Press Check: some funkiness going on

[donk52]

I've always felt my press was uneven, due to my left arm naturally being weaker than my right. I've filmed my press from the side before, and while sometimes my left side was lagging behind, the form looked pretty okay. The bar path was fine.

I filmed a set from directly behind me today, and things don't look right. The angle my left arm makes seems pretty off from my right, and it almost looks like there's some torsion in my upper back as I lift the bar. (NOTE: I'm still using the old press technique. I'll try to switch over soon, when my progress begins to stall).



Is this a big deal? How would I go about making things more even? Thanks!

(And i'm very sorry about the music. Was wearing headphones, so I had no idea it was this bad.)

[donk52]

bump: want to make sure this isn't a horrible injury waiting to happen before I up the weight.

[donk52]

..and again, sorry. Not sure why no one's responded. It's not the standard press video angle, but it shows the issue alot better.

I'm pressing again tomorrow, and i can likely up the weight and get 140, but i'm pretty concerned about the left arm/shoulder. Would really appreciate some advice/tips on fixing it.

[boot29342342]

I am no expert on the press, but I'll weigh on on how I would deal with the asymmetry. I would stay at this weight until your weaker side catches up to the stronger side. You could also try working with dumbbells the next time you are due to press, just to see if your diagnosis of this is right.

[BareSteel]

I froze the video at 0:11. What I see is not the standard 'one side of the bar lower than the other' asymmetry that lifters complain about when one side is weaker. What I see is a left elbow that is flared out, causing the forearm to be at an angle instead of vertical. The right side is doing this to a lesser extent.

Then I froze it at 0:06. See that? The left hand is closer to your body than your right.

I'm no expert, but some possibilities are a grip symmetry issue, an arm length / shoulder flexibility discrepancy (is your bench affected?) or simply a form weakness that is showing up more on one side of the press.

Sorry this answer is not very definitive, but I'm a lousy presser right now.

--

Now, here's the thing: Some people are built a little unevenly and have no choice but to lift that way (except in some cases when a shim can help, etc.). So having slightly imperfect form isn't necessarily a deal-breaker. However, you have to decide if you'd rather put off lifting more weight to nail the symmetry down first, or to continue on the LP. Your call, really man.

If it were me, I'd post this in the SS Coaches section, because it's going to take an experienced eye to detect the cause of this asymmetry. Personally, I suspect that it's the positioning of your upper arm, which is causing that left forearm to take an angled, not vertical, approach to the bar. You're losing force this way.

[donk52]

Yeah, my bench was affected even more than press. same issue. My left shoulder was kind of being raised more than my right. My left hand ended up closer to my head. And the bar went up faster on the right side. My upper arm hurt for a while, so I didn't bench for a few months, and am now just getting back into it.

Shoulder flexibility is definitely not the same. My left shoulder pops forward when I do shoulder dislocates, but not the right. Similarly, its not even when I squat.

Thanks for the tip, its great appreciated. I'll post in the coaches forum.

[BareSteel]

There's your answser, man. Either a physical asymmetry or a flexibility issue large enough to mimic a limb length asymmetry. If there is an injury history, that could be playing a role there.

[IlPrincipeBrutto]

Hi,

I can see your left shoulder higher than your right, something that gets worse as the set goes on.
My impression is that while your right shoulder is pulled back in the right position, your left is to loose, as hunches forward. This clearly puts your left arm in a different position.

My suggestion would be to try and keep the shoulder blades pulled back and down, like you do on the bench press. Also, focus on pulling them back and down every time you bring the bar back down. If your shoulders blades are pulled back, almost touching, your shoulders should remain even, with all that follows.

IPB