Pain guide · Back pain

Upper back pain when bench pressing: between the shoulder blades, the set-up, rib joints and swaps

Upper back pain when you bench press, between or under the shoulder blades, usually comes from the muscles that hold your shoulder blades squeezed together through the set, especially with long, heavy sets and a big arch, though no one has measured it. A sharp catch beside the spine that hurts on a deep breath can be a rib joint, and pain under one shoulder blade with a stiff neck or arm tingling can come from a nerve in the neck. No study has counted upper back pain from the bench press, and upper back injuries are uncommon in lifting. Setting your shoulder blades without crushing them, a natural arch, lighter sets and a floor press, machine or dumbbells for a while usually help.

This guide starts with the signs that need help, from a 999 call for chest pain, breathlessness or feeling faint during a set, a tearing pain in the chest or back, or sudden pain in the upper back with breathlessness, to a same-day check through the National Health Service's 111 line (NHS 111) or a general practitioner (GP) for arm weakness or numbness that is getting worse or sharp pain on breathing. It then maps the causes by where it hurts, explains what the studies of the set-up, the rib joints and the neck show, and don't, shows how to change your bench press today, and gives a three-stage plan with a 3D demo of every move, from the floor press back to the bar.

3-stage exercise plan When to get help 32 sourcesUpdated 28 October 2026

When to get help first

Exercise is for pain that has been checked or is clearly mild and settling.

Get urgent medical help if

Call 999: sudden pain or discomfort in your chest that does not go away (it can feel like squeezing or pressure, burning or indigestion); pain that spreads to your left or right arm, or your neck, jaw, shoulder, stomach or back; or chest pain and you feel sweaty, sick, light-headed or short of breath. It could be a heart attack. Don't drive yourself to A&E.
Call 999: sudden chest or back pain that can feel like something being torn inside, and causes shortness of breath, and problems with walking, vision and speaking (the NHS's wording, on its costochondritis page). It can be a tear in the wall of the body's main artery (an aortic dissection). Don't drive yourself to A&E.
Call 999 or go to A&E if breathing suddenly becomes difficult, if pain in your chest or upper back comes on suddenly with breathlessness or a very fast heartbeat, or if someone passes out. Do not drive yourself. It can be a blood clot that has reached the lungs.
Get help from NHS 111: pain or tightness in your chest, neck, shoulders, jaw or arms that comes and goes, often brought on by exercise, stress, emotion or cold and easing after a few minutes' rest. It can be angina, a sign of a heart problem. If you've been diagnosed with angina, get help from NHS 111 too if it feels worse than before, is happening more often, lasts longer or happens when you're resting.
Call 999 or go to A&E: back pain with chest pain, or back pain that started after a serious accident, such as a car crash.
Call 999 or go to A&E: with a broken or bruised rib, shortness of breath or chest pain that is getting worse, or coughing up blood. A broken rib may have damaged your lung.
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111: you have sharp chest pain that comes and goes, or only happens when breathing or coughing; sharp chest pain that has not got better after a few days; you've coughed up a few small spots, flecks or streaks of blood, or noticed blood in your phlegm; or you're feeling short of breath regularly. It can be pleurisy or a chest infection.
Call 999 or go to A&E: new problems walking, loss of bladder or bowel control, or a sudden loss of coordination, such as difficulty doing up buttons. These can be signs of pressure on the spinal cord.
Same day: clumsiness in your hands, or numbness, pins and needles or weakness in one or both arms, that is getting worse; problems with balance or walking since the neck pain started; or neck pain with a severe headache.
Same day (urgent GP appointment or NHS 111): severe neck pain that starts suddenly or gets worse quickly; heaviness or weakness in the arms or legs; pins and needles in an arm along with neck or arm pain; or pain between the shoulder blades.
Same day (NHS 111 or an urgent treatment centre): a pop or tearing at the front of the armpit or chest during a lift, a dip or a tackle, followed by bruising into the chest or upper arm, a change in the shape of the chest or armpit (a thinner or lost armpit fold, or a chest or nipple that looks uneven), or weakness pushing. Don't wait for it to settle: it can be a torn pec tendon, and repairs done within about 6 weeks did better than later ones.
Same day (NHS 111): back pain after a new, significant injury in the last 7 days, such as a fall from a height (off a box, a bar or rings) or a direct blow to the back.
Same day (GP or NHS 111): back pain and you feel hot, cold, shivery or generally unwell, or severe pain that starts suddenly or is getting worse quickly.
Same day: you have or have had cancer, and new back pain that is severe and doesn't let up, is getting steadily worse, is worse at night and disturbs your sleep, is worse when you cough, sneeze or strain, or comes with tenderness over the spine. Contact your cancer team or GP urgently. With cancer, new weakness, difficulty walking, numbness or bladder or bowel problems are an emergency.
Same day (call NHS 111, or go to A&E if you feel very unwell): after a big or unusual session, such as hundreds of pull-ups, push-ups, dips or curls, a challenge or a new class, muscle pain, swelling or weakness far worse than the session explains, and dark pee (red, brown, tea or cola coloured), sometimes starting hours or days later. Dark pee isn't always there, so muscles far sorer, more swollen or weaker than the session explains still need the same-day check. It can be rhabdomyolysis, a breakdown of muscle that can harm the kidneys.
Same day (urgent GP appointment or NHS 111): pain in your tummy, often in the middle or just under the ribs on the right, that lasts longer than 30 minutes; it may spread from there to your side or shoulder blade. It can be gallstones.

