Pressing Matters

[ColoWayno]

I'm sooo close to a big wheel press. I've never seen my form check from this angle. I noticed that my arms are not perpendicular to da earf once I start the movement, only at the bottom when I'm holding the bar.

Should my grip be wider? Will that help me with my first big wheel attempt?

5x132.5 lbs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ-5syJdeic

Oh yeah, go ahead and give me S%&T about the mirror. A buddy dropped it off from a construction job when I wasn't home. True story. I have no where else to put it.

[mstrofbass]

A few things:

Your grip may be too wide. I think press grip is a very individual thing, so you may experiment with an even narrower grip.
You don't need to go quite that low.
You may be able to get a little more arch going (hard to tell from that angle).
It looks like you may be coming a little loose at the bottom, but it's hard to tell. You can probably tighten up a little more so you get a better bounce out of the bottom, but without having to go all the way down.

[mstrofbass]

Oh, and elbows more forward would change the angle of your forearms.

[MikeC1]

Have you read the book Wayne? Mirrors are not part of the SS protocol.

Were those as easy as they looked?

[ColoWayno]

Thanks for the analysis:
Here's a side view if you have a few more cycles for me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKyUmvV5GZQ

I don't know why I wasn't wearing a belt, I usually do on work sets.
What is your favorite kind of bass to be the master of, Rickenbacker?

[ColoWayno]

Have you read the book Wayne? Mirrors are not part of the SS protocol.

Were those as easy as they looked?

My wife can't say no to any kind of junk (yes, this explains how I got lucky, ha). You can tell this by looking at my garage. I made about 400 square feet of shelf space out there and packed the rafters several years ago and it looks like it did before I cleaned it all up. I have 64 square feet to call my own. I went out there one day and there was a couch on my platform. That didn't go over well.

Yep, I don't know what's going on with my presses but I'm not complaining.

[mstrofbass]

Looks pretty good, almost exactly like my training partner.

Elbows can definitely be a little further forward. Looks like you're getting your head under pretty well. Looks like you're keeping pretty tight as well, except on the last one you can tell your core comes a little loose because of the change in back angle when you hit the bottom (at least that's my guess). Other than your elbows and experimenting with your grip, it looks pretty good to me (and maybe a little deeper than necessary). Minor improvements...looks like you have a decent groove.

My screenname is a relic from when I was 14 or so. I am no longer the master of anything, unless it be baiting.

[ColoWayno]

Thanks.
Maybe one of these days you'll pick up the bass again, who knows.

[Squatson]

Tuck your elbows in against your lats.

Bring up the speed on the way down so you can get something out of the stretch reflex.

Grip is too wide...try putting your index finger at the inside edge of the knurling.

Check out this old video of A.C....look at his bar speed on the way down and where his elbows/forearms are.

[LudwigVan]

Exactly what Squatson said. Grip slightly narrower, faster negative. Also try to spend as little time as possible at the top. I like to do at least the first 2 reps in one breath.