If either, or both, the sternal or
clavicular heads become shortened, shoulder ROM in
flexion and abduction decreases. This will make all
bench press and fly exercises difficult and painful to
do.
If the clavicular head is weak, the
athlete may experience pain around the clavicle,
particularly when doing incline presses, flyes or
overhead lifts.
If the sternal head is weak, the
shoulder may appear to be posterior and slightly
superior from its normal position.
If both heads are shortened, the arm
internally rotates so that the palms face backwards,
instead of toward the thigh, when the arms are in a
relaxed standing position.
If the pectoralis minor is shortened,
it can cause winging of the scapula. It can also draw
the glenohumeral joint forward, creating a biomechanical
shoulder problem for weight training.
Whether the pectorals have shortened
due to crouching over a computer key board all day or
have become out-of-balance due to improper weight
training program design (focusing on your bench press
and chest development while neglecting the back muscles
is a recipe for dysfunction), the effect is the same.
The imbalance must be corrected to regain optimal
performance and prevent pain and injury.
-
Optimal Training
Principles:
-
Grip
width is very important in all bench press
movements. Even a one-inch change in grip width in
the bench press can significantly change the level
of muscle involvement. One of the best methods for
determining your athletes “natural grip width” is to
have them stand at the end of the bench, facing and
centered on the bar. Have them close their eyes with
their arms hanging relaxed at their sides. Then have
them bring their hands forward and where they touch
the bar is their “natural grip”. Now, to double
check they got it right mark the bar with chalk, or
at least note where their hands touch by distance to
the knurled section. Have them perform a bench press
with this grip. If they got it right, you will
observe that their forearm is perpendicular to the
floor at the bottom of their lift. This position
stresses the pectorals while minimizing the stress
on both the shoulder and wrist joints.
-
Wide
grip bench presses increase the stress on the
pectorals, but dramatically increase stress on both
the shoulder and wrist joints. The wide grip
involves the pectorals as well as the anterior
deltoid, it allows the pectorals and anterior
deltoid to lengthen to a far greater degree and
therefore allows more force activation. It also
allows a decrease in the total distance the bar must
move to complete the lift. All of these factors
allow for greater loads and makes the wide grip
position a favorite among many powerlifters.
-
The
pectorals are most active during the first
two-thirds of the bench press. You can take
advantage of this by performing partial reps. The
partial rep is from the bar touching the chest to a
point two-thirds of the way up. Use spotters when
performing partial reps, because, done correctly,
when you complete the set, you will not be able to
get the bar back on the uprights.
-
The
narrow grip bench press takes the stress off the
pectorals and shifts the stress on to the triceps.
When the bar is first pressed off the chest, there
is a large burst of energy from the triceps,
pectorals and anterior deltoid, then the pectorals
and anterior deltoid take over and do most of the
work during the final one-third of the lift till
lockout.
-
There
is still an ongoing debate between the researchers
performing MRI analysis and bodybuilders. The MRI
research shows you cannot move stress on the
pectorals from the medial fibers (inner) by
performing narrow grip chest presses, or to the
lateral fibers (outer) by performing wide grip chest
presses. The reason is that the pectoral fibers run
from clavical to humerus as a single fiber. You can
move stress upward, to the clavicular head with
incline presses and lower, to the inferior sternal
fibers, but research says you cannot move stress
medially or laterally on the chest. However, many
bodybuilders disagree, they have found that they can
develop medial or lateral pectoral fibers.
Bodybuilders claim that the wide grip chest press
works the lateral fibers and narrow grip chest
presses, with the elbows flared at 45 degrees work
the medial fibers. I would like to hear from the
athletes performing these movements and see what
results they get.
-
There
is another debate on the incline press. Some claim
that the bench has to be at least 30 degrees to
stress the clavicualr head. While others say that 30
degrees is the ideal angle for clavicular head
development since any angle above 30 degrees
increases stress on the anterior and then the
lateral deltoid as the angle increases above 30
degrees. I would like to hear from the athletes and
see what results they get.
-
After
the grip, the next consideration is elbow placement.
Elbows flared to the 3 o’clock / 9 o’clock position place maximal stress on the pectorals, but
dramatically increase stress on the shoulder joint.
Elbows at 45 degrees to the body place adequate
stress on the pectorals and greatly reduce the
stress on the shoulder joint.
-
It is
recommended that you start with compound movements
(bench presses) to strengthen and develop the
pectorals. The flyes put more stress on the
pectorals and less on the triceps, but also increase
stress on the shoulder capsule (use GPO when
starting beginners on flyes).
-
Use a
wide variety of exercise, angles and variations. The
pectorals are a very large muscle that operates a
wide range of movements. You will need a wide range
of exercises and angles to fully develop the chest.
-
Important Safety Notes:
-
1.
Do not bounce at the bottom of the barbell bench
press
-
2. Use
knowledgeable spotters when going heavy
-
3. Do
not arch the back during any bench press to
protect the
-
vertebrae
-
4. Do
not exceed a comfortable ROM. Particularly if you
are
-
flaring your elbows straight-out
to the sides (3 O'clock and
-
9 O'clock)
-
5. Train
the external rotators of the rotator cuff (teres
minor
-
and infraspenatus) to prevent
shoulder problems.
-
6. Train
the body: upper/lower, front/back in balance.
More
Books from Jim Bell, PhD
