CD - Australian Fitness Network

AUTHOR’S BIO
TRAINING
FLAT BENCH PRESS:
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND
THE SOLUTION
Ulrik Larsen
�Among those who keep up
with sports science research,
the standard fl at bench press
is fast becoming the black sheep of
gym exercises – and for good reason:
it is widely reported as being the most
common cause of shoulder injuries
in the gym. Yet despite the growing
recognition of this risk, the exercise
remains very popular with personal
trainers and strength and conditioning
coaches. It is time for a serious
reappraisal.
The fl at bench press is an extremely
good way to grow a big chest
(pectoralis major), hence its abiding
popularity with members and clients.
The same levels of pectoral growth
cannot be achieved with standing
cable presses or single arm dumbbell
presses on fi tballs, even though
biomechanically they are profoundly
safer, as they spread the load across
numerous body parts. So, rather
than try to outlaw an exercise that is
likely to remain extremely popular, it
makes sense to learn how to overcome
its dangers with some intelligent
modifi cation.
POOR BIOMECHANICS FROM THE
BENCH = POOR RESULTS + PAIN
The high levels of injury associated
with the fl at bench press are primarily
22 NETWORK WINTER 2010 www.fitnessnetwork.com.au
An Australian Sports Physiotherapist specialising in sports injury management, Ulrik has decades of experience
working with personal trainers and their clients, including elite athletes and their coaches. His passion for giving fi tness
professionals competence to manage clients with injuries led him to develop the Rehab Trainer course which is now
delivered internationally through his network of similarly-minded physiotherapists. For more information visit
www.rehabtrainer.com.au or call 0423 861 342.
caused by the bench itself, and its eff ect
on the movement of the shoulder joint.
It is not uncommon to fi nd that a client
will experience shoulder pain when
performing the fl at bench press, but
none if they are doing normal prone
push-ups. This is because the eff ect of
most benches is to severely restrict the
movement of the scapula (also called
the socket or the shoulder blade),
thereby artifi cially exaggerating the
movement of the glenohumeral (ball
and socket) joint.
Alongside pain, muscular
development will be inhibited and
distorted. Pectoralis minor will begin
to dominate the press movement over
pectoralis major, preventing the chest
from developing as it should. The
excessive glenohumeral movement
(sometimes termed ‘lurching’) will
ensure that the pectoralis major does
not have a strong base from which to
operate, again preventing its normal
development. Instead the shoulders
become rounded, and the anterior