During a bench press, you may get a sharp pain in your palm. However, after you remove the weight, your palm appears to be alright. It’s irritating when you don’t understand why something like this is happening.
So, why exactly does your palm of hand hurts when benching?
Incorrect wrist position and poor bar grip are the most common causes of palm pain. You will also feel the pain if your muscles are not used to heavy weight lifting. One of the other reasons is that your wrist is bent too far during a bench press. Even a splinter might cause pain in your palm.
Interested in learning more? We’ve got the right guide for you! Now, what are we still waiting for? Let’s get started right away!
Table of Content
Why Palm of Hand Hurts When Benching?
Getting the technique wrong is probably the most common cause of hand and wrist damage in the gym.
On the other hand, we forget only a few of us can do heavy weight lifting. Just like only a few percent of people can do 300 benches. This can lead us to try to do more than our capability, hence injuring ourselves.
Let’s have a look at some of the other probable reasons:
Excessive Weightlifting Pressure
Extreme weight lifting is one of the leading reasons for palm soreness. This extra weight causes pinched nerves.
Carpal tunnel is located on the palm side of one’s wrist. It is made up of carpal bones, median nerves, and ligaments. The median nerve is spread out all over your hand.
Due to excessive weight during bench press, a painful amount of pressure is on the median nerve. Hence causing the sharp pain or soreness in your palm.
Sometimes the grip and wrist position is not correct during a bench press. This can cause sharp pain too.
Wrist Bent Too Far
Poor wrist position like bending too far back or too far forward can also be the cause. As a result, the nerves are compressed.
Your palm may become numb and tingly because of this compression. Nerves travel the length of our arms, thus it’s not uncommon for one to be damaged.
Incorrect Bar Grip
You might be gripping the bar far too deep in the palm instead of letting it sit near the base of the palm.
This won’t cause any bruises but as you lift the weight you will be feeling a sharp pain. It is quite common when the grip isn’t right. At the same time, sweating can cause poor bar grip too.
Splinter in Your Palm
The splinter in your palm may go unnoticed until an infection develops. The area then turns red, sensitive, and bloated.
While bench pressing, pressure on an unseen splinter might also cause pain. Splinters, thankfully, are simple to remove with the right equipment and expertise.
How Can You Stop It From Hurting?
Sometimes shaking your hands off and getting into a more comfortable position will relieve the discomfort. You also can try the pain-relieving procedures listed below
Using Wrist Wraps & Wrist Straps
Wrist wraps and wrist straps can both be useful while doing a bench press. Wrist wraps help to stabilise your wrist during a lift. Maintaining a proper wrist position will be simple once your wrist is stable.
Wrist straps, on the other hand, help you strengthen your gripping capability. If you want to add more weight to your bench press, wrist straps can help you do it safely.
Adjusting Wrist Position
Wrist position is quite important during a bench press. Forearms, Hands, and wrists should all be in alignment with one another. The barbell should be stacked over the wrist.
Proper gripping width, bar positioning, and wrist joint stabilisation are required for this position.
Applying Gel Pads
With your doctor’s approval, you can use gel pads. You can wear it under your gloves or simply wrap it around the bar. It’s only a thin covering of gel pads.
They absorb the pressure between your hand and the bar, relieving pressure on the nerve.
Using Correct Weight
You should always utilise a weight that is suitable for your body. We have a natural tendency to misjudge our capabilities and try lifting more weight than we should.
Consult with a coach about how much weight to start with and how to proceed from there. Using the proper weight will relieve the excessive pressure on your palm and ease pain.
But if the pain becomes unbearable, you can use the following supplement to relieve it to a certain extent.
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It is always best to visit your doctor. But you must make the call since going to the doctor is costly. However, paying a few hundred dollars now rather than thousands later for surgery is preferable.
How to Avoid Injury During Bench Press
Injuries are common when getting into shape. However, remembering a few things can prevent you from getting minor and severe injuries. Here are some considerations to keep in mind:
Proper Grip Width
When the barbell is on your chest, your hands should be somewhat broader than your shoulder width. Your elbows should be positioned parallel to the barbell or a little in front of it.
This will put you in a good position to raise the weight without getting hurt. You will easily be able to avoid pressure on your wrist. If you’re a beginner, consult your trainer to determine the appropriate bar weight.
Neutral Wrist Position
Maintain a neutral wrist position when lifting. Maintain proper hand and wrist alignment at all times. Keep squeezing and avoid becoming too relaxed with your hand. To keep the position accurate, wear a wrist wrap.
It’s worth noting that slightly bent wrists are typical. As long as the bar is positioned above the wrist joint, this isn’t an issue.
Bar in Your Palm
The bar should sit at the base of the hand for the bench press. The “meaty” part of your hands should be used here. But don’t hold the bar in your fingers. This will bend the wrist and strain it.
Full Grip On Barbell
Always bench with a full barbell grip. Four fingers should be over the bar, and your thumb should be under it. This full grip on the barbell keeps the wrist more neutral. It is also the most secure grip to utilise when completing the bench press.
What Can You Do Instead of Benching?
The bench press appears to be an obvious choice for an upper-body workout. If the palm still hurts after using the strategies above, you can try some other upper-body exercises. There are numerous upper-body exercises other than bench presses.
Some of these exercises don’t even require the use of any equipment. Mountain climbers and shoulder-tap planks will engage your abs and shoulders in equal measure. Bear crawls, on the other hand, are a great way to put your strength to the test.
Especially if you have enough room to roam around. Additionally, inchworms can be employed to shift between planks. This increases the difficulty of normal exercise. You can also do push-ups and tricep dips.
Tricep dips may appear simple, but they can be a great technique to strengthen your triceps. And with a couple of changes, you will be able to make them more challenging.
Mix and match the exercises and try to do them every day. However, concentrate on learning one at a moment. Once you’ve developed a routine you enjoy, you can do them almost anywhere.
FAQs
How Often Should I Bench Per Week?
2 to 3 times per week. Keep at least 1 day for your muscles to rest between bench presses. But depending on your fitness goals, you can determine how many reps you do per session.
Is a Wider Grip On the Bench Better?
Yes, if the bar comes down, with a wider grip it’s easier to retain your shoulders. However, a proper grip width that is neither wide nor narrow is recommended.
How Long Does It Take for Bench Pressing to Show Results?
It normally takes 4-8 weeks. The actual development in muscle size and strength with strength training is usually a longer process. The more muscles you desire to grow, the longer the process will take.
Conclusion
This is the end of the discussion from us. We hope you are able to figure out why your palm of hand hurts when benching.
When doing bench press, aim to maintain proper form. Most of your pain-related problems will be solved by this. As long as you follow proper technique you should be alright.
All the best and have a good day!
