There’s an old saying; “big bench, bad shoulders”.

Whether that is true or not depends on technique and experience.

I’ve certainly seen my fair share of people’s shoulder injuries through chronic flat bench pressing.

There are ways around impingements and joint laxity in the shoulders from performing the bench press but the main problem is that the awareness needed as well as core strength is very high.

The average gym goer probably won’t get there until it’s too late…

The alternative is a swiss ball chest press as shown in this video:

https://youtu.be/3Nsc7bs3CIg

What it teaches is:

• Core integration
• Correct range of motion for the shoulder complex
• Stabilisation control globally through the body (something many machines won’t do)

Let me know how you get on in the comments section below!

Enjoy the journey

Rupert Hambly