Bench Press Technique

How to properly perform bench press to avoid injury:
The bench press is the most common upper body exercise used when training because it is a compound upper body movement that incorporates many of your major upper extremity muscles. However, bench press can be easily performed with poor body mechanics and technique. One common mistake that many people make when bench pressing is overarching the lower back and lifting the hips off the bench. It is normal to have a little arch in the low back but too much can lead to future back pain. This commonly occurs when there is an inexperienced lifter or when too much weight is on the bar for what your upper body can handle (very common). Another common mistake is not pinching the shoulder blades during the bench press with allows for better shoulder mechanics and decreased risk of future injury. Lastly, one thing that is commonly overlooked during the bench press is what occurs at the wrist. Many times, when weightlifting, people will let the wrists be somewhat relaxed to the point where increased stress is placed on the wrist joint itself. This can in turn lead to future wrist pain.
Why is this important?

It is very important to make sure that you are performing exercise techniques properly to be certain you are improving your performance and not just making yourself more prone to injury. Please contact Dr. Ben Bagge at prokinetixrehab.com for his expertise in exercise biomechanics if you have any questions regarding how you can be improving your performance in competition or technique in the weight room.


Pro+Kinetix Physical Therapy & Performance specializes in helping active individuals in Oakland, Alameda, Berkeley, Walnut Creek, and San Francisco get back to exercising and working out pain free without having to take time off or relying on injections/pain medication. Pro+Kinetix offers rehabilitation and performance services to all populations, with specialties in Sports Rehabilitation, Active Release Techniques, and Manual Therapy Techniques plus Personal and Small Group Training, Sport Clinics and Wellness Services.