Slight shoulder pain on bench press variation

Today’s Workout Log

Warm-up

25 minutes of dynamic stretching and soft-tissue work

Workout

Close-Grip Incline Bench Press – 135 pounds – Sets: 1/1/1/1/1/1/1 (rest 2m)

SuperSet (Do one set of each exercise back-to-back, rest 2 minutes, repeat)

Close-Grip Decline Bench Press – 95 pounds – Sets: 8/8/8/8
Chin-ups – Bodyweight – Sets: 8/7/6/5

SuperSet (Do one set of each exercise back-to-back, rest 90 seconds, repeat)

Scapular Wall Slides – Bodyweight – Sets: 12/12/12
Hammer Curls – 15-pound Dumbbells – Sets: 12/12/12

Cool-down

Dead Hang – 56 seconds

Workout Journal Notes

I felt some slight shoulder discomfort on Close-Grip Incline Bench Presses, but it was only about a 4 out of 10 on my pain scale.

Considering I used to feel that same discomfort, or worse, on virtually every bench press, I’m hoping it’s just a matter of adjusting to and perfecting the new exercise.

In fact, it got better with every set, and I didn’t feel it a bit in the subsequent Decline Presses, though those are known for being less stressful on the shoulders anyway.

It was “nice” to get in some Chin-ups, since they and pull-ups were completely absent from the last phase.

I ended strong and will be increasing the weight on every exercise next week, as I’m still in that first-week “feel out” phase of each month.

I’m going to do another round of low-intensity cardio like I did last week tomorrow instead of HIIT again.

It didn’t seem to hinder my progress at all the first time, so it’s yet another thing I’d like to experiment with.