Flawless Press Form…If You’re Filming a Blooper Reel

Are you making this mistake when you press? Well, let’s not.

Today’s topic is an error in the start position of the press - but we are specifically not discussing the start position for the first rep. You already know how to unrack the barbell - using your legs - with elbows slightly in front of the bar and neutral wrists, i.e., not totally straight, but certainly not bent back in extreme extension.

figure 1: becky demonstrates a solid start position.

You’ve got the start position (Figure 1) for the first rep down, and if you don’t, check out the video below.

Today’s error has to do with an incorrect start position for every rep after the first rep.

Don’t Be a Bum
This is an extremely common problem in the press - you lock out the rep overhead, and then you lower the bar back to a position wherein the elbows are behind the bar and the wrists are bent back in full extension (Figure 2).

In other words, you’re lowering it like a lazy bum.

figure 2: don’t lower it to this position.

And you will pay the penalty for it. Now you have to waste energy resetting your elbows and wrists to the correct position. At best, this wasted effort makes for a more exhausting set, and at worst, it can be the reason you miss a rep and can’t successfully complete the set.

Supporting the barbell between press reps already takes effort - don’t make it worse by adding adjustments that shouldn’t have to be made in the first place.

How to Fix This
Lower the bar right back to the position from which you started. To put it simply, finish where you started (Figure 3).

(Technically, the finish position for the press is the lockout at the top, but for today’s purposes, we’ll treat the “finish” as where you are after you lower the bar to prepare for the next rep.)

figure 3: much better

First, you can cue yourself “elbows in front of the bar” as you start to lower the bar back to the start position. Second - and this goes nicely with the first cue - remind yourself to aim for your nose (or “shave your nose”) on the way down.

(Check out the the video below to see this in action.)

These two cues together help prompt you to keep the bar close to you while simultaneously keeping the elbows in the correct position.

Elbows forward, shave your nose, and finish where you started. You’ll save time, you’ll save energy, and you’ll have a stronger press because of it.

As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.

-Phil

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He Stopped Pressing Like This. You Should Too.

Today’s press error is not difficult to correct from a technical standpoint, but it can be an annoyingly persistent habit, so let’s address it quickly (i.e., before the mistake becomes more ingrained in your movement patterns).

The Mistake: Winding Up the Hips
When you correctly initiate the press, you do so by sending the hips forward (Figure 1). As you reach forward with your hips, the barbell dips slightly, and you get a nice bounce out of the bottom of that movement.

figure 1: Mike demonstrates the correct initiation of the press.

In anticipation of the forward motion of the hips, however, some lifters will make the mistake of accidentally pushing the hips backward first - “winding up the hips” in a subconscious effort to get a bigger forward reach (Figure 2).

figure 2: Mike incorrectly reaches back with his hips at the start of the press.

Why Is This a Problem?
This backward movement of the hips causes the bar to travel forward, which means you’ve now introduced unnecessary forward motion of the bar. As the press is already very susceptible to perturbations in the bar path, this forward motion is the last thing we want to happen.

The Solution
First of all, you need to be aware of this error, and many lifters are not, so the next time you press, record yourself and then watch the video to see if you’re committing this mistake (compare your video to the demonstrations that Mike provides in the video below).

If you’re winding up the hips, simply cue yourself “hips only go forward.” You are reminding yourself that the only place for the hips to go at the start of the press is forward (and therefore not backward).

If you still find yourself pushing your hips backward first, then slow yourself down and use the following mantra: “Breath, stop - then hips forward.” In this situation, you’re commanding yourself to breathe in and get tight, then stop all motion for a moment, and only then do you push the hips forward.

By the way . . .
Don’t bother telling yourself to avoid reaching backward with the hips. Negative cues - cues wherein you try to avoid doing something - rarely work in these types of situations. You are far better off focusing on what to do as opposed to focusing on what not to do.

As always, we hope this helps you get stronger and live better.

-Phil

PS: Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

  • Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.

  • Pick up a free copy of Testify’s Squat Guide: 12 Tips to Improve Your Squat Now HERE.

  • Get our free weekly email - containing useful videos, articles, and training tips - HERE.

  • Follow Testify on Instagram HERE.

  • Subscribe to Testify’s YouTube channel HERE.

(Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Testify earns from qualifying purchases.)


At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?

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Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?

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Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

  • Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?

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(A Blast from the Past video originally published on 12/26/22)

Whenever you want even more Testify in your life, here are some free resources:

  • Book a free intro and strategy session with us HERE.

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At Testify, we offer small group training, private coaching (in-person or remotely via Zoom), online coaching, and form checks. Interested in getting stronger, looking better, and having more energy?

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