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?

 

[BiggT]

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

Thats exactly how to walk it out. You reposition your grip to press AS you are dipping the knees.

 

[Protobuilder]

You must spread some Karma around before giving it to BiggT again.

Goddammit! A guy's only got so much karma to give. LoL

Thanks bud.

 

[glennpendlay]

the crossfit link is a good one. from the voice and the garage, its obvious that it is mike burgener doing the coaching and one of his lifters lifting in his southern california garage gym, dont know who the girl is though. mike is a great coach.

notice how the elbows are positioned, how the bar is racked... the elbows,shoulders, upper back and chest dont move or "give" at all during the dip and drive. the main motivational force to the bar is the leg drive till the bar is somewhere over the head.

the most common technique flaws on this that keep really heavy weight from being done are moving the elbows around during the dip and drive... dropping the shoulders or chest during the dip and drive... leaning backwards and not driving straight... basically all these things are attempts to bring the arms into the movement too soon... which limits the leg drive and ultimately keeps you doing tiny weights. never look up at the bar... the girl in the vid does a good job of moving the head thru at the end... which is correct.

if your having trouble with any of these things, try them from behind the neck for a while, it will probably help you learn good form.

 

[Protobuilder]

Wow. Thanks for that analysis, Glenn. I appreciate it. It's clear I have no idea what I'm doing. LoL Mine are basically an ugly cheating military. I'll back off in weight, really focus on explosion, and maybe post a vid after next session. Thanks again.

 

[s8nlilhlpr]

If you don't mind I have a question too. Is the push press supposed to be caught standing, or in a dip position similar to a push-jerk? I've seen vidoes go either way, but what is the "correct' way?

 

[bignate73]

you legs and calves should actually be tired after a set.

 

[Canadian Iron]

Marius Pudzianowski does BTN push presses:

http://forum.athletes.com/fitshow/week28/week28lg.htm

 

[anotherbutters]

Ah, so that's who that guy is. I really don't know my athletes, do I? I have a good clip of him named DVD_sample.mpg from somewhere that contains one of his workouts, but it's all in what I now assume to be Polish.

 

[glennpendlay]

oddly enough, pudz doesnt have the best technique for this lift... you notice the little pause at the bottom of the dip and drive? that shouldnt be there.

one of the most important aspects of driving the bar is how fast you reverse direction at the bottom of the dip and drive, the faster you reverse direction, the better.

the great thing about him is that he does 400lbs on this basically with no real snap to his technique... hes just pretty damn strong.

Ah, so that's who that guy is. I really don't know my athletes, do I? I have a good clip of him named DVD_sample.mpg from somewhere that contains one of his workouts, but it's all in what I now assume to be Polish.

 

[fallingeggs]

bump... saw that some people where talking about this one blut wump's page which got me thinking about the press, i did a seach and found this... pretty good info.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Nice bump, thanks eggs

 

[blut wump]

Yes, great bump. Thanks.

 

[Island Son]

aren't BTN presses unnecessarily risky? That's a lot of weight coming down near the back of the neck. A little fatigue, a little wobble and...

 

[Island Son]

ExRx has the exercise up!
Here's the page with video
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/OlympicLifts/PushPressBehindNeck.html