See a doctor or physiotherapist if

Pain at the top of the back, between the shoulders, rather than in the lower back.
Back pain that hasn't improved after a few weeks of looking after it at home, stops you doing day-to-day activities, worries you, or you're struggling to cope.
Pain that doesn't improve with rest or is worse at night, or pain that is worse when you sneeze, cough or poo.
Unexplained weight loss, or a lump, swelling or change in the shape of your back.
Pins and needles or a cold arm alongside neck pain, or a new loss of strength or feeling in the arm that you cannot explain (a possible nerve problem).
Rib pain with no injury that builds up with rowing, golf or other training: see a GP. It may be a rib stress fracture.
A rib broke from a cough, a sneeze or a minor bump: ask your GP about your bone health.
Sudden new back pain after a minor fall, lift, cough or sneeze, from 50 or past the menopause, or if you take long-term steroid tablets; or height loss, a curved spine or a change in posture: see a GP. It can be a spinal fracture.
Upper back stiffness that is worse in the morning and at night and eases with exercise, with pain where the ribs join the spine or breastbone, or a deep breath that is hard to take, especially if it started before 45: see a GP. It can be ankylosing spondylitis.
A burning, tingling or painful patch of skin on one side of your back or chest, with or without a rash: get advice from a pharmacist or NHS 111 as soon as possible. Shingles can cause pain a few days before the rash appears, and rarely without one. Try to see a pharmacist within 3 days of the rash appearing.
A strain that is getting worse, or isn't feeling better after looking after it yourself: see a GP or physiotherapist. In many areas you can refer yourself to physiotherapy.

Where does it hurt?

Location narrows the likely causes; it does not diagnose.

Between or along the inner edges of the shoulder blades, an ache or burn building through a set as you hold them squeezed together

Usually the muscles between the shoulder blades working hard (our reading; no one has measured it): the commonest pattern. Set the blades without crushing them, and lighter, shorter sets usually help.

A cramp under one shoulder blade as you set up or squeeze

Usually a muscle cramp that lets go when you relax the squeeze (our reading).

An even ache across the upper back a day or two after a new or heavier session, easing day by day

Usually muscle soreness, gone within about a week.

A sudden catch at one point beside the spine, sharp on a deep breath, a twist or a cough

Possibly a rib joint at the back or a strained muscle. Rib joints give a deep, local ache. Pain that is sharp only on breathing needs an urgent GP appointment or NHS 111.

Read: Upper back pain when breathing →Under or around one shoulder blade, with neck stiffness, and later pain, tingling or numbness down the arm

Possibly a trapped nerve in the neck, which often starts with neck or shoulder blade pain.

Read: Pinched nerve in the neck →Under or around one shoulder blade, not just on the bench

Our shoulder blade guide sorts the causes.

Read: Pain under the shoulder blade →The middle of the back, from the bottom of the shoulder blades to the bottom of the ribs

Usually the mid back's muscles, joints or ribs.

