Q:  When doing the bench press, do you always need to go all the way down to your chest with the bar for a full ROM? 

A:  No, definitely not. It’s good to know you can go down to your chest and control the weight with each successive weight, so make sure you are using weight you can handle – that’s the best test and meter for whether you are or not. But I find that you get a ton of shoulder fatigue when you do that and it distracts you from getting chest work in. You can also hyper-extend the rotator cuffs doing that. If you bring the bar, as a rule, to about 2-3 inches above the chest, you’re still working the chest very deep, but you take the extra strain off the shoulders. You should also alternate dumbbell work with your bar work to make sure that you are working the supporting tendons in the shoulders and tie-ins between shoulder and chest. Just remember, the lower you go, the more your shoulders get in on the act. If they are not sound or warmed up, you’re asking for a little trouble. Until you sort out this range and what’s right for you, make sure you stay moderate in weight and use a spotter who knows what they’re doing and what you want to accomplish by testing the waters. Physics dictates that the amount of work we do is directly proportional to the resistance and distance of the bar moved. If you want the most stress on upper or lower body in workouts, use the full range. But always focus on the sweet spot of any exercise. Once you feel you’ve hit it, the range becomes a little obsolete. ROM alone can exaggerate negative stress on the joints.