Anabolic Talks

My shoulders get cranky whenever I push pressing volume. What prehab actually keeps your shoulders healthy under heavy benching and overhead work? Want to press hard without the nagging ache.

The big three for shoulder longevity:

• Rear delt and external rotation work (face pulls, band external rotations) to balance all the pressing
• Scapular control (pull-aparts, scap push-ups)
• Not flaring the elbows to 90 degrees on bench - tuck them a bit

Most pressing shoulder pain is too much press, too little pull, and bad elbow position.

My pull volume is definitely way lower than my push.

That imbalance is the classic cause. Match or exceed your pulling to your pressing and a lot of cranky shoulders just settle down.

Face pulls and band pull-aparts daily, almost like brushing your teeth - cheap, quick, and they keep the rear delts and upper back doing their job. Added them as a warmup filler and my bench shoulder ache disappeared.

Also check you're not just adding load too fast. Shoulders are easy to overuse with too-rapid pressing progression. Smaller jumps and a proper warmup on the first press set go a long way.

Balance the pull volume, daily band work, tuck the elbows, progress slower. Clear prehab plan, appreciate it everyone.