Darin Deaton SSC: On the Platform: The Press

[Mark Rippetoe]

Press Platform Session | Darin Deaton

[Scaldrew]

It cannot be overstated how important the middle of the foot is in the press, even (or especially) in the start position. If your balance is on your heels, your bounce won't be nearly as effective, efficient, or seamless, and your bar will feel heavier, move slower, and probably never make it to lockout in the reps that matter. I recently made the very simple and small change of centering my balance over the middle of the foot and my presses have gone from complete shit these past weeks to back on track immediately. A detail I hope never to forget.

[Charlocity2]

Felt just like I was at a seminar. "Be Chuck Norris!"

[TommyGun]

Great vid. This guy is legit, very clear instructions. And yes, the unexpected Chuck Norris reference was hilarious. Jeans with denim jacket or something like that. But the specifics of the narrow grip, and the wrist position when grabbing the bar was priceless. What a great way to show how cool a seminar would be.

[VNV]

There appears to be a similarity between the cue "elbows in at the bottom" in the press and a similar cue to tuck elbows at the bottom of the bench press, as well as the elbows moving outwards towards the top of both lifts. If so, are the reasons behind the cues the same, i.e. driving with the elbows by "stacking" over them?

[Mark Rippetoe]

"Tuck the elbows at the bottom of a bench press"? I've never used this instruction, or this cue.

[VNV]

"Tuck the elbows at the bottom of a bench press"? I've never used this instruction, or this cue.

OK. I thought I ran across that instruction from an SSC on this board. I'll look for it.

[Mark Rippetoe]

If you did, it is wrong.

[obelix]

How do you judge the magnitude of the shrug, especially as the weight gets heavier? Do you often see reps, you consider technically unacceptable due to insufficient shoulder elevation, by someone who is actually trying?

I suppose what I'm actually asking is, for someone who is training alone, is it sufficient for the traps to feel engaged and nothing to be acutely hurting during the rep. Even when thinking about it, I find there to be less shoulder girdle elevation in a tired work set than a warm up (duh, I guess).

[Darin Deaton]

As the loads get heavier, the shrug will naturally become less obvious. The goal is to think about shrugging and punching the ceiling with the bar. Reach as high as you can with all loads. "Engaging" the traps as you call it, is merely shrugging big to allow the traps to upwardly elevate the fossa of the scapula, which avoids impingement.