Read: Middle back pain →One rib at the front or side of the chest, sore to press, after bouncing the bar off your chest

Possibly a rib stress fracture, which needs checking.

Read: Rib pain →The front of the chest beside the breastbone, sore to press

Often costochondritis. Get chest pain checked first.

Read: Costochondritis →The front of the shoulder or chest, or a pop at the front of the armpit

The shoulder or a torn chest muscle: our shoulder bench press and chest muscle guides cover them.

Read: Shoulder pain when benching →The back of the neck or the traps on the bench

Usually the neck muscles: our bench press neck guide covers it.

Read: Neck pain when benching →The lower back on the bench

Usually the arch and leg drive: our bench press back guide covers it.

Read: Back pain when benching →Between the shoulder blades during or after pull-ups or rows

Our pull-up back guide covers pulling.

Read: Back pain in pull-ups →

Upper back stiffness that is worse in the morning and at night and eases with exercise, from under 45

Possibly ankylosing spondylitis: see a GP, as the warning signs say.

A burning or tingling patch on one side of the back or chest, with or without a rash

Possibly shingles: see a pharmacist or NHS 111 soon.

Upper back pain with chest pain, breathlessness, sweating or feeling faint, or a tearing pain

Rarely the heart, the main artery or a clot in the lung: call 999, as the warning signs say.

Understand it

What the bench press asks of the upper back, and what no one has measuredEmerging evidence

The site's bench press guide teaches five points of contact, with the shoulder blades pulled together and down into the bench and a natural arch. The muscles between the shoulder blades (the rhomboids and the middle trapezius) hold that position under the bar for the whole set, and the upper back muscles hold the arch.

In a computer model of 10 experienced lifters pressing a light 16 kg bar, pulling the shoulder blades back lowered the loads in the shoulder joint and the work of the rotator cuff. In 15 strength athletes, an arched set-up with the shoulder blades pulled back added 4.2 kg to the maximum and shortened the bar's path. No one has measured the upper back muscles, the rib joints or upper back pain during a bench press (a grip study measured only the chest and arms), so the map on this page comes from injury surveys, nerve and joint studies and case reports.

Sources 1, 2, 3

Who gets it: upper back injuries are uncommon in lifting, and commoner in womenEmerging evidence

Across weightlifting and powerlifting studies that gave counts, the thoracic (upper and mid back) and neck spine together made up 1.7% to 14.7% of injuries; in 101 Oceania powerlifters the shoulder (36%) and lower back (24%) led. In 104 Swedish powerlifters, 10 of 35 women with a current injury had one in the thoracic area, against under 15% of injured men (figures read from the paper's charts); women had significantly more neck and thoracic injuries, and 27% of injuries began in bench press training. In United States (US) emergency departments, the upper trunk made up 25.3% of weight training injuries, and the commonest diagnosis was a sprain or strain (46.1%).

Injury rates in powerlifting are low, 1.0 to 4.4 per 1,000 hours of training. Upper back pain is common in everyone: 15% to 27.5% of people have it over a year, more often young people and women. It tends to bother lifters with heavy or long sets, a big arch held long, a new programme, or an upper back already sore from desk work (our reading).

Sources 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

The neck can send pain between the shoulder bladesEmerging evidence

In 50 people with a single trapped nerve root in the neck, pain in the neck or shoulder blade region came before arm symptoms in 70% and eased soon after surgery in 92%; pain between the shoulder blades pointed to the lowest neck nerves. A review of 86 studies found shoulder blade pain in 72% of the studies that mapped a trapped neck nerve, and only 2% reported it on its own, without neck or arm pain. The small joints of the lower neck can also send pain to the shoulder blade region.

So pain under one shoulder blade with a stiff neck, or arm symptoms that follow, belongs to the neck guides, not the bench press.

Sources 10, 11, 12

The rib joints and ribsEmerging evidence

In 8 healthy men, injecting the joints where the ribs meet the spine produced a deep, dull ache over the joint itself, with no chest, arm or organ-like pain. No study of rib joint pain in lifters was found, and "a rib out of place" has no evidence behind it.

