Press PR form check

[PuliMorgan]

Continuation to the previous form check videos. Here is a video of my today's 42.5 x 8 at RPE 9. I have tried to maintain the strict form as far as possible. Trying to unlearn Press 2.0.

Also trying to keep the elbows forward as @mgil advised.

Suggestions please.

[mgil]

Your elbows are certainly more forward, but it looks like the barbell is floating more as a result.

Lemme get some shots and I’ll update.



Since I’m in the middle of a session, I thought I’d take some photos of my own grip width and associated elbow position. As my grip narrows, it’s easier for me to get elbows forward and get a decent start position.

The reason I say “for me” in bold is because my left shoulder has had some reconstructive surgery. However, my point is that you might want to try altering grip width to see where the elbows can get in a good position while also allowing the rack to not float too high.

[PuliMorgan]

I also notice that I am exhaling at the top which isn't good, I guess.

[mgil]

I also notice that I am exhaling at the top which isn't good, I guess.

I do this. I’m not convinced it’s a huge issue for rep work.

[PuliMorgan]

I was feeling so unstable when I pushed my elbows forward and I was wondering how this could be better than my previous form. Thanks a lot for the pics - now I get what you meant by the cue to keep the elbows forward.

[Hardartery]

A floating rack position basically negates any benefit you might gain from that hip drive. The force doesn't transfer. That air between the bar and the anterior delts acts like a shock absorber to soak it up. I an confused as to why any program from Rip or anyone else would teach that intentionally. I say this as a guy that was 100% guilty of having that floating rack in my competition days. It was ineffective and damaging to my Overhead Press. If you want no transfer of force so that the press is really just brute force then it's a great tactic. That hip kick SHOULD generate kinetic force that transfers through the torso to the shoulders and from there to the bar. A float means that using the hips just results in joint torque in the elbows and shoulders without the benefit.

[mgil]

A floating rack position basically negates any benefit you might gain from that hip drive. The force doesn't transfer. That air between the bar and the anterior delts acts like a shock absorber to soak it up. I an confused as to why any program from Rip or anyone else would teach that intentionally. I say this as a guy that was 100% guilty of having that floating rack in my competition days. It was ineffective and damaging to my Overhead Press. If you want no transfer of force so that the press is really just brute force then it's a great tactic. That hip kick SHOULD generate kinetic force that transfers through the torso to the shoulders and from there to the bar. A float means that using the hips just results in joint torque in the elbows and shoulders without the benefit.

I absolutely agree with this. The old Olympic dudes using this technique had the bar resting on them and used that uncoiling effect to throw the barbell off their chest.

[Cellist]

A floating rack position basically negates any benefit you might gain from that hip drive. The force doesn't transfer. That air between the bar and the anterior delts acts like a shock absorber to soak it up. I an confused as to why any program from Rip or anyone else would teach that intentionally. I say this as a guy that was 100% guilty of having that floating rack in my competition days. It was ineffective and damaging to my Overhead Press. If you want no transfer of force so that the press is really just brute force then it's a great tactic. That hip kick SHOULD generate kinetic force that transfers through the torso to the shoulders and from there to the bar. A float means that using the hips just results in joint torque in the elbows and shoulders without the benefit.

I absolutely agree with this. The old Olympic dudes using this technique had the bar resting on them and used that uncoiling effect to throw the barbell off their chest.

I don’t know why I’m so interested in this since my press always sucked, but I noticed this with Olympic presses. The rules said it was supposed to rest there for a second, but idk if there was a command. Jordan did something like this w/o layback. Wolf does a float, but no layback either. His arms are huge and his grip is narrow. I saw @SeanHerbison on IG and it almost looked like his chest touched the bar before it went up. Is SS trying to produce a stretch reflex with the float.

[mgil]

Is SS trying to produce a stretch reflex with the float.

Yes.

But like @Hardartery mentions, there’s way too much distance for this to work.

If you read up on the old press, they (SS) wanted a stretch reflex at the bottom. Then they went to the hip thrust on every rep. Wolf would do a hip thrust on the first only and use reflex for the rest.

I made more progress getting rid of both.

[dmorrison2k]

The responses here to your video were eye-opening for me, I'll have to try and get out of the Press 2.0 bullshit myself. Thanks for posting. Also, do you listen to that music while you are lifting? It was pretty intense.

