Bench Press Shoulder Pain
- Sunil Ram
- Oct 29
- 2 min read
If you’ve ever felt a sharp or nagging pain at the front of your shoulder during or after a bench press, you’re not alone. One of the most common culprits is the long head of the biceps tendon — a small but important structure that often takes the blame when pressing starts to hurt.
Understanding the Long Head of Biceps
Your biceps muscle has two tendons that attach at the shoulder — the short head and the long head. The long head tendon runs through the shoulder joint and attaches to the top of the shoulder socket (the glenoid). It plays a key role in shoulder stability, especially during pushing and lifting movements like the bench press.
Because it sits right inside the joint, the long head of biceps can easily become irritated or inflamed if the shoulder isn’t moving or stabilising properly.
Why It Hurts on Bench Press
Several factors can contribute to biceps tendon pain during pressing movements:
Poor shoulder positioning: If your shoulders roll forward or lack stability, the biceps tendon can get compressed or overloaded.
Overuse or heavy loading: Frequent pressing without enough recovery can lead to gradual tendon irritation.
Tight chest muscles: A tight pectoral region pulls the shoulder forward, increasing strain on the tendon.
Weak rotator cuff or scapular muscles: These muscles stabilise your shoulder; when they’re weak, the biceps tendon often compensates.
How to Relieve and Prevent It
If you’re dealing with pain, here are a few strategies that can help:
Warm up properly – Activate the rotator cuff and scapular muscles before training.
Check your form – Keep your shoulders set back and down, and avoid excessive elbow flare.
Strengthen your stabilisers – Build endurance in the rotator cuff and upper back to offload the biceps tendon.
Mobilise the chest – Stretch tight pec muscles to restore better shoulder alignment.
Adjust your load – Reduce the weight or modify the movement temporarily to allow recovery.
If symptoms persist, it’s best to get assessed. Sometimes, underlying shoulder instability, tendon inflammation, or technique issues need targeted treatment and guided rehab.
Want to Learn More?
We’ll be diving deeper into how to identify and treat biceps-related shoulder pain on our social media channels soon — with video demos, exercise progressions, and form tips to help you bench pain-free.
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