Pressing: A Five Year Journey beginning with Absolute Mediocrity


Improving the Press: A Five Year Journey beginning with Absolute Mediocrity


Note: This is written as a article to describe an individual who already has technical efficiency, but lacks the power to do much with it. If your not technically sound, this article probably isn’t for you.


Every strongman has that one event when they first start… The one event that no matter what they do, seems to stagnate behind the rest. In my case, this was the overhead press. I was shocked with this, given that I had shifted from an olympic lifting background to strongman.


Here are the results from overhead events from my first three shows…


SHOW 1: Keg, Circus Dumbell, Log Clean and Press (Three Reps) for time

6th


SHOW 2: Circus Dumbell, Max Reps in a minute

Dead last, zero


SHOW 3: Log Medley, three logs for time

Dead last: 30 seconds to get through a 190, 200, and 215 log.


Here are the results from my most recent three shows…


Arizona’s Strongest Man (Open): 180 Circus Dumbell, 300 Axle, 300 log x 4 reps

First in the open division (I competed up for this one)


Strongman Corporation Nationals (u90)

Max Log: 335 (First in the u90s)

Axle Clean and Press each Rep (1 minute time limit): 285x7 (First in the u90s)


Eleos Record Breaker (u90)

Max Axle: 368 pounds (World Record)


So what changed in the course of five years, to go from terrible, to the event being a strength? The answer is simple: I made the decision to critically evaluate my programming.


What WASN’T Working


Looking back, I can really identify a few reasons that were causing my press to stagnate.

  1. My triceps were weak

  2. My triceps were weak

  3. My triceps were weak

  4. Over-Reliance on Efficiency over the Development of strength

  5. The temptation to continuously bash my head against the wall with implements, instead of reaching for the barbell


These five (well, really three if you take out 2. And 3.) were the root cause of my press never improving.


Instead of improving the areas I most needed, I decided to continue to play to my strengths. I split jerked EVERYTHING, even in training, most often with implements that were not barbells. I refused to address my biggest weakness (embarrassingly weak triceps), and lastly (this wasn’t on the list), I didn’t listen to what guys much smarter than me were suggesting.


What Changed?


Now, there must be some magical answer, right? Some sort of advice that changed my life. Well, sadly, what changed my pressing was FINALLY listening to what the above individuals told me to do…


  1. Stop relying on technique in training over developing strength.

  2. Hit a ton of volume with your triceps.

  3. Don’t run from the lifts you suck at; there is a reason you suck.


Relying on Technique over Strength Development in Training


Truth be told, I was ducking the things I was bad at. One of my worst lifts was the push press. So what did I do? I set my programming for split jerks. This over-reliance on an already efficient movement really hurt my strength development over time. Finally, I began to shift to having a day during the week reserved for either a push press or a strict press depending on the block. I was already efficient within my technique; my issues were embedded in the fact that I simply was not strong. No amount of technique work can save you if you simply aren’t strong.


Triceps, Triceps, and More Triceps


Well, if you're like me, practically everything you press gets to at least your forehead. Then, it becomes a game of, “are my triceps strong enough to lock this out?”. For a long time, the answer was no. I really struggled to finish reps at the top end of my presses.


This was noted above; I needed to get stronger. I still consider my triceps pretty weak. They just aren’t weak enough to be detrimental.


What exercises did I hit?

Close Grip Bench

Pin Presses

Dips


I’ll include more details on this at the bottom of the article once we get to programming.


Embrace the Suck


Finally, it hit me.


I SUCKED at pressing.


It was costing me shows and had to change.


Finally, understanding that the movements that I suck at are the movements I most need changed my press.


There is a reason you are bad at something. No, you weren’t “born” to suck. No, your arms “just aren’t made for pressing” (I used these excuses, so please appreciate my self-deprecating humour).


Once I switched to a growth mindset (as my educator colleagues would say) my press began to improve. Switching from, “eh, I’m garbage at this because I just am” to “why do I suck at this and how can I fix it?” was press-changing.


Exercise Selection


My problem was simple to fix, just not as fun to address. I had to temporarily do away with some of the movements I loved the most; the push jerk and split jerk.


