How To Bench Press With Shoulder Instability (Detailed Article)

The bench press is one of the classic lifts that reigns king for developing upper body strength; it not only strengthens your pecs but your triceps and shoulders as well. But if you suffer from shoulder instability, bench press might be a tricky, frustrating — or even painful — exercise for you to try. So, sit back and read through this article; I’ve got you covered on what you need to know to start going about this whole ordeal.

Bench pressing with shoulder instability requires knowledge about your type of instability (typically anterior or posterior), strengthening the muscles of the shoulder (primarily the rotator cuff) and optimizing range and arm positioning when benching to ensure maximal stability.

Now, to be clear, there’s more to it than that; what’s described above is merely the general synopsis. The ticket to success is in the details. So, if you want to learn why specific actions must be taken, which muscles must be targeted, and which types of grip and bench press variations you’ll likely need to perform, keep on reading.

As we dive into this article, please keep in mind that I don’t know anything about your personal shoulder situation. As such, please consider getting a shoulder assessment from a qualified healthcare professional. What follows below is for informational purposes only.

Quick note: Depending on the nature and severity of your shoulder instability, it may be required for you to avoid bench pressing and similar exercises for the time being; a highly unstable or painful shoulder may only tolerate smaller, lighter shoulder and arm exercises in the early stages of rehab. Much of what follows below is intended for individuals who are deemed non-surgical candidates; individuals with high levels of instability or pain may require surgery and may want to avoid bench press until further consultation with a qualified medical specialist.

If you want the best chance possible at learning to bench with an unstable shoulder joint, it’s imperative you understand the basic anatomy of the shoulder joint along with the general causes and presentations of instability. If you do, you’ll be much less likely to make costly mistakes and waste precious time attacking the issue.

Additionally, taking the right actions and performing effective exercises will become much more intuitive. So, let’s start attacking this beast!

Shoulders can become unstable for different reasons, however, most of the time, it’s due to trauma to the joint. Shoulder dislocations are a prime example of this. When excessive force gets put through the shoulder joint (such as with dislocation or subluxation), the joint capsule (the thick, fibrous tissue that covers the ball and socket joint) can become overly stretched, which compromises the joint’s integrity.