Barbell Loose shoulder/ upper back while bench press - how to fix?

[Hung]

I get some pain on my shoulder while doing bench press, that stops me doing it and review my technique.
I ask some plw-ers ( that is the best source of information i have in my place) at the gym and they said that i had loose the tightness while doing the bench press.
I felt it too while i'm pressing, the descendant is fine but when i press up, the upper back starts to loose and sometime i feel my arms are "further" my body at the end of the press.
So any drills i can do to fix that?

 

[Philippe Geoffrion]

I get some pain on my shoulder while doing bench press, that stops me doing it and review my technique.
I ask some plw-ers ( that is the best source of information i have in my place) at the gym and they said that i had loose the tightness while doing the bench press.
I felt it too while i'm pressing, the descendant is fine but when i press up, the upper back starts to loose and sometime i feel my arms are "further" my body at the end of the press.
So any drills i can do to fix that?

Video will help but keeping your chest up/shoulders down (down as in towards your feet and dig into the bench) and pushing yourself away from the bar, as opposed to pressing the bar away, will help.
Shoulder stability starts before the lift, with the setup and unrack. Make sure your feet are also dug in to the ground, as your ability get tight will be the wedge between your feet and upp er back, among other things. Unrack with lays ( like a straight arm pull down) will help keep shoulders down then before you start the lift, let the bar settle by retracting your shoulder blades. The bar will lower slightly, then it will be improper start position.
The tension you create at the start of the lift has to be maintained throughout the set.
Proper bench technique takes time and practice. Take advantage of time by practicing proper every time you train the lift.

 

[Antti]

Are you sure you don't press the bar too far? Like extend your arms only, it's all about locking the elbows. Try out slowly how it feels to do the bare minimum. Press close to lockout, then try small steps to get to lockout, so you don't accidentally go too far.

 

[Bauer]

Maybe this article has some helpful pointers for you
Angles and Arches—Using the Floor to Strengthen Your Press | StrongFirst

 

[Kenny Croxdale]

I get some pain on my shoulder while doing bench press, that stops me doing it and review my technique.

Pronated Bench Press Grip

This type of overhand grip (palms down) in the Bench Pressing can lead to shoulder issues. It places a lot of stress on the shoulder.

Over Hand Hard Ball Baseball Pitchers

Major League Baseball Pitcher who throw overhand incur shoulder problems and injuries for the same reason.

External Rotator Cuff

Research determined one of he main factors of baseball pitchers with healthy shoulder and pictures who had chronic shoulder issue and shorter careers was their weak External Rotator Cuff Muscles. The same applies with Powerlifter; individual who Bench Press a lot.

Muscle injuries are often cause by the agonist muscles (the anterior should in the Bench Press) being vastly stronger than the antagonist muscles (the four External Rotator Cuff Muscles).

This imbalance of strength between the agonist:antagonist lead to injuries.

Underhand Fast Soft Ball Pitchers

The percentage of Underhand Fast Soft Ball Pitchers with shoulder injuries is pretty much non-existent.

Performing a Supinated/Underhand Pitch (palms up) place virtually no stress on the shoulder.

Bench Press Shoulder Solutions

1) External Rotator Cuff Strength Training: Focus on exercises that strengthen you External Rotator Cuff Muscles. Even health Powerlifters and frequent Bench Pressers need to do this.

2) Reverse Grip (Supinated) Bench Press Training: This Bench Press, like underhand Soft Ball Pitching, eliminates the majority of stress placed on the shoulders.

The movement is different. So, it require some learning time. That means decreasing your training load, to learn the movement.

Master the Reverse-Grip Bench Press | T Nation

"The conventional bench press is notorious for contributing to shoulder pain."

Read the article for more details.

3) Traditional Pronated/Overhand Bench Press: If you decide to persist with a Pronated Bench Press Grip, modifiy it with...

The Suicide Grip: Dangerous or Smart? | T Nation

As per Dr John Rusin...

"...Chronically banged-up shoulders, your long-term fix may actually be simpler than you thought... but risky if you don't do it right."

"...False grip can instantaneously improve your shoulder positions for stronger, pain-free pressing."

"The false grip allows the hands to be slightly more supinated...

Read the article listed above for more details.

Tip: Use the Thumbless Bench Press | T Nation

"This type of grip eliminates shoulder and triceps pain in heavy benchers. And yes, it's safe if you're not an idiot."

"By using a thumbless grip you can easily keep a more neutral hand position, which makes it much more natural to lower the bar while staying tucked. This reduces shoulder stress without increasing torque at the elbows, resulting in a less stressful bench press."

Swiss Barbell, Dumbbells and Dips

One of the benefits of the Swiss Bar is that allows you to Bench Press with a Neutral Grip or a slightly supinated grip with the angled bar handles.

Dumbbell Benching allows you to preform the Bench Press with a Neutral Grip.

Dips are performed with a Neutral Grip. However, going to low in the Dip increase stress and promotes shoulder issues.

Summary

1) Traditional Pronated Bench Pressing places a lot of stress on the shoulders.

2) Reverse Grip Bench Pressing, Suicide Grip/Slightly Supinated Grip and Neutral Grip Dumbbell Bench Pressing and Dips minimize the stress placed on the shoulders.

3) Increasing your External Rotator Cuff Strength will help you, everyone who Bench Presses.

Kenny Croxdale

 

[Hung]

Video will help but keeping your chest up/shoulders down (down as in towards your feet and dig into the bench) and pushing yourself away from the bar, as opposed to pressing the bar away, will help.
Shoulder stability starts before the lift, with the setup and unrack. Make sure your feet are also dug in to the ground, as your ability get tight will be the wedge between your feet and upp er back, among other things. Unrack with lays ( like a straight arm pull down) will help keep shoulders down then before you start the lift, let the bar settle by retracting your shoulder blades. The bar will lower slightly, then it will be improper start position.
The tension you create at the start of the lift has to be maintained throughout the set.
Proper bench technique takes time and practice. Take advantage of time by practicing proper every time you train the lift.

i did most of the thing you said except the unrack, which i have no idea that i should unrack like planche ( or straight arm pull down). But at the begin of the bench before the lowering part, i feel very strong.
and also this

The tension you create at the start of the lift has to be maintained throughout the set.

is hard to do in my upper back, i loose some stiffness on my upper back while i press up.

And about the pain, i only feel the pain when i press up, not when i pull down. That is more information, hope that can clarify my problem...

 

[Hung]

Are you sure you don't press the bar too far? Like extend your arms only, it's all about locking the elbows. Try out slowly how it feels to do the bare minimum. Press close to lockout, then try small steps to get to lockout, so you don't accidentally go too far.

i properly will record the lift after i recover to see. But what do you mean by " too far"?

 

[Antti]

i properly will record the lift after i recover to see. But what do you mean by " too far"?

The goal of the bench press is not to press the bar as far away from you as possible. If you do so, your shoulders will move and your upper back as well. You should move your arms as little as possible, just lock your elbows; no more, no less.