Hi!

I've made some nice progress in bench pressing lately, but have now come to face a weird problem, at least in my oppinion. It's getting really difficult for me to get the weights off the hooks, much more difficult than doing the actual reps. In other words, I can finish the set if I just manage to get the bar off from the hooks!

Today I had to stop my routine on the bench when getting weights off the hooks started to hurt my shoulders. I really don't want to risk them to an injury.

Any suggestions, guides? How high should I keep the bar - in which angle my arms should be in the starting position to get as shoulders easy lift off as possible?

Oh and we're talking about under 200lbs weights. With much bigger weight I know ppl sometimes use a spotter to help to get the weights off from the hooks.

Thanks!

Oh and we're talking about under 200lbs weights. With much bigger weight I know ppl sometimes use a spotter to help to get the weights off from the hooks.

Thanks!

Why don't you just ask someone for help? There's no rule that says you have to be lifting big weight in order to use a spotter.

Why don't you just ask someone for help? There's no rule that says you have to be lifting big weight in order to use a spotter.

Well, that was actually not my point. I've asked ppl to spot on way less weights than I'm now training with :)

The point was that with weights around 160lbs and so, one should be able to get the weight off the hooks by himself - surely if one can do sets with the weight. That's why I am thinking it's a fault in my technique of doing it.

Or is this just a fault in my thinking of it being that simple? :confused:

Try to get back under the weight more. You should only have to move the bar a few inches towards your stomach in order to get it in the right position -- don't turn it into a barbell pull-over. :)

This video might help. See how little he moves it:

762Y9fd3SYQ

Also note how the guy drives his head into the bench as he lifts the bar out of the rack. I've found that this helps too.

It could also be that the bar's too high and you're using your shoulders to get it off the hooks; you're finding the reps themselves easy enough when the weight's being taken by the stronger chest muscles but finding it harder when most of the weight's being taken by the shoulders.

I'd try starting off with the bar in a lower position where you don't have to extend so much to get it off the hooks and see if that helps.

Funny you mention this. The last time I really injured my shoulders (about 2 years ago), it was from unracking the weight. In my case, the way the bench was set up made it difficult to unrack the weight .... the hooks where the bar sits were angled upward, and bars on the bench itself were also angled backward in a weird way. So getting directly under the bar felt awkward, and in order to get the bar off, I had to lift upward/backward first, and then outward. And that killed my shoulders.

I started using a different bench which helped alot. Otherwise, I think George's suggestion is really good. The problem is when you have to reach back to grab the bar....so, make sure you are under the bar enough, so that you don't have to lift it off at an uncomfortable angle.

Hi!

I've made some nice progress in bench pressing lately, but have now come to face a weird problem, at least in my oppinion. It's getting really difficult for me to get the weights off the hooks, much more difficult than doing the actual reps. In other words, I can finish the set if I just manage to get the bar off from the hooks!

Today I had to stop my routine on the bench when getting weights off the hooks started to hurt my shoulders. I really don't want to risk them to an injury.

Any suggestions, guides? How high should I keep the bar - in which angle my arms should be in the starting position to get as shoulders easy lift off as possible?

Oh and we're talking about under 200lbs weights. With much bigger weight I know ppl sometimes use a spotter to help to get the weights off from the hooks.

Thanks!


hey its not a wierd problem, i have the same problem when i bench 130 i need help getting it off the hooks dont worry, and as for a spotter they are tehre fore safety i get a spotter when im doing 90lbs just in case so dont be ashamed or anything :tu:

Could be poorly designed hooks. Lot of benches have crappy designs, with too deep hooks. You want a very shallow lip, very shallow. Taking the bar out should be more of a slight horizontal movement than a pronounced vertical movement. Also, get under the bar as much as possible.