Press check (BK amputee)

[meowmeow]

Hey guys,

My press has been increasing slowly but surely. I got it to 134lb x 3 sets x 5 reps but I've failed twice on 135lbs so I de-loaded about 10%. After recording my form, I think it is pretty bad which surprised me since this lift had seemed to be going so well.

Set 3 - 127lbs: Press 127lb - Album on Imgur

-I don't think I'm using nearly enough hip movement. It it easy to do with lighter weights but with heavier ones, it almost looks like I'm not doing the hip bounce at all.

-Also it looks like the bar isn't really going over my shoulders but slightly in front. Which explains why I sometimes feel out of balance when doing this lift.

I assume I should go back to the drawing board with this lift and re-learn it but does anyone have any other suggestions? Particularly on how to get the hip bounce when the weights are heavier. Shifting my weight to my toes (mentioned in Learning to Press | The Starting Strength Method - YouTube @ 2:58) is a bit tricky with only one ankle so it could be that, in the interest of preserving balance, I'm sub-consciously avoiding it. Would I perhaps be better off focusing my efforts on the press 1.0 instead?

Thanks

BTW. It looks like my left foot is crooked in the video. That's the prosthetic but it's plenty stable.

[Daltonar]

First thing I'd do is record another session with the camera placed as outlined in this video (Sticky Press - YouTube)

I can't see anything well from this angle, but I do wonder if you're 'shrugging' up hard at the top. The lockout is snappy as hell and almost looks like its just a quick blast with the arms, I don't see the head come through from the shrug at the top to place the bar over the back of your neck, which contribute to the bar path feeling out of balance.

Try and get a video from a better angle to start.

[J. Killmond]

Tough to tell from the video, but you don't look tight enough at the start of each rep. Don't loosen up at the bottom of the rep. Keep your chest up and your elbows forward--don't let them get behind the bar (Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training (3d ed.), p. 89-90).

Also, your grip looks like the bar is back in the fingers. You properly rotate the hands like in Figure 3-10(D), but then you allow the wrists to overextend (see Figure 3-10(B)), rather than maintaining neutral wrists like in Figure 3-10(A) (Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training (3d ed.), p. 83).

[meowmeow]

My apologies for the poor video angle. Here is yesterday's session at a better angle. It was more of a form practice so I didn't bother making the weight very heavy, only heavy enough that the form problems would become apparent. This still felt out of balance and a somewhat weaker than what I was doing before so obviously it's still not great.

Set 1: Imgur: The magic of the Internet
Set 2: Imgur: The magic of the Internet
Set 3: Imgur: The magic of the Internet

J. Killmond, yes, I definitely make a point to rotate the hands but, you're right, it does feel like the bar is bending my wrists back. I will pay attention to keeping my wrists locked in a neutral position so the bar can rest on the "heel".

[Daltonar]

These look pretty good to me. It looks like you get a good breath, abs stay tight, and from here it looks like you're shrugging through well. Presses are just hard to balance, and the taller you are the more pronounced balance issues can be. Considering your leg issue and only having the one ankle, balance going to be even harder than it already is and is something you'll just have to deal with.

These look good enough I'd say you just need to keep practicing. You're not making any massive mistakes that I can see, you're just trying to figure out the hellacious physical puzzle that is pressing heavy shit overhead with only one good ankle and calf. I would be curious where your bench press is. Driving up the bench press can help get the press moving again if the bench is unreasonably weak, and I'd look at more intermediate programming for your press. Work the 3 sets of 5 again until you miss, then transition to more advanced-novice/intermediate style programming as outlined in PPST.

[Daltonar]

Here is an article from Nick Delgadillo that might be worth reading for you.

Intermediate Programming for the Upper Body Lifts | Nick Delgadillo

[meowmeow]

Thanks for your reply, Daltonar! Glad you think they look OK. I will keep practicing. I did another press session yesterday and it felt a bit better. Like you say, it does feel like quite a puzzle putting all the pieces together, especially with only one calf+ankle to do all the balancing.

Regarding bench press, some weeks prior to this post, I made one about the bench press and got some good feedback on my form there. Currently it is 222lbs x 3 sets x 5 reps. I wouldn't say unreasonably weak, given where I'm at in general but I could be mistaken.

I'll also look into transitioning to advanced-novice/intermediate programming for the press (and pretty soon for everything in general). That article looks good.

Che

[meowmeow]

...
Che

LOL. That should say 'Cheers'. No Marxist.