Push press

[djsnit]

I'm interested in behind the neck push presses. As also I see behind the neck rack jerks and push jerks

[Mark Rippetoe]

Are you also interested in shoulder surgery?

[MWittmer]

I'm interested in behind the neck push presses. As also I see behind the neck rack jerks and push jerks

Why? Behind the neck jerks are pretty much thought of as an exercise for those that have a tendency to jerk the bar forward or for the beginner who has trouble sticking their head through, and then as a last resort.

[djsnit]

Speaking of shoulder surgery. I believe my right rotator is definitely measured up since I've never felt comfortable bench pressing. But this I guess is another conversation.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Why? Behind the neck jerks are pretty much thought of as an exercise for those that have a tendency to jerk the bar forward or for the beginner who has trouble sticking their head through, and then as a last resort.

And anybody who can support any weight over head at all can neck jerk at least 20k over their jerk, because the bar starts out in balance over the shoulder joint, thus removing an important aspect of the jerk's techniques. so they're kinda pointless.

[MWittmer]

And anybody who can support any weight over head at all can neck jerk at least 20k over their jerk, because the bar starts out in balance over the shoulder joint, thus removing an important aspect of the jerk's techniques. so they're kinda pointless.

Good point re: increased weight. I suspect those that use them do so because they can use more weight and presumably impress someone, even if it is just themselves. I don't have any experience with them at all, never did them and no one I coached did. Jeff has never used them and I do not know if he ever even tried them just screwing around. I suspect some of the better lifters that use them do so because they can get a weight overhead that is a little closer to what our international counterparts do for real jerks. It seems experienced lifters at that level would know better.

[Igor]

No one should be doing push presses. If you want to build strength, do Olympic presses. If you want to do Olympic weightlifting as a sport, do Olympic presses and the push jerk. The push press is a deficient compromise between the two. You get less of the benefits of the push jerk and Olympic press and all of the deficienies.

Yeah I heard that push press sooner or later turns into a bastardized version of a push jerk (maybe even on this very exact forum by Mr Rippetoe himself, not sure though). TBH you just have to decide on what do you want to do and stick to it, don't let the ego and chasing numbers compromise your form, that's a universal rule in the iron game (unless you're about to beat the WR, as long as it's done within rules it counts)

The ONLY reason to do a push press is when the guy next to you is acting like a dick while doing his 65# thrusters. In that case, you finish your sets of press, then load up 40-50 more pounds and do some push press at 215#. When someone is being a dick in the gym, it is your responsibility to be a bigger dick.

Good one. Although isn't doing presses with weights exceeding someone's thrusters twice or so enough?

Believe it or not, this right here kind of speaks to the push press in general.

More weight, more technical in nature (well, maybe not if full blown Olympic style...), and if anything more likely to be supported by getting your press up than vice versa... people want to treat it like an assistance exercise, when the reality is, if you are doing them, it better be because it has some reason or another to be a "main lift". I won't bother starting a discussion on what may warrant that reason, but it just is weird when you stop and think for a second that everyone treats it like an assistance to stricter pressing variants when, quite simply, that just doesn't match the way we treat most other similar lifts. Of course, it may have use assisting the jerk, but that is the only time I see it being "assistance" to any other lift. Otherwise, other lifts feed into it and what it gives is rarely what other forms of pressing actually need. I have read strongmen swear by it improving their strict work, but it isn't like they don't do enough strict work anyways to make that a rather nebulous assessment.

I agree with the Push Press being rather a main lift if it's to be introduced. Press then being "relegated" to an assistance to it. Also I have completely forgotten about SM. They do some kind of push press (usually combined with a clean) in every competition. On that note according to unofficial sources on WSM 2017 Hafthor Julius Bjornsson aka "The Mountain" has lost the Viking Press event to Eddie Hall because he jerked on 1 rep instead of push pressing it (double dip is not allowed).

If I may sum up the discussion as a whole doing a Push Press is your personal choice but it's not a lift that is endorsed/encouraged by Starting Strength community for the reason that have been already mentioned. I think we can agree on this

[MPhelps]

I've found that the push press neither helped my press nor my jerk.

[tweakxc03]

Speaking of the jerk, is there anything about the power jerk that makes it inferior to the split?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Some lifters prefer it. Dimas, for example. I think anthropometry is a big factor -- longer legs need to split.