Stick with flat bench - don’t give up (unless you’re injured). If you want to drop something, drop incline, its not needed. If you lower the bar to the upper chest it works the upper pecs just the same.
What cues do you use when benching?
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I don’t use any cues at all pb. Also, incline bench feels super awkward for me.
Check this out, and see if it seems like it might apply to you.
If your torso was slightly twisted, your left shoulder would be a little in front and your right shoulder would be a little behind. If you put your arms over your head, this would cause your right arm to be straight up, or maybe even behind you. And your left arm would sort of fall to the front.
And if you were “stuck” with this twisted torso, your shoulder blades might try to compensate for the “twist.” Like your right shoulder blade would stay retracted or Back and your left side might stay protracted or forward.
This would make it real tough to get set up on the bench, it might feel like you could only really get one side of your ribs or back on the bench. Or it could make it tough to really retract the left scapula, because that whole side is “forward.”
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It certainly does feel like that, even just standing up I feel pretty wonky in the shoulder area.
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Alright, so far, so good.
To untwist, you need to get the Serratus on your right side going. To learn to Protract your shoulder. Or wrap your scapula around your ribs as it moves forward. While you push your ribs “back.”
Check out the Reach and Round cues. “Reach” you push the elbows forward with the serratus, spreading the shoulder blades. “Round” you fill up that area between the scaps with a big breath and your ribs come “back.”
Another way to work on that is in the Plank. Yu just really need to focus on using that right serratus and driving the elbows into the floor, and the spine ribs up and away.
If you want more I can throw up a couple good but long videos tomorrow.
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Check out coach Phil Daru working with boxer Andre Dirrel.
At 1:40 boxer dude is laying on the ground, pushing his back into the floor, while Protracting the shoulders with serrautus muscle. Good practice for getting set up on the bench.
At 3:00 they do some work with the Push Up Plus, basically moving the shoulders at the top of the pushup position. The cues and the way coach moves his hands around to demonstrate the scaps moving are really good. You can do this on your knees to get started, if yu have trouble getting things moving.
After they get things lined up they do some rows and shoulder moves, focusing on keeping the work Off the Traps and on the Lats.
This is a therapist guy. He goes into detail about the motions, the ribs and breathing and stuff.
At 2:30ish he show that elbows on the wall drill
At 5:30 or so he shows another version of that pushup plus sorta move.
After that they show some moves to bring the serratus into bracing for squatting. That’s worth a look.
And these are just quickies of people doing Scapular Protractions with dumbbells for resistance. Basically filling up the lungs and pushing the ribs into the bench, while moving the shoulder blades. Practice for getting set up on the bench.
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Thanks Flats!!!
I appreciate it!!
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Good luck!
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I am going to utilize everything you said and turn it into an everyday thing.
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If you can find a move that works for you, without a bunch of hassle setting it up, that’s the way to do it.
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Conjugate Training
Maintenance Phase
Week 7 Day 1
Repetition Effort Lower
Warmup
Kroc Rows - 70 lbs - 4 x 25
V - Ups - Bodyweight - 4 x 25
Dumbbell/KB Swings - 70 lb dumbbell - 4 x 25
Prowler - 2 Plates - 2 sets of pushing across length of gym turf. (Lol this drained so much energy, I also always stay on my toes which makes it harder…I think?)
Stiff Leg PowerClean - 155 lbs - 5 x AMRAP
GHR - 25 lb plate - 5 x AMRAP
Standing One Arm Kettlebell Shrug - 124 lb kettlebell - 5 x AMRAP
DB Thrusters - 30 lb dumbbells - 5 x AMRAP
Weighted Heel High Twisting Sit Up - 10 lb plate - 5 x AMRAP
Flat Bench Three Way Leg Raise (straight, alt, leg pull in) - Bodyweight - 5 x AMRAP
Seated Leg Curl Machine - 70 lbs - 5 x AMRAP
Standing Bent Over One Arm High Lat
Pull-In on High Wall Pulley - 110 lbs - 5 x AMRAP
Close Grip Chin Up - Bodyweight - 5 x AMRAP
Incline Treadmill Walk - 2.6 Speed -15 Incline - 30 minutes
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Conjugate Training
Maintenance Phase
Week 7 Day 2
Repetition Effort Upper
Warmup
ISO Lat Pulldown - 60 resistance - 4 x 25
Skull Crushers - 25 lb dumbbells - 4 x 25
Flat Dumbbell Bench - 45 lb dumbbells - 4 x 25
Repetition Flat Bench - 155 lbs - 5 x AMRAP
Upright Rows - 100 lbs - 5 x AMRAP
Tricep Rope Pushdown - 42.5 resistance - 5 x AMRAP
Standing Barbell Reverse Curl - 60 lbs - 5 x AMRAP
Seated Dumbbell Shrug - 70 lb dumbbells - 5 x AMRAP
Barbell Over a Bench Palms Down Wrist Curl - 100 lbs - 5 x AMRAP
Seated Behind the Neck Press - 60 lbs - 5 x AMRAP
Seated Medium Grip Barbell Curl - 70 lbs - 5 x AMRAP
Decline Bench - 135 lbs - 5 x AMRAP
Incline Treadmill Walk - 2.6 Speed -15 Incline - 30 minutes
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I was going to say, it sounds like a scapula issue. My two major bench cues are to lock the scapula down - the key for me is down (not down and back - just down). I make sure the lower part of the scapula is locked down before I un-rack and try to keep them down the entire ROM. Second cue is to bend the bar on the decent and a few inches above the chest on the accent. Flare elbows after to lock out. Trying the bend the bar toward my feet helps me keep my elbows tucked - they flare immediately if I dont.
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Hmmm I think I’ll take the weekend off, brain starting to become fried.
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Conjugate Training
Maintenance Phase
Week 8 Day 1
Max Effort Lower
Warmup
Kroc Rows - 60 lbs - 4 x 25
V - Ups - Bodyweight - 4 x 25
Dumbbell Swings - 70 lb dumbbell - 4 x 25
Max Effort Split Stance Good Morning - 95 lbs x 3, 115 lbs x 3, 135 lbs x 3, 185 lbs x 3, 205 lbs x 5, 225 lbs x 5, 245 lbs x 5, 265 lbs x 5, 275 lbs x 5
Rack Pulls - 315 lbs - 5 x AMRAP
Trap Bar Shrugs - One 55 lb plate + Two 45 lb plates - 5 x AMRAP
AB Roll Ups - Bodyweight - 5 x AMRAP
Lateral Side Lunge - 50 lb dumbbell - 5 x AMRAP
Nonsupported Bent Knee Arms Extended Twisting Sit-Up - Bodyweight- 5 x AMRAP
Heels Elevated Close Stance SSB Front Squat - 210 lbs - 5 x AMRAP
Feet Against Wall Sit-Ups - Bodyweight- 5 x AMRAP
Standing Bent Over One Arm Lat Pull-In on Low Pulley - 100 lbs - 5 x AMRAP
Incline Treadmill Walk - 2.6 Speed -15 Incline - 30 minutes
Back to work
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Ouch that sounds horrible!!
Lots of awesome info @FlatsFarmer. I feel as though I’m in a similar situation to @tlgains so I’ll be utilizing the info as well.
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I own that “Archie Meets The Punisher” comic. It’s a trip!
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I lost motivation to lift, been so busy last week that I just wanted nothing to do with it,
trying to think of a plan.