A 24-year-old sprinter who bounced the bar off her chest got a stress fracture of the fifth rib, with pain at the front of the chest; it settled after 4 weeks without benching. First rib stress fractures are reported in young weightlifters, one with a shoulder blade that stuck out from a nerve injury and recovered within 2 weeks, and reviews of bench press injuries list rib fractures among them.

Sources 13, 14, 15, 16, 17

Rare but serious: the heart, the main artery and the lungsStrong evidence

Upper back pain is rarely the heart, the main artery or the lungs, but they come first. The NHS sends chest pain that spreads to your arm, neck, jaw or back, or comes with feeling sweaty, sick, light-headed or short of breath, to 999; it lists pain in your chest or upper back among the signs of a clot in the lung; and it names sudden chest or back pain that can feel like something being torn inside as a 999 sign. Sharp chest pain that only happens when breathing or coughing needs an urgent GP appointment or NHS 111, and with a broken or bruised rib, breathlessness or chest pain that is getting worse is a 999 call. The NHS also says see a GP for back pain coming from the top of your back, between your shoulders.

Sources 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25

When a scan or test mattersEmerging evidence

Not for an ache between the shoulder blades that eases with a changed bench. In 503 adults with shoulder blade pain, 284 of whom had a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, changes in the neck and the shoulder tendons were very common, and incidental findings rose with age, so a scan report has to match your symptoms.

Tests matter with the warning signs (an electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood tests for chest pain), after a fall or a dropped bar, for rib pain after bouncing the bar or building with training (a first X-ray can be normal), and for arm weakness or numbness that is getting worse.

Sources 26, 15, 18

How it usually goesEmerging evidence

No study follows upper back pain from the bench press. Soreness fades within about a week, and the NHS says back pain usually improves within a few weeks. In Swedish powerlifters, only 16% of those injured stopped training completely; most changed their training. A rib stress fracture settled with 4 weeks off the bench. No one can promise a date.

Sources 25, 6, 14

What helps, and how strong the evidence is

Set the shoulder blades, then don't crush themEmerging evidence

Pulling the shoulder blades back and down lowered the loads in the shoulder joint in the one model study, so it stays. Nobody has tested how hard to hold them; setting them and then holding with steady effort, rather than your hardest squeeze, is our suggestion. A big arch added 4.2 kg in 15 strength athletes (the margin of error ran from 0 to 8.4 kg) and is optional: a natural arch with your buttocks on the bench is the site's set-up.

Sources 1, 2

Strength work helps neck and shoulder muscle painEmerging evidence

In 48 women with long-lasting neck and shoulder muscle pain, 10 weeks of specific strength training cut their worst pain by about 79%, while cycling gave only a small, brief drop. In 30 office workers, 10 minutes a day of neck and shoulder resistance training at work, 5 days a week for 8 weeks, cut average pain by 25% and worst pain by 43%, and twice a day did no better. In 7 trials of long-lasting pain, exercise that allowed some pain did no worse than pain-free exercise.

These were desk workers, not lifters, and no trial has treated upper back pain from lifting, so the plan borrows the idea, not the doses.

Sources 27, 28, 29

Swaps and the set-up: untested, but low riskEmerging evidence

No study has tested a change to the bench press for upper back pain. A floor press, a chest press machine with your shoulder blades on the pad, neutral-grip dumbbells and push-ups keep the chest training while the upper back settles (editorial). Touching the bar lightly rather than bouncing it is worth doing: bouncing broke a rib in one athlete. The pressure in the abdomen is lower in the bench press than in squats or deadlifts (about 79 mmHg in one study), so breathing out near the top costs little. A pad that props up the upper back raised bar speed in 10 trained men, with no pain data; it's optional.

Sources 14, 30, 31

Cracking, rolling and "activating": less than claimedMixed evidence

No study tests rib manipulation, foam rolling, mobility drills or rhomboid activation for upper back pain from the bench press, and the rib joints cause a local ache rather than a rib out of place. Upper back pain trials are few and small. Mobility work and a foam roller feel good and are optional, not fixes.

Sources 13, 9

Medicines and scansStrong evidence

The NHS suggests anti-inflammatory medicine such as ibuprofen if it suits you, says paracetamol on its own isn't recommended for back pain, and suggests heat or cold. Scans rarely change what you do for an upper back ache. Injections and surgery have no role in ordinary upper back pain from training; a trapped nerve, a rib fracture or a heart problem has its own care.

