bench press problem

[nmc2010]

hi i think i may be bench pressing wrong i need some advice please?

i bring the bar one inch above nipples is this right ?

reason i ask is because im having elbow pain and wrist pain when lifting over 100kg.. or could it be because of my size im really confused as i aint had this before and its only recently happend since i done a 1 rep max of 122.5kg..

age 20
height 5ft.8
weight 72kg

[LatissimusaurousRex]

Could be repetitive stress injuries, do you always go heavy or do you go light sometime or implement de-load days?

[nmc2010]

i always go heavy i want to build strengh / size...

buh the way the pain is at the moment i cant lift what i want any advice on what i could do ?

[LatissimusaurousRex]

Keep in mind I'm not a doctor and am no substitute for one, but I can pretty much guarantee you it's an RSI. Simple over-training, I know you want to attack the weights and reach your goals as quickly as possible, but charging at them in this manner will only leave you injured. I can unfortunately speak from experience. Your muscles can heal in as little as 48 hrs, but your tendons and ligaments lack the proper blood flow to do so. You're tendons and ligaments get beat up just like your muscles, and will heal just like your muscles; it just takes them much longer. I'd say for right now (and I know this sounds horrible and almost impossible) but cease from doing any movements that aggravate these injuries, there could be tiny tears in your tendons or ligaments, and continuing to lift will only keep tearing them. Take as much time off from these movements that aggravate it until the pain subsides and then I'd take an additional 2 weeks just to be safe. Then when you start to lift again start light and slowly work your way back up. Assuming you hit each major muscles group around 4 times a month, make 1 of the weeks a de-load week. This is where you're not maxing out on weights or going to failure on any exercises. This week your just getting a good pump, keeping the blood flowing, and most of all letting your body rest and heal up. You should be doing this with all muscles groups, otherwise I can 100% guarantee you this pain will persist and worsen. In the mean time you can ice the joints that hurt and take some NSAIDs (with food) every 4 hours to help heal the inflammation. Let me stress again I am not a doctor and you should see one to get a real diagnosis.

[nmc2010]

ok thank you mate appreciate your help

[scotty51312]

if you're goal is building size in your chest you should drop the weight a little and concentrate on the form. Bring the bar almost to the point of touching your chest but at the same time you should be thiking about your shouler positioning at the bottom of the rep you should be almost pinching your shoulderblades together then on the contraction part of the rep conentrate as much on moving your shoulders forward as you are about pushing with your arms. Old school thinking is just moving the bar with just your arms

[X83]

Get some weight lifting gloves with the wrist straps and take an Ibuprofen pill for the elbow pain.

[ramacher]

So you don't actually touch the bar to your chest? I have heard that you don't want your elbows below 90 degrees to your chest as this can stretch it too far and cause injuries. But also how far do you bring the bar up because at a point it goes from your chest to triceps doing most of the work.

[nmc2010]

thanks all for your help...

and ramacher i bring the bar 1 inch above and bringing up i stop just before lock iv had noproblem with this before just as soon as i go to 110kg+ the pain starts

iv gt sum wrist straps witch has helped alot with my wrist buh still the elbows are elbow straps a good thought???

[jaym_100]

http://articles.elitefts.com/article...you-can-bench/

[TOkidd]

First, take LatissimusaurusRex's advice. Then try dumbells. Man, I find myself telling this to everyone - so many people with injuries doing exercises with the bar. The bar just seems to lock some peoples' arms into an unnatural position. Dumbells are the best, IMO, for less injuries and a greater range of motion. It also forces you to concentrate more on form, keeping both arms steady and pumping smoothly.

TOkidd

[GunSlingR]

I was having elbow and shoulder pain. It was ALL due to shitty form. I had someone watch my bench and noticed that from the side my forearms were not verticle. I was letting the weight bring the bar back slightly as if to do skull crushers. i widened my grip brought the bar to just below my nips and bam, everything felt great.
Dont worry about weight right now. drop down low and really focus on what you are doing and have someone who knows what they are looking for watch your form.

[terraj]

First, take LatissimusaurusRex's advice. Then try dumbells. Man, I find myself telling this to everyone - so many people with injuries doing exercises with the bar. The bar just seems to lock some peoples' arms into an unnatural position. Dumbells are the best, IMO, for less injuries and a greater range of motion. It also forces you to concentrate more on form, keeping both arms steady and pumping smoothly.

TOkidd

Bold above

[Cement Head]

Personally I always use dumbbells. I finish chest with light weight on the bar. No injuries or pain. I am at the point now where I can lift more weight on the dumbbells then the bar.

[turkishexpress]

Switch to dumbbells and hammerstrength (easier to do drop sets on). Anti inflammatories won't help with your problem. Get a big tub of glucosamine with MSN/chondroitin and use it religiously. You will notice a huge difference after about a month. Once the pain has receded you can throw in some heavy barbell stuff in there to shock your system once in a while.