Feeling Undiminished, Blut Attempts Restoration

[BiggT]

BW, I really think that bad squat workout last week was just a fluke.....You should be able to keep pushing right through to some big PRs in the triples in my opinion.

As for the push presses...tired legs can effect them, but if you think the leg drive issues aren't related to that, it could be the rack. If they aren't racked firmly like a front squat and you don't maintain the rack while you're dipping, the tendency is to push with the arms too soon (before you milked the leg drive for all it's worth) and it zaps power and becomes more of a cheating military press than an explosive lift.

Maybe try a few sets of PP from behind the neck, as the bar will be across your back and you don't need to worry about the rack. This, plus the fact that we're all naturally weaker the first several inches from behind the neck (causing you to have no choice but to use a lot of explosive leg drive) should hammer home how much force you need to use.....then it is just a question of maintaining a good, solid rack in front to get the most out of the legs.

 

[Jim Ouini]

As for the push presses...tired legs can effect them, but if you think the leg drive issues aren't related to that, it could be the rack. If they aren't racked firmly like a front squat and you don't maintain the rack while you're dipping, the tendency is to push with the arms too soon (before you milked the leg drive for all it's worth) and it zaps power and becomes more of a cheating military press than an explosive lift.

I think I do that. I'll have to try it with a better rack next time. Good advice as always gt.

 

[BiggT]

Jim, I added a little at the end too.....push presses from behind the head would help you see just how much force you need to use, and the bar across the back allows you to not have to worry about the rack.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Good idea. I've never (ever) done behind the neck presses. Is the bar on your traps like you're going to back squat? Also how wide is the grip, like you're going to OH squat?

 

[BiggT]

Good idea. I've never (ever) done behind the neck presses. Is the bar on your traps like you're going to back squat? Also how wide is the grip, like you're going to OH squat?

Yes, on the traps, and make sure to lower it to the meaty part of the traps and keep it away from the base of the neck and the cervical vertebrae, lol....and bend at the knees to absorb the impact of course.

Grip just like you press from the front.....the snatch grip is great for jerks and allows you to handle more weight as the bar is traveling less, but for pressing out a weight it is a little wide for my liking and may lead to some shoulder discomfort, along with being a weaker position for pressing (it deactivates the triceps and a lot of force is expended out instead of driving the bar up) .

 

[Jim Ouini]

BTW now that you got me thinking about it, I obviously didn't read the chapter on the press very well in SS, but I always wondered why Rippetoe wanted elbows up just like a front squat, to have a solid rack.

I tried it a couple times and tried to arm press it. Needless to say I couldn't lift shit and on top of that it hurt

 

[BiggT]

Yeah, a lot of people bitch about learning the standing press with a proper rack and the elbows high, but it is necessary so that the transition to push pressing, and then jerking, is a seamless one.

 

[super_rice]

So I'm joining in a little late on this clean rack discussion, but do you guys have trouble keepng the bar seated in the right groove? I mean, does it take a lot of arms and elbows high to keep the bar in place?

In my experience, once you front squat enough, your rack (ahem, collars) becomes stable enough so that pretty much all the weight is resting there and your hands are just there for some balance. I can front squat with my elbows pointing down now, for example, provided the torso is inclined properly. I think it's just a matter of getting used to it and learning to use the rack efficiently.

Biggt, you press or push press with your elbows high, or do you drop them in as your press? If you drop them, then do you loose your rack? I'm interested to know because I really don't have a better explanation for why I used to loose my rack everytime my elbows come down and now I can pretty much hold the bar with my collars.

Jim O, I doubly warn you about the comments Biggt made regarding watching your cervical vertabrae doing behind the neck presses. It is imperative not to drop your head/upper body or become soft when doing this because the weight will come down and crush you forward if you do. Stay tight and upright when catching it and practice using your legs with light weight.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Jim O, I doubly warn you about the comments Biggt made regarding watching your cervical vertabrae doing behind the neck presses. It is imperative not to drop your head/upper body or become soft when doing this because the weight will come down and crush you forward if you do. Stay tight and upright when catching it and practice using your legs with light weight.

Thanks man. I'll probably just mess around with very light weights on the BTN stuff. I'm going to be more serious about the front presss and working with the rack, though.

 

[BiggT]

SR, I can actually keep the bar racked in place if I let go with my arms and just extend them in front of me, I just have gotten so used to racking the weight in front of me over the years.

I used to drop the elbows as I got ready to press when I was dipped down, but then I saw videos of Shane Hamman jerking and I saw he kept them high, so I was messing around and tried it and I got a lot of power out of it. I always keep the high when push pressing and jerking....when I strict press, I walk it out with the elbows high, then lower them to press, the the reps are touch and go with no re-setting. PP and Jerk, I reset in my rack for each rep.

But, to answer your question, I can keep the bar racked with the elbows down, and even when I let go of the bar entirely, but ideally they shouldn't be down, you get much more power from leg drive, and your front squats are more powerful and stable the higher the elbows are.