Sources 25, 26

How much pain is OK while you exercise?

Up to about 5 out of 10, settled within an hour, no worse the next morning; arm symptoms are differentEmerging evidence

This guide uses the back hub's rule, as our other upper back and back movement guides do. Some discomfort during exercise is fine, and it does not mean you are doing damage. Aim for pain you would call mild to moderate, no more than about 5 out of 10. It should settle within an hour or so, and your back should be no worse the next morning. If it is worse, do less next time (fewer reps, a smaller range, a lighter load), not nothing.

Because pain between the shoulder blades can come from the neck, it adds the neck hub's arm-symptom exception. Arm symptoms are the exception. If an exercise sends pain, tingling or numbness further down your arm, or the extra symptoms last more than an hour afterwards, make the movement smaller or leave it out. (A hospital leaflet on nerve glides allows a short-lived rise in symptoms but not one lasting over an hour; the rest of this rule is this site's suggestion.)

NHS inform's back exercises use the same bands (0 to 3 minimal pain, 4 to 5 acceptable, 6 to 10 excessive) and want your back no worse the morning after. In 7 trials of long-lasting muscle and joint pain, exercise that allowed some pain did no worse than pain-free exercise.

For the bench press (our suggestion, built on these rules): choose the press (a floor press or machine, dumbbells, then the bar), the load and the set length where your upper back stays at 5 out of 10 or less, settles within an hour and is no worse the next morning. A cramp under a shoulder blade means relax the squeeze or end the set. Pain that is sharp on breathing, chest pain, breathlessness, feeling faint or arm symptoms that spread aren't pain-rule questions: see the warning signs.

Sources 32, 25, 29

The exercise plan: 3 stages

Start at the first stage. Each move opens a full guide with a 3D demo.

Stage 1

Keep pressing, ease the squeeze, move the upper back

About the first 1 to 2 weeks: keep the chest training with presses that don't need a hard squeeze or arch, and keep the upper back moving. With a warning sign, get checked first; with a trapped nerve or a rib fracture, that guide's plan or your team's comes first.

Thoracic rotation demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoThoracic rotationBeginner · No equipment

6 rotations per side, moving with the breath · The move page's dose

Easier: Side-lying open book · Harder: World's greatest stretch

Side-lying open book demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSide-lying open bookBeginner · No equipment

8 to 10 slow openings each side, pausing 2 seconds at the end · The move page's dose

Harder: Thoracic rotation

Crocodile breathing (prone diaphragmatic breathing) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoCrocodile breathing (prone diaphragmatic breathing)Beginner · No equipment

5 minutes of easy nose breathing, about 4 seconds in and 6 out · The move page's dose. Leave it out if breathing in is sharp: see the warning signs

Easier: Slow breathing (6 breaths a minute)

Dumbbell floor press demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoDumbbell floor pressIntermediate · A dumbbell

2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12, stopping with 2 or 3 reps in reserve · The move page's dose (an editorial starting point). The floor holds the shoulder blades without a hard squeeze

Easier: Chest press machine · Harder: Bench press with chains

Chest press machine demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoChest press machineBeginner · Strength machine

2 or 3 sets of 8 to 12, shoulder blades resting on the pad, breathing out as you press · Editorial, as in our bench press back and neck guides

Harder: Barbell bench press

3D demoBand rowBeginner · A band + An anchor point

3 sets of 10 to 15, stopping 2 to 3 reps short of failure, with 60 to 90 seconds' rest · The move page's dose (an editorial starting point)

Harder: Supported single-arm dumbbell row

Move on when: Turning and deep breaths are comfortable, the floor press and machine pass the pain rule, and your upper back is no worse the next morning (editorial).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 2

Build the upper back, dumbbells on the bench

About weeks 2 to 6, 2 or 3 sessions a week: the shoulder-blade strength the neck and shoulder pain trials built, and a free-weight press on the bench.

