Press Starting position

[Aslin]

I cant for the life of me get the bar resting on my front delts, I have to have it resting on my chest right below my clavicles, I think its just the way my anatomy is, anyone else have this problem?

[simonsky]

it doesnt need to be resting on the delts. people with different arm lengths cant rest it on their delts and have vertical forearms at the same time.

[LimieJosh]

Exactly. The idea of it resting on the delts is to prevent the shoulders from having to work to keep the bar from falling forward/down in the bottom position. However, remember the other aspects of the bottom position RE forearms and wrists. For me to get the bar purely on the delts my elbows and wrists are in a terribly inefficient pushing position. I simply lean back through the thoracic spine, which takes the load off my shoulders with the bar resting across my upper chest. Another bonus is that it takes my face out of the line of the bar path.

[Rezart Erindi]

I cant for the life of me get the bar resting on my front delts, I have to have it resting on my chest right below my clavicles, I think its just the way my anatomy is, anyone else have this problem?

And you're not the only one. If I try to place the bar on my delts, my wrists would be in a very bad position.

[broseph]

I love the slight lean back, bar on upper chest starting position. Face out of the way, wrists and forearms in good position, its great. I leave just a little room for the hips to open up fully... You get a great kick out of that little bit of hip extension, all while keeping the knees locked.

[grambo]

It's fine as long as you still have the full ROM and are not letting it go forward at the bottom. In a jerk or push press it's pretty damn important to have the bar in the rack on the delts (for better power transmission, although I've seen strongmen push press huge weight with the bar resting in their hands).

[std01108]

yeah, that position seems to work best for me too. but isn't this going to eventually wreck the lower back? i feel it working to the limit of it's flexibility right there.

[LudwigVan]

In a jerk or push press it's pretty damn important to have the bar in the rack on the delts (for better power transmission, although I've seen strongmen push press huge weight with the bar resting in their hands).

This is true, but the starting position for a press is not the same as for a jerk or push press. I used to start the press with the bar resting on my shoulders and my wrists extended. My press became much more efficient when I started just carrying the bar in my hands with straighter wrists and my forearms directly beneath the bar.

[MazdaMatt]

LV, do you have the bar touching your clavacle when you start? Or touching your torso at all?

[LudwigVan]

No, not really.