Editing Bench press (section)

==Possible injuries==
[[File:Bench press.png|upright=1.5|thumb|A man (lying down) performs a bench press with a [[spotting (weight training)|spotter]] using a thumbless grip.]]
Performing the bench press can contribute to multiple types of injuries:
*Torn [[ligaments]] / [[tendons]] in shoulders
*Injuries to the [[trapezius muscle]]
*[[Elbow]] / [[wrist]] strains
*Cracked or broken [[human rib cage|ribs]], usually the result of bouncing the bar off of the chest to add momentum to the lift, or a loss of strength causing the bar to fall onto the chest.
*[[Bone spur|Distal clavicular osteolysis]]: bone spur or erosion at the end of the clavicle. Athletes suffering from this condition should avoid doing bench presses.<ref>IOC Sport Medicine Manual 2000 available in .PDF form online</ref>
*Torn or damaged [[rotator cuff]]
*Pectoral muscle tear
*Cervical discopathy or, in extreme cases, spinal cord injury. While the mechanism is not clear, lifting the neck or arching the back and leaning on the lower neck while pressing the weight could stress the area.<ref>{{cite web |title=Spinal Cord Injury due to Cervical Disc Herniation Caused by Bench Pressing |url=https://www.hilarispublisher.com/open-access/spinal-cord-injury-due-to-cervical-disc-herniation-caused-by-bench-pressing-2165-7939-3-154.pdf |website=hilarispublisher |publisher=Journal of Spine}}</ref>{{better source needed|Reason=predatory publisher [[OMICS Publishing Group]]|date=February 2022}}
*Death by [[asphyxiation]] by being trapped under the bar (several each year).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia04/brief/weightlt.pdf |title=Petition Requesting Labeling of Weightlifting Bench-Press Benches to Reduce or Prevent Deaths Due to Asphyxia/Anoxia |publisher=US Consumer Product Safety Commission |date=May 13, 2004 |access-date=2014-08-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130108110415/http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia04/brief/weightlt.pdf |archive-date=2013-01-08 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*Subclavian vein thrombosis <ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Imai |first1=Eriya |last2=Watanabe |first2=Jun |last3=Okano |first3=Hiromu |last4=Yokozuka |first4=Motoi |date=June 2023 |title=Efficacy and safety of supraclavicular versus infraclavicular approach for subclavian vein catheterisation: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials |journal=Indian Journal of Anaesthesia |volume=67 |issue=6 |pages=486–496 |doi=10.4103/ija.ija_837_22 |issn=0019-5049|doi-access=free |pmid=37476443 |pmc=10355348 }}</ref>
Many of these possible injuries can be avoided by using dumbbells instead of a barbell since dumbbells can be dropped without hitting the chest or neck, while also allowing greater external rotation of the shoulder which can help prevent shoulder injuries. Studies have also shown dumbbell bench press activates the pectorals more, which can lead to increased muscle growth.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sgobba|first=Christa|date=2017-07-12|title=This Kind Of Bench Press Will Hit Your Pecs the Hardest|url=https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19525230/dumbbell-chest-press-pecs-activation/|access-date=2020-12-17|website=Men's Health|language=en-US}}</ref>