16/02/2026
Shoulder pain on bench press? The shoulder probably isn't the problem.
Nine times out of ten, it's a setup issue.
Before we look at the shoulder itself, we're checking how the whole system is working, your upper back position, how your ribs are stacked, where the bar is tracking, whether your lats are actually doing their job.
Because here's the thing: the shoulder is usually just copping the load that other areas aren't sharing properly.
Nail the setup. Spread the load. The pain settle. And, the weight goes up.
That's what we mean by treating the cause, not just chasing the sore spot.
