Should I upwards rotate my shoulder-blade in bench press?

Asked by: Debbie Duran

Should I retract my shoulder blades during bench press?

The shoulders and elbows are primary joints used in the bench press, so by keeping the shoulder blades retracted, these joints are not stressed as much and are able to move the weight more effectively. So, by keeping the shoulder blades in, not only is it safer but also more effective.

Should I retract my scapula when shoulder pressing?

One never “retracts” the scapulae when pressing. One shrugs one’s shoulders at the top so that the scapulae come into a position supported correctly by the traps. And if you have to press in front of a mirror, just stare at your hair. This will keep you from looking at the bar.

Should shoulder blades be together when benching?

Squeezing your shoulder blades together tightly keeps your shoulders on the bench and reduces the range of motion of the press. If a movement does not add to the power of your lift, or does not make you bigger or stronger it should be eliminated.

What is the ideal position of the scapula when performing the bench press?

And then we want him to be able to get into deep scapular retraction at the bottom of the bench.

How do I keep my scapula retracted when benching?

We don't want them to move around. When we're benching we have to keep them retracted. The entire time which means even as you're pressing. Back up again your shoulder blades do not move apart like

Should scapula always be retracted?

Why is scapular retraction important? Being able to retract your scapula is important because protracted scapulae make it difficult to move your shoulder joints well. Protracted scapulae make it hard to lift your arms out to the side.

How do I keep my shoulders back while benching?

As you lower the bar, keep your back arched, your shoulders down and back, and focus on resisting and pushing with your chest muscles. Keeping your back arched and shoulders back is how you will feel bench press in your chest.

How should my shoulders be during bench press?

If you are bench pressing with the shoulder rolled forward, it places excessive force on the muscle tendons in a compromised position. Ensure that you squeeze your shoulder blades together so that the head of the upper arm is in an optimal position in the socket. Weakness of rotator cuff muscles may also contribute.

Why don’t I feel it in my chest when I bench?

When we pause the bench press we are ensuring that we use the pec muscles to press the bar back up, rather than bouncing the bar off the chest – which would not activate the chest fully. This variation is ideal for those competing in powerlifting because we need to pause the bar on the chest in competition.

Is chest the hardest muscle to build?

There are no shortcuts. Anyway, the chest – which mainly consists of the pectoralis major and pectoralis minor – is a notoriously difficult muscle to build.

Is it OK to bench 3 times a week?

So how many times per week should you bench press? Most powerlifters will train bench press 2-3 times per week. By doing this, you can gain sufficient practice with the bench press technique, as well as plan different training adaptations (strength, hypertrophy, power) on separate workouts.

Should I touch my chest on bench press?

The bottom portion of the bench press is where your pecs are most heavily activated. If you don’t touch the bar to your chest, you’re cheating your pecs out of a lot of good work. Sure, it’s the most difficult portion of the lift. That’s the point.

Should you bounce the bar off your chest?

Mistake 5: Bouncing the Bar Off Your Chest



Bouncing the bar will only rob you of the potential benefits of the bench press while greatly increasing the chances you’ll get catastrophically hurt. Your ribcage is pretty tough, but in a battle of bone against moving barbell, barbell wins.

Do you count the bar in bench press?

The bar’s weight is part of the total lifted. If you have two forty-five pound plates on a standard forty-five pound olympic bar, you are are lifting 135 pounds, not 90. It doesn’t make any sense to log anything but the total weight on the bar–which includes the weight of the bar itself.