Chest-supported dumbbell row demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoChest-supported dumbbell rowBeginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box

3 sets of 8 to 12 · Editorial, as in our upper back pain guide

Harder: Supported single-arm dumbbell row

Prone Y-T-W raises demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoProne Y-T-W raisesBeginner · No equipment

2 sets of 6 to 8 of each letter · Editorial, as in our upper back pain guide

Easier: Wall angel · Harder: Bent-over reverse fly

Band pull-apart demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBand pull-apartIntermediate · A band

2 to 3 sets of 12 to 15 · Editorial, as in our upper back pain guide

Easier: Prone Y-T-W raises · Harder: Tuck back lever

Scapular push-up (push-up plus) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoScapular push-up (push-up plus)Beginner · No equipment

2 sets of 10, on a bench or the floor · Our push-up progression workout's dose (editorial)

Easier: Dumbbell shoulder-blade punch · Harder: Push-up

Neutral-grip dumbbell bench press demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoNeutral-grip dumbbell bench pressIntermediate · A dumbbell + A bench or box

3 sets of 8 to 12 with 2 or 3 reps in reserve, shoulder blades set but not crushed together · Editorial, as in our bench press guides

Easier: Barbell bench press · Harder: Bench press with bands

Foam roller thoracic extension demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoFoam roller thoracic extensionBeginner · A foam roller

5 to 8 slow breaths at each of 3 or 4 spots along the upper back · The move page's dose (an editorial starting point). Optional; skip it with osteoporosis, as our upper back pain guide says

Harder: Fish pose (Matsyasana)

Move on when: 3 sets of dumbbell presses pass the pain rule, with your upper back no worse the next morning, for a week (editorial).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 3

Back to the bar

From about week 4 to 6: your usual bench press back, one change at a time, by the written steps below. No study has tested a return to the bench press after upper back pain, so the order is editorial.

Barbell bench press demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBarbell bench pressIntermediate · A barbell + A bench or box

3 sets of 5 to 8 with 3 reps in reserve, from about half your old working weight, adding about 5% to 10% a week while the pain rule holds, inside a rack with the safety arms set · Editorial, as in our bench press back and neck guides

Easier: Chest press machine · Harder: Dumbbell bench press

Dumbbell bench press demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoDumbbell bench pressIntermediate · A dumbbell + A bench or box

3 sets of 8 to 12 with 2 or 3 reps in reserve · Editorial, as in our bench press back guide

Easier: Barbell bench press · Harder: Bench press with bands

3D demoPush-upIntermediate · No equipment

3 sets of 8 to 15 · Our push-up progression workout's sets and reps (editorial)

Easier: Wall push-up · Harder: Close-grip push-up (close triceps position)

Supported single-arm dumbbell row demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSupported single-arm dumbbell rowIntermediate · A dumbbell + A bench or box

3 sets of 8 to 12 each side · Editorial, as in our upper back pain guide

Easier: Incline ring row · Harder: Bent-over barbell row

3D demoFace pullIntermediate · A band

3 sets of 12 to 15 · Editorial, as in our upper back pain guide

Easier: Prone Y-T-W raises · Harder: Tuck back lever

Farmer's carry demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoFarmer's carryIntermediate · A dumbbell + A kettlebell

3 walks of 20 to 30 m · As in our upper back pain guide (editorial)

Harder: Suitcase carry

Move on when: Your usual bench sessions pass the pain rule for 2 weeks; then bring back heavier sets, then (if you compete) your full arch, then heavy singles. If it flares, go back a stage for a few days, not to nothing (editorial).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

What to change for now

Your bench press for now (written steps)

Our 3D figure can't show how hard you squeeze your shoulder blades, your arch or how the bar touches. These steps come from the site's bench press guide, lab studies and case reports; no trial has tested a change to the bench press for upper back pain, and each step names its source or says it is our suggestion.

1. Shoulder blades: pull them back and down into the bench before you unrack, as the site's bench press guide teaches, then hold them with steady effort rather than your hardest squeeze (our suggestion).
2. Arch: a natural arch with your buttocks on the bench, not a competition arch, for now (the site's bench press guide).
3. Touch, don't bounce: lower under control and touch lightly, or pause; bouncing broke a rib in one case report.
4. Unracking and re-racking: a hand-off or lower hooks, so you don't heave the bar out with your shoulder blades lifted, and safety arms set just below your chest (the site's bench press guide; our suggestion).
5. Breathing: breathe in and brace at the top, and breathe out near the top of each rep (the site's bench press guide).
6. Load: stop 2 or 3 reps short of failure, with shorter sets and no heavy singles for now (editorial).
7. Swaps while it's sore: a floor press, a chest press machine with your shoulder blades on the pad, neutral-grip dumbbells or push-ups (editorial).
8. Today: keep moving, use heat or cold, and take ibuprofen if it suits you (the NHS).

