Effects of bench press technique variations on musculoskeletal shoulder loads and potential injury risk

While shoulder injuries resulting from the bench press exercise are commonly reported, no biomechanical evidence for lowering injury risk is currently available. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to compare musculoskeletal shoulder loads and potential injury risk during several bench press variations. Ten experienced strength athletes performed 21 technical variations of the barbell bench press, including variations in grip width of 1,1.5 and 2 bi-acromial widths (BAW), shoulder abduction angles of 45°, 70° and 90°, and scapula poses including neutral, retracted, and released conditions. Motions and forces were recorded by an opto-electronic measurement system and an instrumented barbell. An OpenSim musculoskeletal shoulder model was employed to estimate joint reaction forces in the glenohumeral and acromioclavicular joints. Time-series of joint reaction forces were compared between techniques by statistical non-parametric mapping. Results showed that narrower grip widths of <1.5 BAW decreased acromioclavicular compression (p < 0.05), which may decrease the risk for distal clavicular osteolysis. Moreover, scapula retraction, as well as a grip width of <1.5 BAW (p < 0.05), decreased glenohumeral posterior shear force components and rotator cuff activity and may decrease the risk for glenohumeral instability and rotator cuff injuries. Furthermore, results showed that mediolaterally exerted barbell force components varied considerably between athletes and largely affected shoulder reaction forces. It can be concluded that the grip width, scapula pose and mediolateral exerted barbell forces during the bench press influence musculoskeletal shoulder loads and the potential injury risk. Results of this study can contribute to safer bench press training guidelines.