Strength / Weight Training

Sounds like it. Are you doing anything else that will strengthen the muscles that will aid the movement?

Does it happen when pressing dumbbells?

There's so many possibilities here. It could be a lack of stability in your setup, a specific muscular weakness or just that you're using heavy weights. Even top lifters shake a little for their big big benches. Personally, I don't think you need to decrease the weight unless you think the shaking might create an injury risk.

There's a lot of potential technique things you can't really ascertain through a forum but one possible quick fix is to make sure that you are squeezing the bar as tight as you can from the moment you touch the bar to the end of the set. Absolute deathgrip. That'll help create tension throughout your entire arm, provide some stability and just make your bench better. If that doesn't help at all then start to look into shoulder position, 'leg drive' to create stability, building weaker shoulder muscles, etc...

Can also try smith machine or dumbbells to see if either of those feel better.

Can you feel your pecs when you lift?

We probably all need training our ancillary and support muscles so probably good to train them for a few weeks (a few weeks).

Bench primary muscles worked:
Pectorals (chest)
Anterior deltoid (shoulders)
Triceps (arms)
Serratus anterior (periscapular muscles)

Secondary muscles worked:
Anterior core (abdominals and obliques)
Erector spinae and multifidus (lower back)
Hip flexors
Rotator cuff (shoulder joint supporting musculature)

You also have the muscles around each of the joints, which is basically means all the rest of the upper body.
If you're interested in purely bench, you could work on each one.

Personally, I'd try doing an (upto) 120% static hold on the bench which can be quite scary at first but I think might help in your situation.

All it is, is holding the weight off the rack as If you're about to do a rep without actually moving it and hold it there for a few seconds.

Work up to 120% of your 1 rep like an isometric max, and just lift it off the rack. You'll need a spotter and/or the safety bars like a squat rack or Smith machine.

But make sure you can't drop it on yourself!

It'll help with getting your nervous system used to the heavy weights as well as improve and strengthen your supportive tissues, multi-joint involvement and muscle activation to improve strength and stabilization.

Recommendations for an app or YouTube channel that has decent sub 10 minute HIIT workouts?

I've used SmartWOD app before and like it. Gives you enough variables to tweak without total control over it. It's very crossfitty. Great for generating a finisher for small groups.

The reason I ask if you can feel your pecs is that you might be lifting with your arms and not your chest.

I had physio a few years ago and he said that my pec muscles didn’t fire at all. So they were essentially “off”.

I posted yesterday on the bench, should elaborate. I'm doing Stronglifts 5x5, I usually do some assisted pull ups/dips, and either ez bar bicep curls, tricep pushdowns as accessories (open to suggestions).

Current working weights over 5 sets:
Squat: 82.5
Deadlift: 95
Overhead: 40
Bench: 52
Row: 52

I can keep good form over 5 sets for all but bench, I think I do need to train supporting muscles for bench but there may be truth in I'm using my arms over chest. Lots of good info thanks all, think I'll go to the gym on an off day and practice form on Smith and bench.

This rings true.

Do you work at a desk for long periods?

The physio I had basically said when you’re working out do some chest stretches. Arms up elbows at 90 degrees and press you forearms against something to stretch. He also said and I thought this was a joke but rub your chest, flex your muscles. Just to make sure they are activated. Do a light set to yet again make sure you can feel your chest firing and then work from there.

I do this every Monday and probably look a bit of a twat in the gym, but it works. I’m probably a 40B/C

Do you film your sets?

At least if you're struggling with bench I would suggest it. You may notice what you're doing wrong. Alongside this, I'd suggest posting a form check with the video.

Make sure you're retracting and depressing your shoulders properly and creating a really stable base for the bench press.

I would personally advise against benching on a smith machine. The bench is the only lift of the main 5 you're doing where the bar should not move in a vertical line, it should move in a slight diagonal path. The smith machine will force you into a vertical bar path, this will not help you. It will also take pressure OFF of your stabiliser muscles, which are the exact muscles you need to improve if you're shaking / wobbling.

This is a great point. To add to the 'stabiliser muscles' bit, I love chaos training for bench. It's fun and completely different to anything else you'll do with a barbell. Attach some plates or kettle bells to the bar using folded resistance bands to increase instability and force those smaller muscles to work overtime. Bar will wobble like crazy. I like doing it on an incline to put more emphasis on shoulder area and increase range of motion. I tend to keep the weight around 30% of my 1rm (definitely start light) and usually on either an off-day or the last compound lift of a workout.

Here's some guys doing another form of it:
https://youtu.be/xerAxVjEgYI?si=XZF3rrb6vKnpQXzZ

Epic wft thread ———>

This was my response when I first saw it too. But try it and tell me it doesn't hit different. I wouldn't use it year-round, maybe a three-week block four times a year but if stabilisers are weak, this'll expose it.

Again, its absolutely not designed to replace any main lifts but if you want to improve stability and control of the bar, why not practise in a way that controlling the bar is the toughest part of the lift?

I believe you. The theory is strong.

I’ve often thought about offsetting the weight on a bar or a dumbbell so it’s a couple of kg lighter on one side just to cause a muscular response.

Looking for some general advice here.

6 weeks into Stronglifts and generally doing OK, but more recently coming into some hip/groin pain on my right side when squattting. Saw an osteopath this week as I wanted an opinion on some other niggling previous issues around my hamstring/quads

Gave me some excericises to do around strengthening my hip flexor, and also advised me just only squat once a week. I'm OK with it, but there's nowhere a near fulflling/satisying experience not doing it on the other two workouts. Current weight is 52.5kg, and I think my form is generally OK. He also suggested doing some more running, and I managed a slow 25 min jog today, and about halfway through felt some more hip/groin pain not too dissimilar to the squat pain.

Is there any suggestions for things I can do in those other two workouts that aren't squats but are beneficial to those areas you'd normally work?

osteopath

I'd talk to an experienced physio instead.

Yoga

Have you tried switching up your squat stance / depth? I've got ropey knees & mega tight hamstrings / hip flexors and found a narrow stance with toes pointing straight ahead helped massively - only going to 90° knee bend & keeping my shins as vertical as possible too, so sitting right back into the movement.

Took a while to adjust but have stuck 20kg + onto my squats and more importantly no niggles

Should add that this was a first consultation and the guy in charge suggested seeing himself first and then referring to a physio if needed

RE: yoga - other half has suggested this and will probably do some stuff; was more wondering if there was some other strength excercises I can do in the meantime on the two days where I'm not squatting

To expand more on my comment, it doesn't 'feel' like good advice to have to ease back on squatting and run more. If there is an issue running will make it worse, not solve it. It may be form, mobility, specific weaknesses somewhere, posture. I'm not convinced that an osteopath is the person to navigate it for you.

Skip the middle man

Thanks, will consider this. I'm normally shoulder width, and have my toes pointed out a little bit; I don't wear shoes as well . My depth is probably a little below parallel - I used to go quite deep previously before realising it's exhausting

Yeah I don't wear shoes either - helps to get the weight shifted back, away from my knees

There’s a lot going on technically in a squat in my opinion. I’ve very tall and have always found squatting with a bar borderline impossible.

I’d recommend plenty of stretching prior to squatting if you continue.

I actually prefer a hack squat on a machine or a smith machine squat, as it feels safer.