My new article on T-Nation

[Mark Rippetoe]

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_..._your_press_up

I provided the illustrations this time, but as usual they managed to work in something wrong. The comments are quite amusing.

[t0rment]

I think this one takes the cake:

"Nice article, Mark. Do you have any specific program suggestions? I've been working on my overhead pressing for a couple years now, and can't seem to find a program that gives me consistent improvement. I've tried 5X3, the 40 workout protocol Dan Jon suggested, 5X5, low weights high reps, high weights (for me) low reps, and am currently doing a hundred partial hand stand push-ups a day with the intention of increasing the range of motion every month. I'm still not close to my body weight."

[Mark Rippetoe]

How could I even start to comment on that?

[Dave 321]

Rip, I've been meaning to ask this since I got the 3rd edition SS.

Have you got any more of these old pictures of Starr and Suggs? They make me happy.

[B4PJS]

Those comments are priceless. Comparing, hang cleans, push presses and the like with a strict press. Bloody morons.

Good article by the way :-)

All the big guys love getting a ton of weight overhead, and Jim Wendler has also linked to your article on his blog, though Iirc it is his favourite lift so should strike a chord with him.

[Mark Edward]

I enjoyed the guy who said that Donny Shankle hang cleaning 200 kilos was as impressive as Serge Redding's 502 pound C&P.

By the way, I was searching for details of Serge Redding's training, and couldn't find anything. Do you know any specifics of how he trained, Rip?

[wesley662]

I loved it when people started comparing push presses and pulls from blocks to Reding's 502 press...like there isn't a difference between the three

[Lou Guerra]

T0rment I give you credit for getting that far down in the comments, I stopped after one gentleman angrily refutes Serge's press by comparing it to a 500 lb push press. Coach, I imagine writing for that site gives you great respect for what Copernicus went through.

[Corrie]

That video of Reding was inspiring. If you can watch that and not want to go out and press then there's something wrong with you.

Like most people I've benched a lot in my life but had never pressed until I started SS. All my life I've had a tweaking pain deep in my shoulder when I would do any throwing activity. Pushups were iffy too. Now that I've actually been pressing regularly I've noticed tweaking pain deep in the shoulder joint is completely gone. Recently I played dodgeball for 2 hours and the next day I had no soreness in my shoulder at all, something I've never experienced in my life.

Bottom line. Everyone needs to press.

[JoeBL]

This article came at a good time for me personally. Just recently I spoke to a trainer at my local gym and told him that my main goal is to Press bodyweight within the next 6 months. Now, I only weigh 75kg (165lbs), but when I told him this, his response was that a 75kg Press is "ridiculously strong" and that I should focus on push presses instead. This article just makes me realise what true strength is and that really, a 75kg Press is very attainable.