Here are the exercises I implemented…


Cycle One (Done for 10 Weeks, with the Tenth Week Testing a Push Press Max)

Day 1:

Push Press

Close Grip Bench

Neutral Grip Strict Press w/ Kettlebells Hanging


Day 2:

Overhead Event Training (Log Medley, Axle for Reps, whatever the event entailed)

Log Pause Push Press

Dips

Pushdowns


Cycle Two (Done for 10 Weeks, with the Tenth Week Testing a Pause Push Press Max)


Day 1:

Pause Push Press

Close Grip Pin Press

Neutral Grip Strict Press w/ Kettlebells Hanging


Day 2:

Overhead Event Training (Log Medley, Axle for Reps, whatever the event entailed)

Log Strict Press

Dips

Pushdowns


10 Weeks Leading up to Nationals: Example


Cycle One

GOAL: INCREASE ONE REP MAX PUSH PRESS/MAX LOG PRESS

STARTING PUSH PRESS 1RM: 310

ENDING PUSH PRESS 1RM: 340


Week 1


Day 1

Push Press

225x6

245x6

265x6

245x6x2


Close Grip Bench

225x3

245x3

265x3

285x3

305x3


Neutral Grip Strict Press

3-2-1 Tempo

3x12


Day 2

Log Clean and Press (Event Specific)

300x3x3


Pause Push Press (Log)

225x5x5


Dips

3x12-15


Pushdowns

4x25


Week 2


Day 1

Push Press

225x3

245x3

265x3

280x3

270x3x2

Close Grip Bench

225x6

245x6

265x6

285x6

265x6


Neutral Grip Strict Press

3-2-1 Tempo

3x12


Day 2

Axle Clean and Press (Event Specific)

285x4x4


Pause Push Press (Log)

240x5x5


Pushdowns 4x25


Week 3


Day 1

Push Press

230x6

250x6

275x6

250x6x2


Close Grip Bench

225x3

245x3

265x3

290x3

310x3


Neutral Grip Strict Press

3-2-1 Tempo

3x12


Day 2

Log Clean and Press (Event Specific)

310x3x2


Log Pause Push Press

255x5x5


Dips

3x15


Pushdowns

4x25


Week 4

Day 1

Push Press

235x3

255x3

270x3

290x3

270x3x2


Close Grip Bench

225x6

245x6

265x6

285x6

270x6


Neutral Grip Strict Press

3-2-1 Tempo

3x12


Day 2

Axle Clean and Press (Comp Specific)

285x5x2

285x4


Log Pause Push Press

270x3x3


Dips

3x15


Pushdowns

4x25


Week 5

Day 1

Push Press

205x10x3


Close Grip Bench

225x8x5


Tri Set (Light)

Dipsx10

DB Seated Pressx10

Side Raisesx10


Day 2

Log Clean and Press

325x2

300x3x3


Dips

3x15


Pushdowns

4x25


Week 6


Day 1

Push Press

235x6

255x6

285x6

260x6x2


Close Grip Bench

225x3

245x3

265x3

290x3

315x3


Overhead Pin Press

3x8


Day 2

Axle Clean and Press Each Rep

285x6

285x3x3


Dips

8x5 (Heavy)


Pushdowns

4x25


Week 7


Day 1

Push Press

240x3

260x3

280x3

300x3

280x3x2


Close Grip Bench

225x6

245x6

265x6

290x6

275x6


Overhead Pin Press

3x8


Day 2


Log Press

330x2

320x2x2

300x4


Dips

8x5 (Heavy)


Pushdowns 4x25


Week 8


Day 1

Push Press

240x6

260x6

290x6

275x6x2


Close Grip Bench

225x3

245x3

260x3

280x3

320x3


Overhead Pin Press

3x8


Day 2

Axle Clean and Press

285x7

285x2x3


Dips

8x5 (Heavy)


Pushdowns 4x25


Week 9


Day 1

Push Press

225x3

250x3

275x3

300x3

315x3


Close Grip Bench

225x6

245x6

265x6

300x6


Overhead Pin Press

3x8


Day 2

Log

350x1

300x3x3


Axle Clean and Press

285x5x2


Dips

4x10 (Light)


Week 10


Day 1

Push Press MAX

225x3

250x1

275x1

300x1

320x1 (10 pound PR)

340x1 (30 pound PR)


Day 2

Light (6 days out from Competition: Nationals)


Log

220x1

250x1

270x1

290x1


Axle Clean and Press

250x3


Why the obsession with Push Press?


If any lift has ever carried over to every single movement for me, it’s been push press. More than any other lift, push press has always had the most carryover to the most pressing events. Three weeks after nationals, I was attempting the axle press world record. I had not really practiced axle clean and press, besides the copious amount of high rep sets for the event specific nationals.


For once, the press WAS NOT my issue! I had to revamp my clean form to get it up to my shoulders, but all the progress I had made with my push press had carried over to my log press and axle press. My previous best log was 330. Towards the end of the cycle, I hit a 350 log for a significant PR.


What about Squats/Deadlifts?


During this 10 week cycle, I did a ton of front squats. Deadlifts took a backseat, as the nationals event was a side handle (wheelbarrow). I utilized a similar 6/3 pattern, but instead did beltless pause front squats.


Once again, I had identified a weakness (my core) and the plan of attack was to focus on improving this weakness through beltless work.


What’s the Takeaway?

The takeaway is quite simple: Identify your weakness and improve it overtime. Be smart about what accessory exercises you are choosing.


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