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A Beginner’s Guide to Overhead Pressing
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Now we get to what would have been the best piece of advice anyone could have
given me on overhead pressing from the very beginning—starting your sets from
the top of the lift. Think about it. If you’re used to doing a lot of
squats and bench presses, you’ve come to rely on the downward or eccentric
portion of the lift to get you started. It spring loads your muscles and sets
you in a groove. The problem with the military press is that it’s a lot like the
deadlift at the beginning of the lift. You simply press the bar overhead from a
standstill. I always find this jarring, and it throws me out of my groove. I
find the same thing deadlifting. Often, the second and third reps are easier
than the first. The solution? Start from the top of the lift.My favorite thing to do is to begin the set with a push press, which
if you’ve never done or seen one before, is essentially a cheating military
press—driving from the knees. What this will do for you is set you up in the
perfect position with very little muscular fatigue on the part of your prime
movers. Then from the top position, the lift becomes very similar to a bench
press or squat—things you should be very familiar with by now. It’s much easier
to crank out smooth, flowing reps this way. Again, I encourage you to do your
breathing at the top of the lift, too, just like you would with any other
exercise.
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