Benched, Rotator Cuff Sore as Hell

I benched yesterday for the first time in months.

Close grip (slightly wider than shoulder width), shoulders up and back (as CT recommended; will try neutral and back; but I’ll never again do down and back), back arched, feet planted in the ground.

4 x 5 @ 62 kg (136 lb) (~75% 1 RM)

Today:
Chest slightly sore, tris slightly sore, shoulders sore.
External Rotators SORE. AS. HELL. (i.e. much worse than after direct ext rotation work)

What does this mean?
I’ve never got sore rotators from pressing until now (despite doing 1A push-ups), and my rotators are up to snuff
(as per Charles Poliquin - 8RM ext rotation is ~10% of my 1 RM bench)

Help much appreciated.

Thank you very very much,
Eisen

Why exactly do you refuse to pull your shoulders down and back?

[quote]GruntOrama wrote:
Why exactly do you refuse to pull your shoulders down and back?[/quote]

Same question from me… In my experience, down and back saves shoulders, and increases benching power for just about everyone I have ever coached.

So you don’t want to bench in a way that’s safe for your shoulders? Pull your shoulders down and back and pull the bar apart to stabilize your rotators.

[quote]MElrodR wrote:

[quote]GruntOrama wrote:
Why exactly do you refuse to pull your shoulders down and back?[/quote]

Same question from me… In my experience, down and back saves shoulders, and increases benching power for just about everyone I have ever coached.[/quote]

Same here.

[quote]BlueCollarTr8n wrote:

[quote]MElrodR wrote:

[quote]GruntOrama wrote:
Why exactly do you refuse to pull your shoulders down and back?[/quote]

Same question from me… In my experience, down and back saves shoulders, and increases benching power for just about everyone I have ever coached.[/quote]

Same here.
[/quote]

x2

I’m not going to say “because coach Thibaudeau said so”, but I’ve tried “down and back” for a while: it felt worse on my shoulders than both “neutral and back” and “up and back”, and also very unnatural.

Besides not tucking your scapula down and back, you are probably doing something else wrong. Find some articles and videos on good bench pressing form (NOT THIBAUDEAUS VIDEOS) and make sure you’re doing it right. If you are 100% certain that you are truly doing everything perfectly, then it’s probably just because you are weak and detrained.

Do you have some kind of condition that prevents you from going heavy on bench? You’re basically using weight you should be using on your very first workout ever back in 8th grade, with all that knowledge you should be working with 3 plates a side not 1…

I don’t mean to be a dick maybe you have some condition or something… Otherwise I would just go in the gym and workout a lot imo, Guy Lafleur said it best “When you start thinking while you play is when you become a shit athlete”

For whatever reason, I have to train very hard for any progress, and I started much weaker than the majority. I could hardly press the bar when I began (long time ago), mainly due to coordination problems, and it took months to get to pressing 155.

After getting there (for a 1RM!!!), my shoulders began hurting atrociously. Tried military presses: pain + feeling that my shoulder will shear. Did a ton of ext rotations, and some rows: still no better.

Anyway, I can do dips, lateral raises, and weighted push-ups pain free.

Also, I can chin )heavy) and row (heavy) pain free, and my pulling is MUCH stronger than my pushing.

Considering the above, I think there’s something about my joint…

Yet, no one answered why on Earth can my rotators get so sore during benching, and whether it’s normal.

Also, GruntOrama, I’m not detrained. I just have problems with pressing external resistance.

It’s hard to answer such a question without seeing your bench and possibly examining you.

And how are you sure that it’s your rotator cuff muscles? The shoulder area is home to more muscle than just the rotator cuff.

Sorry , misread. You said external rotators .

How long have you be training. And I mean seriously, consistently training?

Will try ““neutral” and back” and see what happens, tomorrow.

[quote]Sterneneisen wrote:
For whatever reason, I have to train very hard for any progress, and I started much weaker than the majority. I could hardly press the bar when I began (long time ago), mainly due to coordination problems, and it took months to get to pressing 155.

After getting there (for a 1RM!!!), my shoulders began hurting atrociously. Tried military presses: pain + feeling that my shoulder will shear. Did a ton of ext rotations, and some rows: still no better.

Anyway, I can do dips, lateral raises, and weighted push-ups pain free.

Also, I can chin )heavy) and row (heavy) pain free, and my pulling is MUCH stronger than my pushing.

Considering the above, I think there’s something about my joint…

Yet, no one answered why on Earth can my rotators get so sore during benching, and whether it’s normal.

Also, GruntOrama, I’m not detrained. I just have problems with pressing external resistance.[/quote]

Plenty of people answered you… your external rotators hurts because your bench form sucks dick.

[quote]Sterneneisen wrote:
Will try ““neutral” and back” and see what happens, tomorrow.[/quote]

What kind of answer were you looking for? That you have terminal rotatorcuff benchpressitis, the first documented case in the world?

Don’t you train people for a living, for money? How would you deal with a client who presented with these problems? What would you try to do to help them?

To clarify you mean external rotators, as in your teres minor and infraspinatus muscles correct? Or do you mean the actual joint hurts? By pain do you mean soreness or extreme pain like the muscle is about to tear? Where exactly on your body are you feeling the pain? Have you seen a physical therapist?

Since you seem to be able to do dips and all kinds of other shit fine, my initial judgement would be that you are just sore and aren’t used to stabilizing weights in the bench press and shoulder press. If it’s anything more than soreness, go to a physical therapist or rehabilitation specialist.

I’ve had shoulder impingements, tendonitis, muscle strains. Most of the time, the answer is just to stretch and foam roll more, and suck it up.

I tore my rotator cuff because of lack of “down and back”. Believe me, keep going and you’ll learn the lesson eventually.

Down and back feels like 2nd nature after about 2.5 weeks of practice. I’d say, without seeing a video of your bench, which I suspect sucks horribly, you should practice retracting your scapula 3-5 times a day and making the pressing motion. Some mobility work on your shoulders wouldn’t hurt either - I like to stretch mine out all the time too.

i can tell your pull muscles are way better than the push. the big lats and your small triceps/deltoids next to them in your avatar. and i dont believe you train the pressing exercises that don’t cause you pain enough(dips, etc) or else your bench wouldn’t be a weak ass 135 for 4x5