Press Technique Part 2 -- Grip

In the gym you see all sorts of crazy things. Even something like pressing is often messed up. Pay attention tomorrow and you will notice open palms while pressing, loose bodies in every single lift and many other bad habits. I admit it, I've done them too.

What does grip have to do with pressing an object?

A strong grip is a strong body. I'll break the law of iradiation into slang. It basically says that when you clench really tight the tension will move up your forearm to your biceps and triceps to your shoulder, chest and lats.

Go ahead, try it. DO IT NOW...MOVE. Try to cinch your grip without having any flex in your biceps and shoulders. It is difficult and there is still a little tension with zero effort. Use this law to your advantage. When you press or even pull, grip with a white knuckle grip. You will find you are stronger.

I delayed this post for a few weeks as I was practicing the following skills and improving my strength. Dude...I pressed more weight with more volume than I have in months.

Practice pressing with the white knuckle grip and using the pull down technique in Part 1. Add the following: squeeze your free hand while pressing and double the tension and irradiation. You can squeeze your hand, a racket ball or even a gripper. I was using my Capt of Crunch T gripper but a cheap one will be more than adequate.

Remember strength is a skill. Practice it perfectly while fresh and use only a few reps.

Next post will describe tension.

Techinque is everything (press part 1)

You can fake it until you make it and you will have results. It doesn't matter the skill, playing an instrument, running, riding bicycle or weight training. I can go on with the list but think about this...

Have you ever played tennis? Or, gone to the court to hit balls? It soon becomes evident that there is a huge amount of technique required to keep the ball in the court. When I say court, I mean the court, specifically inside the fence. Go ahead, admit it, you have hit the ball over the fence. Skill is everything.

I spent some of my juvenile life and ALL of my adult life learning and practicing a musical instrument. Every minute of practice is spent working on achieving the perfect tone, timing, timbre and coordinating it all at the same time. I still haven't achieved this but they pay me to play so I practice. I practice to develop skills and to prevent and repair bad habits.

The same attention to detail is required for strength training. It is better called strength practice after all, strength is a learned skill. Through practice you will achieve efficiency thus speed and strength.

This is the start of a technique series that is guaranteed to improve your strength.

Military Press

Here is a question for you. Do your biceps get tired when you press? They should!

Part 1: pull with your lats.

Begin the press by flexing the lat while moving the weight up. The lat provides support and stability to your shoulder. It also creates strength in the bottom of the lift.

Ok, bicep already...Once you reach the apex of your lift, pull the weight down with your lats. In the military press, pulling the weight down is the same as doing a pull up. When the weight reaches the bottom position, the lat is already loaded and ready for the next press.

Practice this technique until you master. You will improve strength in press and pull ups. Call it time management.

Next time we will discuss how grip assists your press.
Practice:
bottom up press 10x1, mil press 6x5 (coc grip in opposite hand) Pistol 5x1, oh swing 100

The weekend update

I'm concentrating press technique this week. I realized last week that some complacency has set in during the press. What I've been doing is pressing and dropping the weight similar to a jerk. Pavel recommends a more effective method for the press which loads the lat for the next press, sets up the groove for the press and provides support for the shoulder girdle.

The correct way to press is to pull the weight down into the rack like a pull up. It is a little difficult to coordinate the pull down and the breathing cycle but the pay off is good.

Today:
TGU - 5x5
Complex:
6 sets x 5 swing, snatch, clean and press, row

Ride: LaT - 5 on, 2.5 off, 6 on, 3 off, 7 on,

Sunday:
5 sets x 5 snatch, front squat, clean and press, row
pull up - 2 x 10
Ride: 20/10 x 8

Saturday:
5 set x 5 snatch, front squat, clean and press, row
Ride: 20/10 x 8
Pull up 5 x 13