[mettkeks]

Pressing from floating rack feels the most natural to me. I also got a lot out of press 2.0 (ie the hip-thrust bend-y press) but it started to look really goofy and I'd probably get more out of a real push press.

This video shows that the "press 2.0" was clearly meant to be a shitty push-press:

[mbasic]

A floating rack position basically negates any benefit you might gain from that hip drive. The force doesn't transfer. That air between the bar and the anterior delts acts like a shock absorber to soak it up. I an confused as to why any program from Rip or anyone else would teach that intentionally. I say this as a guy that was 100% guilty of having that floating rack in my competition days. It was ineffective and damaging to my Overhead Press. If you want no transfer of force so that the press is really just brute force then it's a great tactic. That hip kick SHOULD generate kinetic force that transfers through the torso to the shoulders and from there to the bar. A float means that using the hips just results in joint torque in the elbows and shoulders without the benefit.

I absolutely agree with this. The old Olympic dudes using this technique had the bar resting on them and used that uncoiling effect to throw the barbell off their chest.

I would imagine the Olympic guys were using serious weights, that one couldn't float all that easy, or at all.....so it rested on their shoulders and/or clavicle region.
An ss noob can float 135/185/225 just fine, either keep it stiff and/or use the rebound.

nah .... think of it as a rubbery sponge. When the hip thrust and torso jiggle happens, that shock absorber spring stores that energy for a bit and the releases it when they press a fraction of sec later.

...at least that is the/a working theory.

[mbasic]

Pressing from floating rack feels the most natural to me. I also got a lot out of press 2.0 (ie the hip-thrust bend-y press) but it started to look really goofy and I'd probably get more out of a real push press.

This video shows that the "press 2.0" was clearly meant to be a shitty push-press:

thanks for that. this video would make an excellent photo-collage of one of the reasons why the press got shit canned.

most of these cleans are garbage also.

[mbasic]

"the power begins when the knee bends"

.... and the ankle.

[Hardartery]

Pressing from floating rack feels the most natural to me. I also got a lot out of press 2.0 (ie the hip-thrust bend-y press) but it started to look really goofy and I'd probably get more out of a real push press.

The floating press felt natural to me too, that's why I was doing it. However, it definitely hurt the press number as far as 1 RM. For reps, it makes little to no difference. As a reference, my best Axle Press was 305. Before anybody thinks that's good, to have a competitive Press in the HW Pro or almost Pro class, I needed more like 365lbs. I would say that 365 is no longer a particularly competitive number for that group. I could Continental Clean about 385lbs without great issue, but there was zero chance of me pressing it or Jerking it from that floating rack position. I could strict press 275 x 5. I am well aware of where my break down was in hindsight. Had I worked my flexibility and used some video and a couple of brain cells, I had the strength already to get a real number. So, if it's just about repping some work weight and never anything more than that, it doesn't matter. If somebody hopes to get a decent number, even if just for ego, the float is a gigantic biomechanical mistake that Rip and SS should be embarrassed to promote.

[ChasingCurls69]

Yeah, the floating rack sucks and I was convinced for years that I had weird forearms and couldn't start from the chest. Also cosigned putting press first on at least one day a week since it's much more technique oriented and squats or DLs consistently fuck me even with a more dynamic press than mbasic or mgil probably like.

[PuliMorgan]

Also, do you listen to that music while you are lifting? It was pretty intense.

Which video are you referring to? Music in the original form check is a copyright free instrumental from bensound.com. Music in the training video is "Lucifer Anthem" and it is truly intense:



But both were added as BGM. I usually listen to Metallica, Megadeath, Eminem, Hans Zimmer etc. while lifting.

[PuliMorgan]

@mgil Is this better?


Edit:
a) I have tried to address the floating rack issue. The bar touches the chest on somr reps, but not all.
b) Grip is much closer now. It felt easier with the closer grip. No grip issues either even without the grip tape.

Also, please excuse the nude cameo by the little one.

[mgil]

@PuliMorgan those reps look pretty good. I’m glad it feels better. Feels do matter!

A note: as you progress and gain mass over time, be open-minded to the notion of changing grip or positioning to accommodate the change in your physical structure.

[PuliMorgan]

Thank you @mgil for all your inputs. Your cues were really helpful.