Upper Back when Benching

Hey was wondering when I bench press I squeeze my shoulder blades back when I’m laying on the bench and really make sure they are tightly squeezed together and such. But I also shrug my shoulders up and I feel my upper back is even tighter this way if I shrug my shoulders up and squeeze them together.

Anyone else shrug their shoulders up like this instead of just laying on the bench and squeezing them together. Do you think this could cause problems down the road for shoulders or anything using this technique, perhaps not hit muscles properly or something?

Thanks.

I mean, you’re supposed to do the opposite–pull your shoulders back and down. Strengthen your lower traps.

Well, when benching with an arch, I burrow one shoulder blade into the bench, then the other, to make sure I have a tight, set arch. Is that what you do? I don’t actively move them up or down, but the nature of my arch is such that they are pretty well low.

Yeah I mean I literally like pull my shoulders back and then UP. like i’m doing a shrug.
I lay on bench, squeeze shoulder blades together and at the same time I actually shrug my shoulders up so I’m in a shrugged shoulder position the whole time I’m benching.
I was unaware I was supposed to actually do the opposite and pull them down :S
Is it bad to shrug them up like that, should I fix it, leave it?

Try and get the very top of your traps to touch the bench. It’s probably anatomically impossible, that’s what you should be shooting for. Also, imagine there is a big green-cap zit between your shoulder blades and you are going to pop it by squeezing your back together.