# flat benching - feeling like my shoulders are getting more work than my chest?!!



## Kilmarnocklad (Aug 22, 2012)

Last night i was at the gym, doing flat benching and incline benching both with DB's on a lightish weight.....however, when i was doing them on the flat bench, i felt my chest wasnt even working, but my shoulders were getting a little sore and were being worked more? is my technique wrong or is this normal? also on my incline bench my chest wasnt being worked, but my shoulders were feeling more again (which i suppose is normal for incline but still).

my technique is as follows!

flat db bench- starting position, arms straight up above head, bringing them down slowly in line with middle to top of chest, bringing elbows down to 120degree angle (not perpendicular with ground like 90degrees, a bit more pointed for those that dont have a clue about angles lol)

and throughout that whole process im feeling no chest pain or anything that would make me think my chest is being worked?

is my form shyte?

can you guys recommend any exercises that will seriously target my chest that will help me harden it up?

cheers.


----------



## retro-mental (Dec 2, 2010)




----------



## Mingster (Mar 25, 2011)

To me, Bench Press has always been predominantly a shoulder and tricep exercise. I do dips, as above^^, DB Press and DB Flyes for chest sessions.


----------



## retro-mental (Dec 2, 2010)

Mingster said:


> To me, Bench Press has always been predominantly a shoulder and tricep exercise. I do dips, as above^^, DB Press and DB Flyes for chest sessions.


New you would like that !


----------



## Jimboi (Jun 16, 2012)

Incline and Decline are meant to be much more effective and take a lot of stress out of the shoulders. I do incline at around a 10degree angle and it feels much better than flat bench.


----------



## Kemot (Oct 2, 2012)

bro if I were you I would focus more on dumbells, flat , incline etc. If you prefer bar than try this type movement same as before bring down slowly but to the neck as deep as you can. AND make sure That you hold that bar quiet wide and don't go FIRST as heavy as a normal bench press . Feel the movement and stretch first.


----------



## &lt;JAY_JAY&gt; (Jan 4, 2007)

I v always found dumbell press work for me better, i seem to get that sqaueeze in my chest, unlike heavy bench makes me feel like all the pressure is on the shoulders and tries, evreyone thinks you have to do bench press, but some do it for years and not realize its not for them


----------



## martin brown (Dec 31, 2008)

Kemot said:


> bro if I were you I would focus more on dumbells, flat , incline etc. If you prefer bar than try this type movement same as before bring down slowly but to the neck as deep as you can. AND make sure That you hold that bar quiet wide and don't go FIRST as heavy as a normal bench press . Feel the movement and stretch first.


Any reason bringing a bar down to the neck with a wide grip would increase pec activation and reduce shoulder work/strain????


----------



## Suprakill4 (Jul 11, 2008)

I dont do flat anymore only decline and incline as i had the same problem hitting delts too much and tri's on flat press.


----------



## Kemot (Oct 2, 2012)

martin brown said:


> Any reason bringing a bar down to the neck with a wide grip would increase pec activation and reduce shoulder work/strain????


 Martin this post all about feeling a chest, right ? Take anyone to the gym tell him to eat some carbs as well before training  and let them do 4 sets with 10 rep. You will feel your chest a lot . Trust me . I'm competing and in this season this exercise have changed my upper chest completly. Try it first and than let see what happen? ok . Thats all I'm asking.


----------



## Kilmarnocklad (Aug 22, 2012)

Kemot said:


> bro if I were you I would focus more on dumbells, flat , incline etc. If you prefer bar than try this type movement same as before bring down slowly but to the neck as deep as you can. AND make sure That you hold that bar quiet wide and don't go FIRST as heavy as a normal bench press . Feel the movement and stretch first.


i am using only DB's kemot thats what im saying, and im still not getting a squeeze in the chest? Dont know if i should be trying to pull the chest in more and use my arms less if that makes sense...i just dont get it atall...on the flat bench with dbs i can do 44kg for 5 or 6 reps for 3/4 sets but i still dont feel much....should i try bringing the db's down closer to the bottom of the chest? no?


----------



## MattGriff (Aug 21, 2012)

Kemot said:


> You will feel your chest a lot . Trust me .


Is everyone the same shape?


----------



## The Cheese (Sep 22, 2012)

I've found that doing a set of flyes before bench-pressing helps me to feel it in my pecs.

The flyes don't have to be heavy, just enough to warm the muscle up and slightly fatigue it.


