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Thread: The Olympic-Style Press - Bill Starr

  1. #1
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    Default The Olympic-Style Press - Bill Starr

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    "[I]n the early sixties, Tony Garcy, America’s premier 165-pounder devised a new and different way to press. It required more than raw strength. It required a high degree of timing, coordination, balance, and quickness...the Olympic-style press is really a quick lift. You are, in effect, hurling the bar upward off your shoulders in one smooth, coordinated movement."

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    Last edited by stef; 03-03-2010 at 11:31 PM.

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    Default Great article -- tiny quibble with the drawing

    Hey, Thanks! I've definitely improved my appreciation for this exercise and can't wait to give it a try exactly as described.

    One small critique -- the sketch is good in terms of communicating how the form progresses, but the hands look odd -- When I first glanced at it, I thought "An underhand grip?!". When I didn't see that anywhere in the text and thought about just how silly it would be, I studied the picture harder and realized that it's just not visually clear in which direction the bar is being gripped -- there's no partial line showing which side of the bar the thumb is on -- but I realized that it could just as easily be overhand as underhand -- and I'm fairly confident, from every other bit of common sense I can muster, that it is in fact the normal overhand grip that is intended. I just thought I'd point it out, cause I know I'm going to see somebody in the gym, trying to do it the other way, based on how they think it's illustrated, here....

    Thanks, again, for the article. This site is amazing for the collection of really high quality information on a subject where that can be in very low supply!

    Best,
    Tom

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    Great article.

    I was wondering if applying this technique is relevant for novices moving small weights?

    I have been stalled on my press for a very long time and have been considering the use of push presses to break the plateau. But would use of this dynamic olympic press be better?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dastardly View Post
    Great article.

    I was wondering if applying this technique is relevant for novices moving small weights?

    I have been stalled on my press for a very long time and have been considering the use of push presses to break the plateau. But would use of this dynamic olympic press be better?

    Based on this exceprt from the article, it would seem that the earlier in the process you learn this version of the lift, the better off you are:

    And others most certainly did want to join in, and as a result records in the press began to fall as the younger lifters coming onto the national scene had learned this style from the very beginning. For those who had been in the sport for some time, the transition from power pressing to adopting the more dynamic style was difficult. Old keys and habits had to be discarded and replaced with new moves.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dastardly View Post
    Great article.

    I was wondering if applying this technique is relevant for novices moving small weights?

    I have been stalled on my press for a very long time and have been considering the use of push presses to break the plateau. But would use of this dynamic olympic press be better?
    Come on Dastardly, seriously.

    How much do you weigh, and how much are you pressing right now?

    If your answers are less than 200 lbs and less than 130 lbs respectively, I think you know what to do.

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    Quote Originally Posted by PVC View Post
    Come on Dastardly, seriously.

    How much do you weigh, and how much are you pressing right now?

    If your answers are less than 200 lbs and less than 130 lbs respectively, I think you know what to do.
    I know you think you are being helpful, but please stop being so motherfucking patronising!

    I am not stupid, and know very well that body mass is the main limiting factor for novice training/linear progression, and also total strength potential in general. Could you stop being a parrot already, of course I know this. I have known this for the whole time I have been training.

    Growing bodymass is a fucking slow progress, what is one supposed to do during the sessions when they are stuck? Just wait to grow before they can lift a bit more?

    The only options are resetting/making a change to programming or applying more beneficial technique to help break through the plateau.

    In this situation the options would be either the push-press or this olympic press. Just so the damn weight can be lifted, and perhaps in a couple sessions it will be liftable with strict form/no hip or leg drive.

    Obviously increases in bodyweight will have the most significant effect on lifting potential, and a trainee such as myself will still work hard with this goal. But the rate of BW increase will taper down for anyone, and in the end the strength value of this BW will too diminish. I am obviously not at this stage yet, and the next 15kg I manage to to add to my BW will probably make the biggest difference. I have managed to re-ignite the weight gain, but is going to come very slowly so I am bound to find myself stalling a lot, but most significantly in the press.

    I ask a simple question about the actual topic of the olympic press and you guys always have to revert to this silly crap.

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    Default Video

    Anyone happen to spot a video of this lift being performed correctly? Anywhere on youtube maybe? Real interested on seeing how it is really done. Thanks

    Semper Fi,
    Peter

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    I'm pressin wheels tonight!

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    starting strength coach development program
    Quote Originally Posted by Dastardly View Post
    I know you think you are being helpful, but please stop being so motherfucking patronising!

    I am not stupid, and know very well that body mass is the main limiting factor for novice training/linear progression, and also total strength potential in general. Could you stop being a parrot already, of course I know this. I have known this for the whole time I have been training.

    Growing bodymass is a fucking slow progress, what is one supposed to do during the sessions when they are stuck? Just wait to grow before they can lift a bit more?

    The only options are resetting/making a change to programming or applying more beneficial technique to help break through the plateau.

    In this situation the options would be either the push-press or this olympic press. Just so the damn weight can be lifted, and perhaps in a couple sessions it will be liftable with strict form/no hip or leg drive.

    Obviously increases in bodyweight will have the most significant effect on lifting potential, and a trainee such as myself will still work hard with this goal. But the rate of BW increase will taper down for anyone, and in the end the strength value of this BW will too diminish. I am obviously not at this stage yet, and the next 15kg I manage to to add to my BW will probably make the biggest difference. I have managed to re-ignite the weight gain, but is going to come very slowly so I am bound to find myself stalling a lot, but most significantly in the press.

    I ask a simple question about the actual topic of the olympic press and you guys always have to revert to this silly crap.

    I think what the guys have been and are trying to tell you that almost all of your questions can be answered by eating more. We also understand that you have some problems with the milk and eating a lot.

    For me, eating all the calories that I need each day is actually harder than the workouts, but I see it AS PART OF THE PROGRAM.

    If I can man up and squat 270 for 5 after the last two sets that almost made me cry, I sure as hell can man up and eat that 4th double cheeseburger, 8th egg, last bite of steak.

    For me, growing bodymass has not been a slow process at all...I gained 8 pounds the first week, 15 at 2 weeks, and 25 total pounds the first month. My total at the start of the 5th month is around 38 pounds (206 up from 168).

    I guess I am just frustrated with guys that think there is something wrong with the program, or can't figure out why they are stuck on this lift or that lift.

    You guys want the cliff notes...the easy way out...just read Dostoyevsky, it might be hard to get through, but it is way more rewarding that way in the end.

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