Sources 1, 2, 14, 25

Back to your usual training (written steps)

No study has tested how the bench press comes back after upper back pain, so these steps are our suggestion.

1. One change at a time: dumbbells, then the bar lighter, then more weight, then your arch if you compete, then heavy singles.
2. Add about 5% to 10% at a time, after a session that passed the pain rule.
3. Rows and pulls each week, about as many sets as your presses.
4. Desk and phone: short breaks with a few thoracic rotations or band rows, as our upper back pain guide suggests; no perfect posture is needed.
5. Carrying, lifting at work and sleeping: keep moving, lift close to your body, and sleep in whatever position is comfortable.
6. Overhead presses, pull-ups and other upper body lifts come back as the pain rule allows.

Positions to swap, and why

Habit or position	Why it matters	Instead
Crushing your shoulder blades together as hard as you can for the whole set	The muscles between the shoulder blades hold the set; setting them is right, straining them isn't needed (our reading).	Set them back and down, then hold with steady effort; a floor press for now.Try: Dumbbell floor press
A big competition arch held through long sets	It adds little for most lifters, and the back muscles have to hold it (our reading).	A natural arch with your buttocks on the bench.
Bouncing the bar off your chest	Bouncing broke a rib in one athlete.	Touch lightly, or pause.
Heaving the bar out of deep hooks on your own	A twist under the bar with your shoulder blades lifted (our suggestion).	A hand-off, lower hooks and the safety arms set.
Long sets to failure and heavy singles while it's sore	Extra load before it settles (editorial).	Stop 2 or 3 reps short, on a chest press machine for now.Try: Chest press machine
Pressing on through tingling down an arm	That is a nerve, and the neck hub's rule says make the movement smaller or leave it out.	A machine or floor press, and get it assessed.Try: Dumbbell floor press
Benching through chest tightness, breathlessness or feeling faint	Rarely it is the heart or the lungs.	Stop and follow the warning signs.
Getting a rib "put back in" or cracking it yourself	No evidence that a rib slips out; the rib joints cause a local ache.	Gentle rotation and the plan.Try: Thoracic rotation
Stopping all upper body training	Strength training helped neck and shoulder muscle pain in trials.	Rows and floor presses.Try: Band row

Routines to follow

Upper back mobility routine

A 12-minute routine for a stiff upper back and rounded shoulders: chin tucks, wall angels, Y-T-W raises and open books.

12 minBeginner8 movesA foam roller, A wall

Bench press technique workout

A 30-minute practice session for the bench press: shoulder blade work, push-ups and dumbbell presses, then the empty bar with the safety arms set.

30 minBeginner7 movesA band, A dumbbell

Machine chest workout: chest press, incline press, pec deck and dip machine

A 35-minute chest session on gym machines: the chest press, a plate-loaded incline press, the pec deck and the dip machine, with a row to balance it.

35 minBeginner9 movesCardio machine, A band

Dumbbell chest workout: flat, incline and neutral-grip presses, flys and a pullover

A 35-minute chest session with dumbbells and an adjustable bench: flat and incline presses, a neutral-grip press, flys and a pullover, with a row to balance it.

35 minBeginner10 movesA band, A dumbbell

Back workout (gym)

A gym back workout: lat pulldowns, cable rows, dumbbell rows, face pulls, back extensions and shrugs.

45 minBeginner8 movesPull-up bar, A band

Spine mobility routine: neck to pelvis, every direction

A 15-minute routine that moves your neck, upper back and lower back through bending, arching, side bending and twisting, then holds the spine steady.

15 minBeginner12 movesNo equipment

More moves for this area

Questions people ask

Why does my upper back hurt when I bench press?

Usually the muscles between your shoulder blades working hard to hold them squeezed together, especially with long sets and a big arch, though no one has measured it. Set your shoulder blades and hold them without crushing them, lighten the load and stop 2 or 3 reps short.

