Press Check

[Dastardly]

Hi Mark,

I would appreciate it if you could check over my press. The video's show me overcoming a plateau ( a very modest 89lb or so!) so I dont manage full 5 reps.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Have you read the press chapter in the book? You are making no attempt to get under the bar.

[DutchPancakes]

He sort of looks like he's going to get under the bar in the second video a few times, but never makes it.

[Ian Kovtunovich]

Dastardly, the second time I stalled on the press, I realized I was not getting under the bar fast enough. I find it useful to really dive at that fucker, like the lift depends on it. Which it does, so that works out well. Like, think about smacking the bar with your forehead, but--hopefully this is obvious--don't actually hit the bar with your forehead.

[Tiburon]

He pauses for 6 seconds at the top of each rep. It should be like, 1 second at the most, right?

[Dastardly]

Have you read the press chapter in the book? You are making no attempt to get under the bar.

Ive read the chapter thoroughly of course. Im trying my hardest to get my head forwards and under the bar. I was actually pretty satisfied with my technique and only posted that slow press elsewhere on the forum for entertainment value. I know this weight is pathetically light for most people, but it is heavy for me. Ive found that heavy weights force me to layback more using stronger chest muscle instead of weaker shoulder muscle and cause delay in getting head under bar. I thought this was normal and not a problem though. Thanks for correcting me I guess.

I will have to deload from this 40kg down to 32kg or so, to keep myself more vertical/bar closer to face. (I tested) Should I do this? Or is it better to stay with heavier weight and ugly technique?

[HeavyDead]

Check this out Dastardly, particularly the correction at 1:56:

[RobCor]

Dastardly, watch the first 35 seconds of this video and compare it to what you're doing,

[LudwigVan]

Like I said in your other thread, your grip is wrong and you're creating a moment arm between the bar and your forearm. The grip for the press is not the same as the rack position of a clean. Straighten your wrists and get your forearms under the bar.

[MikeMc59]

Dude, no offense.. but how the fuck do you have over 2,000 posts here and not know how to press?

Anyway.. don't you see the bar path? First rep especially on the 2nd vid, your pushing it away from you, dont do that