When doing dumbell bench, how far to lower weights?

sonofabitchsky.DeleteThis@hotmail.com wrote:
:: Every time I do dumbell bench, my shoulder kills for weeks. Someone
:: mentioned not going deep. I lower the weights to level of my chest,
:: which puts my elbows below the bench. How low should I go?

As low as you can without having shoulder problems, while being true to the
movement. I don't go all the way to my chest with the dumbbell. I think
the bar may be 2 or 3 inches above, but I can't be sure. I make sure there
is no pain during the movement or afterward.
 >> Stay informed about: When doing dumbell bench, how far to lower weights? 

"Roger Zoul" <rogerzoul2.DeleteThis@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:118q7rr144oii7e@news.supernews.com...
> sonofabitchsky.DeleteThis@hotmail.com wrote:
> :: Every time I do dumbell bench, my shoulder kills for weeks. Someone
> :: mentioned not going deep. I lower the weights to level of my chest,
> :: which puts my elbows below the bench. How low should I go?
>
> As low as you can without having shoulder problems, while being true to
> the movement. I don't go all the way to my chest with the dumbbell. I
> think the bar may be 2 or 3 inches above, but I can't be sure. I make
> sure there is no pain during the movement or afterward.

It might be worthwhile using a lighter weight and building up the
lower range of the movement (you are lowering them slowly
to make sure you get the eccentric phase, right?) ... it'll pick up
strength and flexibility pretty quickly in my experience, and then
you can go to heavier weights. Your shoulder shouldn't be getting
sore if the weights are chest level and your technique is good.
 >> Stay informed about: When doing dumbell bench, how far to lower weights? 

<sonofabitchsky.RemoveThis@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1116544286.125698.120020@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> Every time I do dumbell bench, my shoulder kills for weeks. Someone
> mentioned not going deep. I lower the weights to level of my chest,
> which puts my elbows below the bench. How low should I go?

You might want to try pressing them from the floor instead of a bench.
That should limit the ROM to something manageable. Google "floor press"
and "dumbbell floor press" and you'll see it's good for more than just
limiting the ROM - people use floor presses as assistance for bench
presses.

-S-
http://www.kbnj.com
 >> Stay informed about: When doing dumbell bench, how far to lower weights? 

try bringing the weight down until you start to feel a steach.
 >> Stay informed about: When doing dumbell bench, how far to lower weights? 

sonofabitchsky.DeleteThis@hotmail.com wrote:
> Every time I do dumbell bench, my shoulder kills for weeks. Someone
> mentioned not going deep. I lower the weights to level of my chest,
> which puts my elbows below the bench. How low should I go?

I would try not to let your arms go below parallel with the deck.
 >> Stay informed about: When doing dumbell bench, how far to lower weights? 

gman99 wrote:
> sonofabitchsky.DeleteThis@hotmail.com wrote:
> > Every time I do dumbell bench, my shoulder kills for weeks. Someone
> > mentioned not going deep. I lower the weights to level of my chest,
> > which puts my elbows below the bench. How low should I go?
>
> I would try not to let your arms go below parallel with the deck.

Yeah. I think that longer arms are a disadvantage when doing these
exercise. I always thought I had to touch the barbell/dumbell with my
chest, but that puts my shoulders in risk I guess.
 >> Stay informed about: When doing dumbell bench, how far to lower weights? 

In article <1116544286.125698.120020.TakeThisOut@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com>,
sonofabitchsky.TakeThisOut@hotmail.com wrote:

> Every time I do dumbell bench, my shoulder kills for weeks.

Then don't do them.

--
Will Brink @ http://www.brinkzone.com/
 >> Stay informed about: When doing dumbell bench, how far to lower weights? 

sonofabitchsky.TakeThisOut@hotmail.com wrote:

> Every time I do dumbell bench, my shoulder kills for weeks. Someone
> mentioned not going deep. I lower the weights to level of my chest,
> which puts my elbows below the bench. How low should I go?

What makes you think it is the depth which is responsible for
the pain? There're other variables, you know. Like, for example,
it can be that you're moving your elbows too far away from your
torso.

---
Signature has been removed to save disk space.
 >> Stay informed about: When doing dumbell bench, how far to lower weights? 

In article <c09r81t0diem4fl4decepqkc5d3vsa85eq.TakeThisOut@4ax.com>,
Nameless <blah> wrote:
>On 19 May 2005 16:11:26 -0700, sonofabitchsky.TakeThisOut@hotmail.com wrote:
>
>>Every time I do dumbell bench, my shoulder kills for weeks. Someone
>>mentioned not going deep. I lower the weights to level of my chest,
>>which puts my elbows below the bench. How low should I go?
>
>Lately I've been getting a massive (incapacitating) pain in my head
>during heavy dumbell pressing.