----------



## Ballin (Aug 24, 2011)

I found lowering the bar to it comes just below the bottom of my pecs really take the pressure off my shoulders. Much better. I don't fully extend to lock out or touch my chest just lower to about an inch away to keep the tension on my chest.


----------



## Kemot (Oct 2, 2012)

MattGriff said:


> Is everyone the same shape?


:no: hehe good point but its worth it to try


----------



## Kemot (Oct 2, 2012)

Kilmarnocklad said:


> i am using only DB's kemot thats what im saying, and im still not getting a squeeze in the chest? Dont know if i should be trying to pull the chest in more and use my arms less if that makes sense...i just dont get it atall...on the flat bench with dbs i can do 44kg for 5 or 6 reps for 3/4 sets but i still dont feel much....should i try bringing the db's down closer to the bottom of the chest? no?


ohh damm yeah DB's , Try maybe little bit lower weight do 10 reps, (10sec break) 6 reps, (10sec break), 4 reps. x2 it could be the case . If not , I'm gonna find on internet specific exercise dumbell press on incline but it looks like 3/4 of all movement . Till stay strong.


----------



## Kilmarnocklad (Aug 22, 2012)

ok guys thanks for all your help, i reckon i'll try doing some flyes first and see how i get on  if not, i'll ask someone to spot my technique as im working, see what we see.


----------



## goonerton (Sep 7, 2009)

i think it will likely be a form issue, i used to get horrible shoulder pains from barbell benching would stop me doing any chest exercises at points. but worked on form, i find keeping elbows in and down along with pinning shoulder blades really helps, now i'm benching heavier than before and never really get a twinge out of shoulders.


----------



## GunnaGetBig (Dec 14, 2008)

You say you do 4-6 reps with the 44kg....what I think you need to do is up the rep range. The feeling your after is the pump and unless your doing some seriously slow reps with your 44kg, your just not getting enough time under tension to create the pump feeling.

I would try 8-12 reps with full range of movement. Slow neg, pause at full stretch and controlled power up


----------



## hometrainer (Apr 9, 2003)

i have switched to dumbells flat press as i was feeling it more in my front delts than my chest .use the barbell press as a warm up now.


----------



## alan_wilson (Feb 25, 2012)

Try pinching your shoulders back while you lay down. As if your trying to hold a pencil in the rear of you shoulders.


----------



## GolfDelta (Jan 5, 2010)

The Cheese said:


> I've found that doing a set of flyes before bench-pressing helps me to feel it in my pecs.
> 
> The flyes don't have to be heavy, just enough to warm the muscle up and slightly fatigue it.


Have you got gyno mate?


----------



## Joe Shmoe (Jan 12, 2009)

I moved to db bench press, and felt a lot of the shoulder involvement disappear.


----------



## welbeck (Jul 23, 2010)

A mate of mine pointed out to me that when I was benching my arms were too low and needed to lift my elbows up away from my sides more so that my elbows and shoulders were in a straight line, it's made a real difference to my strength. I also noticed the number of people that do the same as what I was doing, seems it's a common mistake.


----------



## Kilmarnocklad (Aug 22, 2012)

welbeck said:


> A mate of mine pointed out to me that when I was benching my arms were too low and needed to lift my elbows up away from my sides more so that my elbows and shoulders were in a straight line, it's made a real difference to my strength. I also noticed the number of people that do the same as what I was doing, seems it's a common mistake.


welbeck i think you actually have a point mate, i bring my elbows down at like 60 degree angles which i think takes the tension of your chest...


----------



## RockyD (Oct 8, 2012)

Flaring elbows puts a great strain on shoulders and is main reason bench press is known as the shoulder wrecker(google flaring elbows bench press), you may hit pecs more too like this but not worth the high risk of shoulder injury that may leave you like many many others unable to flat bench at all.

Try tucking elbows at 45 degree angle not flared out and not pinned to side and just work on building up the weight lifted, the more weight you're moving the more your chest will have to work. Also try throwing in some dips and possibly flyes along with whatever presses you're doing if chest is lagging.


----------



## welbeck (Jul 23, 2010)

Wrong.



Right.



Hope I got them the right way round


----------



## Mackerel (Aug 24, 2012)

I stopped flat benching altogether and only do declines now (plus flyes & dips). I can really feel the squeeze in the chest whereas I never could before; front delts were fatiguing before I could even feel any pec activation.

Everyone's built different though so what works for me won't necessarily work for the next man.

The whole shebang is about experimenting and finding out what works and what doesn't for your particular physique.


----------

