Close Grip Bench Press and Shoulder Impingement
I have been attempting different hand and elbow placements recently to maximize the intended muscle fiber recruitment in different areas on different lifts. I have read several different things about close grip bench, but there seems to be no authority on how to do it to avoid a shoulder impingement with your elbows coming into your sides. Is this a true statement to have your elbows tucked in, or are we really saying to just not let them flare out? Even when I watched your video on close grip dumbbell presses, I noticed you had your elbows at or slightly under a 45 degree angle. It would seem, just like the regular bench, this would be a safer and stronger placement. It would be great to get more advice to understand not only how to do the movement to recruit the right intended muscle groups but to also avoid injury. Please help. Thanks.
Sorry for the delay. Well Close Grip bench press is intended to call on the triceps to aid int he pressing movement and also the inner pecs, depending on your hand placement. The elbows placement truly depends on your comfort level, however research shows that your elbows at a 45 in between parallel and right at the torso is best for increasing strength and weight when benching. The close grip is a version to help target the triceps in most case. The reason is because there is more flexion hat occur in the elbow and because the bar is actually positioned lower on the torso as you press these muscle fibers are hit. Im not sure if your question is relating to the best position for shoulder issues, and or what is the benefit of the close grip. If you do close grip the AC joint is not as compromised that if your elbows flare out so I would suggest keeping it tight if you have shoulder pain. The other method is to do dumbbell bench as you have more freedom with your hand placement vs a fixed barbell. I hope I answered.