>I remember having this pain a couple of years ago, during heavy weight
>chins, I think I was holding my breath or something.
>
>Dunno. I'll just lay off bench for a while.

You might want to see a chiropractor and have your face adjusted.
(Seriously; at least some forms of exercise-induced headache are
amenable to that treatment.)

Seth
--
chown -R us /yourbase
 >> Stay informed about: When doing dumbell bench, how far to lower weights? 

My body is more agreeable to heavy weights after I have at least 15 minutes
of hard cardio. This goes against everything ive heard..but it works for me.

Jim
 >> Stay informed about: When doing dumbell bench, how far to lower weights? 

In article <d8nrpj$n3v$1@reader1.panix.com>,
sethb RemoveThis @panix.com (Seth Breidbart) wrote:

> In article <c09r81t0diem4fl4decepqkc5d3vsa85eq RemoveThis @4ax.com>,
> Nameless <blah> wrote:
> >On 19 May 2005 16:11:26 -0700, sonofabitchsky RemoveThis @hotmail.com wrote:
> >
> >>Every time I do dumbell bench, my shoulder kills for weeks. Someone
> >>mentioned not going deep. I lower the weights to level of my chest,
> >>which puts my elbows below the bench. How low should I go?
> >
> >Lately I've been getting a massive (incapacitating) pain in my head
> >during heavy dumbell pressing.
>
> >I remember having this pain a couple of years ago, during heavy weight
> >chins, I think I was holding my breath or something.
> >
> >Dunno. I'll just lay off bench for a while.
>
> You might want to see a chiropractor and have your face adjusted.
> (Seriously; at least some forms of exercise-induced headache are
> amenable to that treatment.)
>
> Seth

He also might want to have his blood pressure checked?

The idea about facial adjustment is cool. I've read some instances where
jaw misalignment was responsible for headaches and I'm a big believer in
chiropractors as well!

I wonder if he clenches his jaws during heavy lifting?
That, and teeth grinding at night, can cause TMJ if I'm not mistaken?
That's what the PA told me in the ER anyway when I was talking to him
about a bad earache I had that was not related to infection....
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson
 >> Stay informed about: When doing dumbell bench, how far to lower weights? 

In article <4ZCdndMXqfLU4jLfRVn-og.DeleteThis@comcast.com>,
"JimR" <jremick@comcast> wrote:

> My body is more agreeable to heavy weights after I have at least 15 minutes
> of hard cardio. This goes against everything ive heard..but it works for me.
>
> Jim
>
>

<smiles> That's amusing to me as I've been reading a LOT lately about
NOT doing cardio before lifting as well!

I do at least 20 minutes on the bike or stairmaster prior to lifting,
and them some light stretching.

Both of those done prior to lifting are supposed to be detrimental to
strength gains, but I personally find it easier to get in a good workout
if I "warm up" with cardio first. If I try to come in and lift right
away without doing that, it seems to be more difficult for me to really
get going.

YMMV I guess? <shrugs>
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson
 >> Stay informed about: When doing dumbell bench, how far to lower weights? 

sethb.DeleteThis@panix.com (Seth Breidbart) wrote in news:d8nrpj$n3v$1
@reader1.panix.com:

> In article <c09r81t0diem4fl4decepqkc5d3vsa85eq.DeleteThis@4ax.com>,
> Nameless <blah> wrote:
>>On 19 May 2005 16:11:26 -0700, sonofabitchsky.DeleteThis@hotmail.com wrote:
>>
>>>Every time I do dumbell bench, my shoulder kills for weeks. Someone
>>>mentioned not going deep. I lower the weights to level of my chest,
>>>which puts my elbows below the bench. How low should I go?
>>
>>Lately I've been getting a massive (incapacitating) pain in my head
>>during heavy dumbell pressing.
>
>>I remember having this pain a couple of years ago, during heavy weight
>>chins, I think I was holding my breath or something.
>>
>>Dunno. I'll just lay off bench for a while.
>
> You might want to see a chiropractor and have your face adjusted.
> (Seriously; at least some forms of exercise-induced headache are
> amenable to that treatment.)
>
> Seth

It's also worth playing with different lifts, different order of lifts, etc.

When I moved to my new gym I started getting bad headaches. I had gotten
them when first starting, then they had gone away, so I was pretty pissed.

I was starting with overhead squats to warm up and they were causing it--but
regular squats and pullups would too. BP wouldn't. Warming up with DB swings
and windmills didn't cause it and I could go on to squats after that. I did
that for 8 weeks or so (at which point I'd given myself elbow tendinitis
from the DB swings) then switched back to warming up with OH SQ and now it's
fine.

Hugh


--
Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will attend no other.
 >> Stay informed about: When doing dumbell bench, how far to lower weights?