Tips & Tricks for Push Press?? . . . a little help here . . .

[Protobuilder]

I'm new to push pressing and apparently, I suck. Does anyone have a resource (website link, article, etc.) they can point me to?

I powerclean the bar, then my grip is kinda' screwed up and I try to reset it, but it's tricky. Then, I kind of dip down a few inches (not very far, is this right?) and "try" to pop up and throw the bar through the roof. That's not what happens though. LoL Instead, I get maybe 2-4" of slow "pop" (weak legs?) and then kind of grind out the press. At lockout, I'm wobbly as hell (comes w/ practice, I suppose?). Then, I kind of control it back down, the bar winds up somewhere around my upper chest (changes each rep, LoL), I try to get a breath and reset and then try for another rep . . . this one w/ even less "pop." I know people have mentioned a rhythm, and I guess that just comes w/ practice. I probably need to back off the weight and just really drill the movement, timing, tempo, etc.

Anyway, I suck at the push pressing. Any helpful advice/tips/resources? I'd like to learn to get some explosive power-type strength as I seem to be sorely lacking it. I'd like to eventually work this into some knowledge of jerking (no jokes please, LoL).

Thanks, turds.

 

[Introspective]

Post video. Here is a slideshow and video of how it's done (on the list)
http://www.crossfit.com/cf-info/excercise.html

 

[lifersfc]

Make sure you are locking out over your center of gravity, which is probably further behind your head than you might expect. This should help with balancing the weights.

The form in the cross-fit video looks pretty good to me; I just focus on exploding with my legs and that seems to get the weight up. I've never gone over 185 for reps though...

 

[BiggT]

Front squats will help your push pressing drive tremendously.When push pressing, keep the weight racked in the manner you'd front squat, as you dip the knees, rock the elbows down and into pressing position.

If you haven't done much explosive lifting, this issue is common,despite experience on static movements, it takes some time and development to fire everything at once and have the body work as one.

Make sure to think of PPs as explosion, it isn't a military press with some cheating.

Have you ever done them from behind-the-neck? You can really learn the concept of leg drive with these because you're forced to really explode due to the bar being in a weak position behind the neck. I love b-t-n pressing.

 

[Protobuilder]

No, but thanks for the tip. Maybe I'll give some b-t-n stuff a go. [BTW I've been incorporating front squats now on W. for about a month]

it isn't a military press with some cheating.

That describes mine to a T.

From what you said and prior posts from Glenn, I"m realizing that my force-velocity curve is somewhere this side of a fat lady dunking a Bball. I can do some decent endurance stuff but have ZERO power. Of course, I have almost ZERO max strength and that's a precursor to demonstrating power so . . . I'm still working on a strength foundation but trying these push presses has shown me that I really don't know how to generate force quickly.

 

[Guinness5.0]

I like to think my push-press form is good. I find that this is the only exercise I do that causes my thighs to cramp. You REALLY have to explode on these. I'd say I dip about 5 inches before driving up, so not much really. When I fail, it's when the bar is up to my nose or higher, where the shoulders/tris come into the movement.

And as was mentioned previously, make sure you're locking out with the bar overhead. Also, be very careful not to slam the bar into your chin. You don't want to get any blood on the gym floor

 

[Protobuilder]

Are you guys powercleaning the bar into place or walking it out from a rack?

If you clean it, do you really just go, like BiggT said, from the clean "grip" (which is really just the fingertips on the bar) to a press or do you kind of balance the weight on your chest and readjust your grip? I'm doing the latter and it's tricky.

finally, LoL, elbows out in front or more out to the side?

 

[BiggT]

I push press from the rack. No matter if you take it from the rack or clean it first, the correct starting position is a clean grip. As you dip, you rock the elbows down and palm the bar more and position it to press (as you're dipping the knees), then you explode up, and explode violently, you're not just giving a little thrust for momentum.

 

[Guinness5.0]

I take it from the rack. My P-P and clean 1rms are the same, so doing two max singles in a row seems like a bad idea

I've never done the 'elbows up, then down' thing - I'll give it a whirl. But to asnwer your q, PB, my elbows are more up/in than out, if that makes sense.

 

[Protobuilder]

So, would it be accurate to say that you walk it out in the manner of a front squat?