The Ultimate Guide to Fixing Bench Press Shoulder Pain

If you lift long enough, you’ll eventually run into some aches and pains. One of the most common complaints in the gym is shoulder pain during the bench press. It usually starts as a small twinge that you try to ignore. But before long, that nagging discomfort can make you dread bench day.

The good news is that bench press shoulder pain is usually fixable. You don’t have to ditch the bench entirely, and you don’t have to resign yourself to constant discomfort. In this guide, we’ll break down why bench press shoulder pain happens, the most common mistakes that lead to it, and practical steps you can take to fix it for good.

Why Does Bench Press Hurt My Shoulders?

The bench press is often thought of as a chest exercise, but it’s really a full upper body movement. Your pecs, shoulders, triceps, lats, and even your core all play a role. That means there are a lot of moving parts, and when something in your setup or technique is off, your shoulders often pay the price.

Here are the main culprits:

• Poor bar path: If the bar is too high on your chest, it puts extra stress on the shoulder joint.

• Flaring elbows: Letting your elbows flare out wide forces the shoulders into an awkward, vulnerable position.

• Weak or inactive upper back: Without proper back tightness, your shoulders drift out of alignment.

• Mobility issues: Tight lats, pecs, or shoulders limit your range of motion and make you compensate in bad ways.

• Too much volume too soon: Jumping into heavy or frequent benching before your joints are ready.

Knowing the causes is the first step. Now let’s talk about fixes.

Step 1: Check Your Bench Setup

Most shoulder pain comes from setup problems. Fixing your foundation will take a lot of stress off the joint before you even change anything else.

Set your upper back: Before unracking the bar, pull your shoulder blades back and down, almost like you’re trying to pinch them into your back pockets. This creates a stable base for pressing.

Find the right grip width: Too wide and you’ll overload the shoulder. Too narrow and you’ll turn it into more of a tricep movement. A good starting point is gripping the bar so your forearms are vertical at the bottom of the press.

Plant your feet: Strong leg drive keeps your body locked in place so your shoulders don’t shift. Think about pushing your heels into the ground.

Arch slightly: A natural arch in the lower back helps keep the chest up and puts the shoulders in a safer pressing position. You don’t need a massive powerlifter arch, just enough to keep your torso stable.

Step 2: Master the Bar Path

Where the bar travels during the press makes a huge difference for your shoulders.

Many lifters bring the bar straight down to the middle or upper chest. This forces the elbows to flare out, which cranks the shoulders into internal rotation. Over time, that’s a recipe for pain.

The safer, stronger bar path is to lower the bar to just below the nipple line. Keep your elbows tucked at about a 45 degree angle from your torso. As you press up, the bar should move in a slight arc back toward your face, finishing over your shoulders.

Think “lower to the lower chest, press back toward the eyes.” That cue alone can save your shoulders.

Step 3: Strengthen the Supporting Muscles

Shoulder pain isn’t always about what you’re doing on the bench itself. Sometimes it comes from imbalances or weaknesses in the muscles that stabilize your pressing.

• Upper back and lats: Rows, pull ups, and face pulls help create the back tightness you need for a stable bench.

• Rear delts and external rotators: Band pull aparts, reverse flys, and external rotations with a cable or band protect the shoulder joint.

• Scapular control: Exercises like YTWs and prone trap raises teach you to control your shoulder blades.

If you only ever bench and never train your back, you’re setting yourself up for shoulder issues. A simple rule of thumb: do at least as much pulling as pressing each week.

Step 4: Improve Your Mobility

Limited mobility in the shoulders, chest, or lats can force your joints into bad positions. Even if your technique is solid, tightness can pull you out of alignment.

Here are a few mobility drills that make a big difference:

• Pec stretches: Use a doorway stretch to open up the chest.

• Lat stretches: Hang from a pull up bar and lean side to side.

• Thoracic spine extensions: Lay over a foam roller to open up the mid-back.

• Shoulder dislocates: Use a resistance band or PVC pipe to take your shoulders through a full range of motion.

Spend five to ten minutes before pressing on mobility work, and you’ll feel the difference immediately.

Step 5: Modify the Exercise if Needed

If your shoulders are already irritated, sometimes you need to change the lift temporarily instead of forcing through pain.

• Dumbbell bench press: Allows for a more natural range of motion and keeps the shoulders in a friendlier position.

• Swiss bar or football bar bench: Neutral grip pressing takes stress off the shoulders.

• Floor press: Cuts out the bottom range of motion, which is where shoulders are most vulnerable.

• Push ups with handles: Great for high reps without the shoulder strain of heavy barbell work.

These variations let you keep building strength and muscle while your shoulders recover.

Step 6: Manage Your Training Volume

Even with perfect form, your shoulders can’t handle unlimited pressing. A lot of lifters fall into the trap of benching heavy three or four times a week, throwing in extra dips and push ups, and wondering why their shoulders hurt.

If you’re feeling pain, scale back the pressing volume for a few weeks. Focus more on back work, mobility, and lighter bench variations. Once the irritation calms down, you can gradually reintroduce heavier pressing.

When to See a Professional

Most shoulder pain from bench pressing is mechanical and fixable with the steps above. But if you’re dealing with sharp pain, loss of strength, or pain that sticks around even outside the gym, it’s worth seeing a physical therapist. Sometimes the issue is more than just for m,like rotator cuff irritation or impingement, and professional eyes can help you recover faster.

Putting It All Together

Fixing bench press shoulder pain isn’t about one magic trick. It’s about combining better setup, smarter technique, stronger supporting muscles, and a more balanced approach to training.

To recap:

1. Set your shoulders and grip correctly.

2. Lower the bar to the lower chest and keep elbows tucked.

3. Strengthen your back and rotators to support pressing.

4. Work on mobility in the chest, shoulders, and thoracic spine.

5. Use variations if you need to train around pain.

6. Manage training volume so you’re not constantly overloading your shoulders.

If you start applying even half of these fixes, your shoulders will thank you. Bench pressing should be a movement you look forward to, not something you dread because of pain. Stay consistent with the changes, and over time you’ll be pressing heavier, safer, and pain free.

Final Thoughts

The bench press isn’t the enemy. Bad habits are. Shoulder pain is one of the most common reasons people give up on benching, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right technique, the right balance of exercises, and a little patience, you can keep the bench in your program for years to come.

Next time you feel that ache in your shoulders mid-set, don’t ignore it and grind through. Step back, check your setup, fix your bar path, and start giving your back and shoulders the attention they deserve. Your future self, and your future bench PRs, will thank you.