Given the popularity of the bench press, it's easy to imagine why a lot of men experience shoulder pain before, during, and after their workouts. "The bench press is a fantastic exercise for building upper-body strength,” says Sean De Wispelaere, an expert trainer for Men's Health Thrive. “But loading the same muscles with a heavy barbell week after week can also potentially damage the tendons,ligaments, and cartilage inside the shoulder joint, particularly the rotator cuff and the labrum.”

The good news: "Usually shoulder pain comes from bad form that can be easily corrected," he says. So use these three tweaks from De Wispelaere to clean up your technique and protect your shoulders.

Keep in mind that if you already experience a lot of pain while benching, you may have a more serious issue than a few form modifications can fix—in which case you should see a shoulder specialist.

1. Try to Break the Bar in Half

You won't snap the iron rod you're holding. But by trying to break the bar in half, you create tension that rotates your upper arm externally. “This sets your shoulder in the position in which it’s strongest,” says De Wispelaeare. “It also helps to focus the work on your lat and chest muscles to take pressure off of your joints."

2. Keep Your Shoulders Engaged

"One of the biggest causes of injuries to the shoulders happens primarily during the lowering portion of the movement, when the bar gets close to the chest.” When your arms break a 90-degree angle and your elbows start to point towards the floor, your shoulders naturally roll forward. “Unfortunately, that breaks your form, transferring pressure from your muscles to your tendons and ligaments,” he says. To prevent this from happening, simultaneously try to pinch your shoulder blades together in the middle of your back and pull your shoulders down toward your toes and away from your ears, into a more stable position.

3. Breathe Powerfully

Forcefully exhaling as you press will help you generate more force. “When you exhale, the muscles in your torso become more compact and tense, says De Wispelaere. “And you can then translate that tension into the muscles you’re targeting, which can allow you to lift more weight.”

To take advantage of this, inhale into your belly as you lower the bar. Pause briefly at the bottom of the movement and then sharply exhale as you push the bar away from you.