When I bench.....

[Tedim]

When I go heavy.....275 to 315 if I go to 2 inches from my chest it feels great, but if I go to chest my shoulders start to hurt and I have a hard time pressing out....dead stop on 315 need help to get it off chest...but if 2 inches I can do solid 3 reps...

any clue why?

[headhuntersix]

I suspect you engage more tricep at 2-3 inches. If you were to use a board you'd be good. U may bench wider and the full range of motion doesn't allow you to engage your tri's and drive the bar.

[Tedim]

I suspect you engage more tricep at 2-3 inches. If you were to use a board you'd be good. U may bench wider and the full range of motion doesn't allow you to engage your tri's and drive the bar.

My grip is "ring fingers on hash marks".....I was taught that chest does the work on the wider grip, while tris on narrow

[headhuntersix]

It does but if your looking for a bigger and to an extent safer bench then bring them in. You don't need a super elbow tuck but enough so the shoulders are doing less work. If you're looking for a bigger chest there are better exercise or atleast safer.

[anabolichalo]

barbell bench is a joke of a chest exercise

try dumbels or machine press

[headhuntersix]

Forget the machines until after your real work is done. I have a big chest. It doesn't translate into a huge bench but its big enough. Try this:

Week one - flat bench and then incline DB's
Week two - Incline BB and then flat DB's.
DB fly's
Then mix in whatever you have machine wise. If you have hammer strength plate loaders use those and mix up the positions. I used to do a lot of pull overs. I'd like to think they worked but everybody has an opinion.

If you're trying to get stronger and want or need to stick with benching...check out Brandon Lilly's predator cube for bench. Westside has a 30 day bench program where u bench 3 times per week. I bench one day and close grip a few days later. I also make use of the slingshot a lot in training.

[Charlys69]

When I go heavy.....275 to 315 if I go to 2 inches from my chest it feels great, but if I go to chest my shoulders start to hurt and I have a hard time pressing out....dead stop on 315 need help to get it off chest...but if 2 inches I can do solid 3 reps...

any clue why?

itīs also matter where the bar touch your chest, and if you press in Bodybuilding style or in Powerlifting style (bench-press bridge...). The stretch to the pecs is much higher when the bar comes down to yout mid or upper chest. Thatīs 1 rason the powerlifter let the bar go down to lover chest and also making that bridge which limit the range of the whole press...which is 1 reason to press heavier weights in that position.

[Coach is Back!]

When I go heavy.....275 to 315 if I go to 2 inches from my chest it feels great, but if I go to chest my shoulders start to hurt and I have a hard time pressing out....dead stop on 315 need help to get it off chest...but if 2 inches I can do solid 3 reps...

any clue why?

If your elbows are parallel with your ears you're more than likely going to have some shoulder problems. The bar path should be at nipple or slightly below (think sternum). Benching like this should take the tension off the labrum and redirect it more to the triceps and rhomboid (rhomboid is a stabilizer for bench). Also, like HH6 said, you can also board press once a week or so.

[Tedim]

My back is flat, no arch and legs are squared, but I don't drive with them or my ass......bar comes down just right above nipples...2" from bottom of sternum. if I go to chest on 315 I can't press the bar off, but if I stop 2" from chest...I can rep 3 clean controlled, 4-5 sloppy

also I do bar flap press Mondays, dm and bar incline Thursdays.....tons tons and tons of sets, ladder up and down.

[Option D]

kill the bar... your shoulder doesnt like the fixed angle. If you still need the bar... try bringing your elbows in a bit more. If youre flairing them out, it puts a lot of pressure on your pec minor and it will take like 8 weeks to recover once its good and fucked off.

[Jizmonkey]

I stopped doing barbell benches after my shoulders started to ache. Always had good shoulders, but out of nowhere they were injured. Since doing more flys, with arms bent a bit, my chest has come up quickly. Don't straighten the arms when wour hands are in front of you, keep them at the same bend angle, like you are hugging a barrel.

[jamesjenkinsfitness]

try benching in the power rack, drop the pins so the start of the lift is at the chest. youll have to slide under the bar. attack your weak area.

[Tedim]

try benching in the power rack, drop the pins so the start of the lift is at the chest. youll have to slide under the bar. attack your weak area.

thanks that seems to have had some effect

[DroppingPlates]

A conflict in your rotator cuff

[Donny]

Forget the Flat Bench.. Decline Bench. I know so many guys who had shoulder problems and switched over to Decline. Decline Flys are also a forgotten exercise.

[DroppingPlates]

Forget the Flat Bench.. Decline Bench. I know so many guys who had shoulder problems and switched over to Decline. Decline Flys are also a forgotten exercise.

Decline is the king

[Donny]

Decline is the king

yes

[smitty#]

When I go heavy.....275 to 315 if I go to 2 inches from my chest it feels great, but if I go to chest my shoulders start to hurt and I have a hard time pressing out....dead stop on 315 need help to get it off chest...but if 2 inches I can do solid 3 reps...

any clue why?

put your pinky right next to the inside the ring of the bar. i made this correction after front delt started to pang.  now no pain in delt and chest gets great pump.