Is pain between the shoulder blades after bench press normal?

An even ache a day or two after a new or heavier session is usually soreness and fades within about a week. Pain that is sharp, one-sided with a stiff neck, or comes with chest pain or breathlessness isn't: see the warning signs.

Should I squeeze my shoulder blades together when benching?

Yes, set them back and down: in a model of 10 lifters it lowered the loads on the shoulder joint. Hold them with steady effort, not your hardest squeeze, if your upper back aches.

Why does my shoulder blade hurt after bench press?

Usually the muscles that hold it. Pain under one shoulder blade with a stiff neck, or later arm tingling, can be a nerve in the neck, which often starts with neck or shoulder blade pain. Our pain under the shoulder blade guide covers it.

Can bench pressing hurt your ribs?

Yes, rarely: bouncing the bar broke a rib in one athlete, and it healed with 4 weeks off the bench. Rib pain that is sharp on breathing needs an urgent GP appointment or NHS 111, and with breathlessness, 999.

Could upper back pain on the bench be my heart?

Rarely, but call 999 for chest pain, or pain spreading to your arms, neck, jaw or back, with sweating, feeling sick or breathlessness. Sudden pain in the chest or upper back with breathlessness can be a clot in the lung.

What should I do instead of the bench press for now?

A dumbbell floor press, a chest press machine with your shoulder blades on the pad, or neutral-grip dumbbells, while you build the upper back with rows. Bring the bar back a step at a time.

Is it a pulled rhomboid?

Possibly: the rhomboids sit between the shoulder blades and hold them back, but no study has counted rhomboid strains in lifters. A sharp catch that eases over days to weeks fits a strain.

Do I need a scan?

Usually not: scans of people with shoulder blade pain show common, age-related changes. Tests matter with the warning signs, after a fall or a dropped bar, or for rib pain after bouncing the bar.

How long will it take?

No one can promise a date. Soreness fades within about a week, and the NHS says back pain usually improves within a few weeks.

When should I see a doctor?

Call 999 for chest pain, breathlessness or feeling faint with it. Get help the same day for arm weakness or numbness that is getting worse or a fever, and see a GP for pain between the shoulders that isn't settling, as the NHS advises. In the US, call 911 where this page says 999.

Related exercise guides

How to bench press guide

Sources

Exercise education, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. It is written from the guidelines and studies listed above; review by a clinician is pending. If your pain follows an injury, is severe, is getting worse, or comes with any warning sign listed on this page, get it assessed. Health disclaimer.

When to get help first

Get urgent medical help if

See a doctor or physiotherapist if

Where does it hurt?

Understand it

What the bench press asks of the upper back, and what no one has measuredEmerging evidence

Who gets it: upper back injuries are uncommon in lifting, and commoner in womenEmerging evidence

The neck can send pain between the shoulder bladesEmerging evidence

The rib joints and ribsEmerging evidence

Rare but serious: the heart, the main artery and the lungsStrong evidence

When a scan or test mattersEmerging evidence

How it usually goesEmerging evidence

What helps, and how strong the evidence is

Set the shoulder blades, then don't crush themEmerging evidence

Strength work helps neck and shoulder muscle painEmerging evidence

Swaps and the set-up: untested, but low riskEmerging evidence

Cracking, rolling and "activating": less than claimedMixed evidence

Medicines and scansStrong evidence

How much pain is OK while you exercise?

Up to about 5 out of 10, settled within an hour, no worse the next morning; arm symptoms are differentEmerging evidence

The exercise plan: 3 stages

Keep pressing, ease the squeeze, move the upper back

Build the upper back, dumbbells on the bench

Back to the bar

What to change for now

Your bench press for now (written steps)

Back to your usual training (written steps)

Positions to swap, and why

Routines to follow

Upper back mobility routine

Bench press technique workout

Machine chest workout: chest press, incline press, pec deck and dip machine

Dumbbell chest workout: flat, incline and neutral-grip presses, flys and a pullover

Back workout (gym)

Spine mobility routine: neck to pelvis, every direction

More moves for this area

Questions people ask

Related exercise guides

Other pain guides

Sources