Leg drive plays a key role in maintaining this position:
Push Through Your Heels: Driving through your heels pushes your upper body up into the arch, reinforcing the "shoulders down and back" position. Pushing through your heels also engages your glute muscles, which also helps to isolate the arch through your upper back and not the lower back as much.
Prevent Flattening: Without leg drive, your upper body can flatten out as the bar comes down. If that happens, your shoulders lose their stable position, increasing the strain on the joint and putting you at a greater risk of injury.
Why This Matters
Flattening out or failing to maintain proper shoulder positioning during the bench press can lead to significant shoulder strain. This doesn't just apply to bench pressing; the same principles hold true for other horizontal* pressing movements like dumbbell presses or machine presses.
*Note: this does not apply as much with overhead pressing. More on that to come soon.
By setting up with correct positioning and actively maintaining it throughout the lift, you can:
Protect your shoulders from injury.
Build strength more effectively.
Improve overall horizontal pressing performance.
Final Thoughts
Yes, this is a lot to think about! If you're new to this, I'd recommend starting with focusing only on the upper body cues (arch with shoulders down and back) while doing a pin or plate loaded chest pressing machine. Once you master that, you can try flat benching with dumbbells, and then a barbell, while incorporating the lower body technique component.
There is more that goes into benching, including bar path, breathing, grip width, feet position, where to touch the bar on your chest, etc. This blog is not meant to be a full bench tutorial, but is great at getting you started on keeping your shoulders healthy.
How I Can Help
As a gym-based physical therapist specializing in helping powerlifters and bodybuilders, I understand the importance of proper technique in preventing and recovering from injuries. Correcting technique is a critical part of the rehab process. Without addressing the root cause of poor movement patterns, symptoms will continue to return.
My rehab process incorporates technique corrections alongside individualized treatment to ensure lasting results. If you're in the NJ Area, I offer in-person 1:1 sessions designed to:
Determine what's injured and why with in depth assessments.
Assess and correct your lifting technique.
Address any pain or limitations you're experiencing.
Empower you with the knowledge to lift confidently and safely.
Contact me today to see how I can help you move better, lift stronger, and perform without limitations!
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