Correlating Pec Tears and Benching
Written on March 5, 2008 at 8:45 pm, by Eric Cressey
Q: Is there any reason why there is such a big incidence of pec tears during benching in comparison to shoulder/triceps/lat tears, especially if powerlifting style is supposed to de-emphasize the use of the pecs?
A: Research at Indiana University found that cross-sectional area of the subscapularis is the best predictor of powerlifting performance, believe it or not.
If you’re getting that much hypertrophy of the subscapularis, it’s doing a lot of work – and for a small muscle. Ask any manual therapist, and they’ll tell you that subscapularis is always balled up – and frequently shuts down due to repetitive microtrauma.
Shut subscapularis down, and pec major will work overtime as an internal rotator of the humerus. Reference Shirley Sahrmann’s work; if you see an strained/tight muscle, look for an underactive synergist.
You’ll also get a humeral anterior glide, and additional tightness/restrictions on infraspinatus/teres minor.
So, the name of the game is to activate subscapularis with exercises like those in Inside-Out, and also improve the length and tissue quality of your external rotators.
Eric Cressey
Category Blog | Tags: Building The Efficient Athlete, Inside-Out, Magnificent Mobility, Rotator Cuff Exercises, Rotator Cuff Rehab, Shoulder Exercises, Shoulder Health, Shoulder Impingement, Shoulder Pain, Shoulder Rehab, Sports Injury, Unstable Surface Training, Weight Lifting Program, Weight Lifting Routine, Workout Program, Workout Routine
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