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hurt traps during chest training....

esmuva06 Posts: 57 Joined: 2003/11/10	2004/03/23, 09:53 AM i have pulled my traps a couple of times over the past 3 years..usually i just wait a week and jump right back in. this time, i can feel it maybe starting to give during chest training..especially on bench press and incline press. i'm not really sure how to avoid this... and don't really know why my traps appear to be at risk during this... i'm just hoping one of you knows something about this.
asimmer Posts: 8,201 Joined: 2003/01/07	2004/03/23, 10:32 AM Do you go too heavy and pull your shoulders up towards your ears? -------------- "To be able to go to the gym and train hard is a joy and a privelege, even though the hard work necessitates driving yourself through considerable discomfort. Savor this privelege and blessing, and revel in it." Stuart McRobert, Beyond Brawn
esmuva06 Posts: 57 Joined: 2003/11/10	2004/03/23, 03:01 PM i always go as heavy as possible but as far as i know i have pretty good form... many people have commented on how smooth i press.... (telling you that is really the only way to convey that information i think). thanks for your input... if you have anything else to add please tell me.
DeadWeight Posts: 15 Joined: 2004/03/11	2004/03/23, 03:36 PM That's a different one for sure. Is it one side? (if so, same side all the time?), both sides? Do you feel it during the press? If so is it going up or coming down? Is it only on your heaviest sets or can you feel it during sets at moderate weight? I suppose now that it has been hurt you can feel it almost any set, but what about when your strong. No warning signs on a very heavy set? It is very easy to sacrifice form on the flat bench but incline you should be able to see it.
asimmer Posts: 8,201 Joined: 2003/01/07	2004/03/23, 05:10 PM Are you pulling the muscle at the upper or lower attachment? trapezius is part of the shoulder complex and would assist in stabilizing your shoulder blade while lowering the weight. -------------- "To be able to go to the gym and train hard is a joy and a privelege, even though the hard work necessitates driving yourself through considerable discomfort. Savor this privelege and blessing, and revel in it." Stuart McRobert, Beyond Brawn
esmuva06 Posts: 57 Joined: 2003/11/10	2004/03/23, 08:14 PM i feel it all the time when it is in the couple weeks after i hurt it... only warning signs are when i wake up in the morning on days it is most prevalent it kinda hurts a little to look to my left and right... it loosens up as the day goes on. i'm not really sure at what point it hurts the most its kinda just tight throughout the whole movement. i'm not much help i know but its all i can really think of.
jcannuck Posts: 210 Joined: 2004/01/31	2004/03/23, 08:19 PM This may sound silly, but are you gritting your teeth really hard or lifing your head off the bench while lifting?
esmuva06 Posts: 57 Joined: 2003/11/10	2004/03/23, 10:32 PM thats a good question..but no, head down, back down, feet firmly on the floor, no gritting of teeth, breath in on negative, out on push... i dont get it.
Jdelts Posts: 1,218 Joined: 2003/10/19	2004/03/23, 10:42 PM Coming from a bench press competitor, I think your form may not be as good as you think it is. Pulling a trap while benching sounds like you are over-emphasizing your back. You are coming too high on your chest when you bring the bar down. When going heavy, this can be a problem for your traps. I'm not insulting your form, but it mat not be correct. When you bring the weight down to your chest, it should touch the bottom half of your pecs. If you have been using this form, then I have no clue what could be causing this. -------------- Baseball is wrong: Man with four balls cannot walk. Jdelts@freetrainers.com
esmuva06 Posts: 57 Joined: 2003/11/10	2004/03/24, 07:15 AM i'll try and watch for that, but i'm fairly sure i'm hitting the lower half... i appreciate everyone's help, this is just an annoying thing that wont go away. i do think i may be emphasizing my back more on incline though, as someone mentioned they could see my lats flare on every rep... where should the bar hit on that and is that the reason????
Jdelts Posts: 1,218 Joined: 2003/10/19	2004/03/25, 07:33 PM Top part of the chest...and there is nothing wrong with your lats flaring out when you bench. -------------- Baseball is wrong: Man with four balls cannot walk. Jdelts@freetrainers.com