Patellofemoral stress @ push press

[Geoff Harper]

In order that we reduce shear force through the knee when executing the push press, is it possible to bias hip flexion over knee flexion in the dip?

Possible negatives; hip bias inherently creates more back angle which results in a compromised bar path and places more demand on the athlete to maintain rack, this said the moment of energy translation to the bar should remain the same and vertical path can be established at this point(?).

Is this a viable/safe trade off?
What are the considerations?

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[Mark Rippetoe]

"Bias" is Glassman-speak. Please refrain. It is not only possible but absolutely essential that the dip be balanced between knee and hip flexion, thus producing a straight vertical bar path down and up.

[tnumrych]

"Bias" is Glassman-speak. Please refrain. It is not only possible but absolutely essential that the dip be balanced between knee and hip flexion, thus producing a straight vertical bar path down and up.

When I started to get this sort of pain in my knees back when I was competitively lifting my coach just so happened to be in Hawaii where she met with Tommy Kono and his advice to achieve the vertical path, which he also thought essential, was to cue her lifters to push knees slightly out as they dip. The motion was similar to the initial descent on the squat. It worked wonders for me knees and my jerk. I rarely ever missed a jerk in competition, cleans were a different story however, those I missed plenty of.

[Geoff Harper]

push knees slightly out as they dip. The motion was similar to the initial descent on the squat. It worked wonders for me knees

Will try this... thanks.