Press Check

[Nate9]

This is my third set at 105 lbs, it is still a press 1.0.
I am posting this because after my work set i get a hint of pain in the upper back which leads me to think i might be overextending my spine, should i just brace harder with the abs or is it something else?

Dropbox - ohp.mov
I also have a side view if that helps.

[Scott Hanson]

View from the front at a 45 deg angle is best.

Shrug harder at the top. These don't look too bad otherwise, but we can't see the bar path. Bracing the abs harder and really squeezing your butt hard at the lockout will help with back pain. You say the pain is in your upper back, though? Usually its over-extension of the lumbar that causes the pain.

[Nate9]

View from the front at a 45 deg angle is best.

Shrug harder at the top. These don't look too bad otherwise, but we can't see the bar path. Bracing the abs harder and really squeezing your butt hard at the lockout will help with back pain. You say the pain is in your upper back, though? Usually its over-extension of the lumbar that causes the pain.

Lumbar doesn't really give me trouble, problem is in a point around the upper-mid back. I am probably bending backwards there during the lift, should i squeeze abs harder or what?

[Ben Patterson]

Just curious, why 1.0?

[Nate9]

Just curious, why 1.0?

Because I have a lot to fix in all my lifts, and I never had a problem with the press except this one. I figured it would have been better to keep things as simple as possible for now, but as you can see the first rep is always an attempt to do the 2.0 since i don't really have much choice there.

[Scott Hanson]

Lumbar doesn't really give me trouble, problem is in a point around the upper-mid back. I am probably bending backwards there during the lift, should i squeeze abs harder or what?

Bracing harder might not help much. See if shrugging harder does. FWIW, your rep 1 2.0 doesn't look too bad; could emphasize the hips forward initiation a bit more.