Muscle & Fitness Hers South Africa – July-August 2019

PER BERNAL

5 REASONS

YOU’RE NOT NAILING THE

PUSH PRESS

Build more power by fixing

these common form fails.

BYBRADBALDWIN

THE PUSH PRESS is an often-overlooked

exercise by many that, if done correctly, can help

build a ridiculously strong and balanced upper body.

Compared with a standard military press, the leg

drive used in this move also allows you to use more

weight and get a greater muscular response. Unfortu-

nately, most people don’t do it right. Here are five

reasons you might be struggling with the exercise

— and how to perfect your form.

1

YOUR KNEES SHOOT FORWARD

If your knees shoot forward

when you dip, your hips may

not drop straight down to

transfer maximal force. Push

your knees outward, as with

a squat, to power back up.

2

BAR PLACEMENT IS WRONG

The bar should rest on your

shoulders and clavicle. This

lines the weight up with your

hips so that when you press,

you can transfer your force

upward in one straight line.

3

YOU’RE NOT

BREATHING PROPERLY

Breathing sounds simple, but

a lot of people mess this up,

which is a shame since proper

breathing can add several reps

to your set. Before you start

the dip, take a big breath into

your belly. Exhale at the top

of the push press, then inhale

again when the barbell

descends to your shoulders.

Repeat for every rep.

4

YOUR GRIP IS OFF

The proper grip can vary by

a few centimetres from person

to person, but the ideal range

is between the start of your

deltoids and 30cm outside

them. Any wider and your

leverage will be weakened.

Any closer and your elbows

won’t be in the right position

to drive the weight overhead.

5

YOU’RE NOT

CATCHING THE WEIGHT

One thing new push pressers

don’t think about is how to

absorb the weight on the

descent. When you become

pretty strong at the move­

ment, and the weight begins

to add up, you put your

rotator cuff in danger when

you slowly lower the weight

down as you would with a

military press. Instead, let the

bar fall at a reasonable speed

and bend your knees a bit so

you dip about 8cm. This will

ensure that you catch the

falling weight and absorb the

load more efficiently.

TRAINING MOVEMENT MECHANICS

22 | M&F HERS | JUL/AUG 2019