Proper Milirary Press Form...

[djeclipse]

After reading this board I dropped the standard seated behind the head shouler press for the old school standing military press.

Doing the switch for some reason I am 15lbs weaker when standing but that should change fast.

My problem is that I seem to be arching my back (or atleast that's how it feels) when trying to get past my "stcking point" with the heavier weights. Is this the proper way to do the exercise or am I doing something wrong? I am bringing the bar back to my shouders in front of my head (near the collar bone) for every rep to get the full range of motion.

Thanks.

 

[lifersfc]

A great deal more stabilization is required when standing than sitting, so you can expect to be slightly weaker. I find that the "arch" you speak of occurs naturally, although you need to be certain that you aren't straining too hard or you could injure your lumbar region.

I find that standing military press is particularly hard on my rotator cuffs so I generally elect to bring the bar down only as far as my chin rather than touching my upper chest with each rep. I believe this help to keep the shoulders safe, especially when working with heavy weights.

 

[fortunatesun]

I remember overcompensating a bit when I first switched to standing presses, also. I found that visualization was very useful. Before each set I imagined the bar travelling straight up and my torso erect. Soon I was tweaking my style a bit, getting more comfortable in the standing position and focusing on maximizing my power. I still can't go as heavy as I'd like on these, but my form is pretty decent.

 

[carlsuen]

yeah i agree with lifersfc.. i used to bring the bar all the way back to my chest when a nearby PT told me that i should only bring it down to my chin as it is the correct motion..

as to the back arching i guess u ahve to control it.. cuz i do tend to arch my back too when im going heavy.. which i get a certain pain when it gets arched too much.. so u have to watch urself so that u don't get hurt..

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

If you're arching your back excessively, chances are you need to strengthen your core.

You should bring the bar down to rest on your deltoids. Don't halt at your chin.

 

[musketeer]

The seated position (with a back pad) allows for the spine to be braced and therefore you can lean back a little, safe in the knowledge that your spine is not hyperextending under load. This is not the case when you are standing. I always use a 'litttle' drive of the hips to nudge the bar through the sticking point if I'm doing military press. I do prefer the push press, however, which is more of an all-over exercise and allows you to use as much as 30% more weight than the standard military.

 

[djeclipse]

Thanks for all the replies. I have no pain when bringing the bar all the way down to my shoulders, so I will keep doing it that way for now.

I am in the process of strengthening my core, I have recently added the deadlift and squat to my weekly routine, and in the new year I will start the madcow 5 x 5 routine.

One last question I forgot to ask and that is for position. I have found that I use one foot more forward then the other to kind of stabilize myself. Is this proper or should the feet be side by side like in the deadlift?

 

[Protobuilder]

I don't see a problem w/ either foot position although side-by-side is "traditional."

Also, you lean back to try and recruit the stronger chest muscles to help your shoulders push the weight. I don't see a huge problem in it if you don't rely on it AND if you keep your core very tight so you don't transfer all that weight to unsupported lumbars.

 

[djeclipse]

Also, you lean back to try and recruit the stronger chest muscles to help your shoulders push the weight.

And that was part of my worry. I want to work the shoulders, not the chest.

I read somewhere that was the reason for removing that type of lift from the olympics as some lifters were bending so far backwards they were using mostly chest instead fo shoulders.

 

[blut wump]

I was reading about it in Milo. Apparently some of the Soviets were doing almost flat bench-like presses and so they scrapped the lift. Why they didn't just red-flag them all years earlier is a mystery to me.

As the bar passes your head, try to get under it so that it ends up over your ears. If it's too heavy for you, reduce the weight or switch to push-presses instead.