Improving Overhead Press

There’s no question about it, Overhead Lifting is without a doubt my favorite form of lifting to test general body strength. I don’t know why that is, but I just plain enjoy picking something up overhead, whether it’s a barbell, log, axle, or whatever is just lying around!

I’ve been working on hitting a new all-time PR on my Overhead Press – 225lbs for 4 consecutive reps – for the last several months. I’ve done 3 reps a couple different times, but the 4th rep always escapes me.

Last week, I was finally able to hit it. The video below is of 225lbs for 4 consecutive repetitions.

Overhead Press All-Time PR – 225×4

This truly came out of nowhere, as my Press workouts haven’t been too extraordinary lately, but here are a few points that might have had something to do with it.

How I’ve Increased My Press

I’ve really backed down on the volume: For several months, I was hitting my 25-rep “program.” I picked one specific weight and tried to reach 25 total reps as quickly as possible, with the weight varying from 185lbs to 215lbs. That approach worked great for a while, but I think this level of intensity caught up with me and I needed a change, so I dropped it down to either 3 or 5 sets of 3 to 5 reps. One difference was I started focusing on pressing the weight up as fast as possible, no matter what the weight was.

Modified My Ramp-up Approach to Working Set Weights: I normally hit a couple sets of barbell only, then a set of 95lbs, and then a set of 135lbs for my warm-up sets. Then, I would usually go right to my working sets. I found that the jump from 135lbs to 185lbs, or whatever the weight might have been that day, has been too much recently. So I started doing intermediate sets of 3 at 155lbs and 175bs instead. This has made a big difference in reducing missed first-reps on my initial work sets.

I’ve re-incorporated speed work: I’ve been trying to stick with 1 workout every 4 to 6 weeks where I stick with lighter bar weights and press against band tension, very similar to the methods used by powerlifters on lifts such as the Bench Press, Squat and Deadlift. I’m been feeling much more powerful on my presses, especially last week when I got my new PR, since focusing more on speed.

Dead Stop Training: I was finding that I was relying too much on stretch reflex in my press training, so I was really letting the bar crash down hard and then pressing back up. I decided to allow the barbell to settle at the bottom position a bit more the last few weeks, which made my presses harder, but I felt I was developing more pure strength. You can see in the video, that I went from a dead-stop on rep #2. I didn’t mean to do that, but I guess I’m just used to doing it now.

These are just a few changes I’ve made recently to my approach to pressing. They seem to have paid off, as a whole.

I’ll also mention that I took this weekend off from any training (I was away camping), and my left shoulder which has been giving me trouble for several months feels much better. I hope it continues to improve, and maybe I will see 225lbs go up for a set of 5 reps soon!

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Yoketober is Coming Soon – Will You Be Ready?

I am pumped up to post today’s entry on the Blog. This one comes from Daniel Reinard.

This dude has made incredible progress within the ranks of Grip Sport in a very short time. His improvements in such a short time are comparable to some of the very best in the sport.

I think part of that progress is due to the fact that he is constantly looking to build overall strength and not just get good at Grip Lifts. This pursuit for all-around strength development was evident when he picked up our instructional DVD on Strongman Training. Considering Daniel’s background is in rock climbing, strongman work isn’t really the natural progression, but he understands the importance of full body strength and power to improving overall performance.

Check out his review of our DVD and our customer service, something I have always worked hard to be on top of:

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First thing’s first. Jedd’s customer service is nothing but top notch. I’ve bought several DVDs and pieces of equipment over the last couple years from him. His quick shipments and customer follow-up make for the most comfortable of transactions. He genuinely wants everyone to enjoy his products and to receive the maximum benefits they can achieve. I recently purchased the Intro to Strongman DVD and ran into a most unusual predicament.

I immediately watched half the DVD at home before heading to work. I proceeded to try watching the last half on my work computer. This did not fare well. The computer drive tore the hell out of that DVD, rendering it completely unreadable, even back at home. I sent Jedd an email thanking him for quick shipment and an excellent first half of the DVD. He was not content with me only knowing part of the DVD, particularly the fact I’ll never be able to revert back to watch it again because as a noob strongman I will need to focus on technique to stay injury free. Watching only part and then never again was setting myself up for an injury. Jedd sent out another DVD right away. I cannot thank him enough for this. He is really about making sure customers not only receive their purchase but can gain the most out of their journey.

The DVD Jedd Johnson and Steve Slater put together is packed with lots of technique instruction on core strongman lifts and also packed with prehab/rehab with an injury free focus on the lifts. What that says about these guys is that their concern is you will enjoy their product for as long as you wish. This isn’t a “how to be a competing strongman in 60 minutes” DVD, or any other fad how-to DVD that is all hype and no common sense. These guys spend a lot of time growing strength sports and they not only know how to get you into strongman, but they know how to keep you in strongman.

The DVD is broken down into nice segments that make it easy to pull up a chapter on a particular subject. Each segment moves quickly yet is full of information. Information covered includes prehab/ rehab work, personal gear, technique do’s and don’ts, common mistakes, and visual demonstrations. The experience showed when the don’ts and common mistakes of each lift were explained. This is extremely valuable information!

Overall the DVD is a great purchase if someone is looking to get started in Strongman. I’m very happy to have purchased it. I know I’ll be watching it many times as I take on the various lifts over the course of my strength journey.

Daniel Reinard

Rock Climber

Grip Athlete

Strongman Sport Trainee

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Thanks for the kind words, Daniel. Keep up the great work in all your strength endeavors.

If anyone else is looking for top quality information on Strongman Training, look no further, because Steve and I lay everything out for you that you need in Intro to Strongman Training.

All the best,

Jedd

Some quick thoughts today on the Overhead Press. Some of these I have shared with you before, but they have been spread out all over the site and you might not have seen them. Hopefully these will help you improve at the overhead press.

How to Improve on the Overhead Lifts

1. Work the Overhead Lifts Regularly

Make sure you are doing some form of overhead lifting in your program on a regular basis, provided you are healthy enough for it, meaning you have no injuries that could get compounded or aggravated by doing the lifts. I like to overhead lift at least once a week, and sometimes I will get in two workouts within a 7-day period.

More Related Posts:
Improve Weaknesses in Your Press

2. Use Many Different Types of Overhead Lifts

Do not do only one type of overhead lift. Even if your main goal is to improve in one specific type of overhead lifting, other types of overhead lifting will serve to strengthen individual portions of the movement pattern as well as give your body a chance to work in different ways and not get beaten up by the same training stimulus all the time.

The reason I point this out is because in my personal experience if I do only Barbell Military Press week in and week out, my workouts seem to get stale and improvement is slower in coming. However if I mix in several different types of pressing as well as overhead lifts using different implements and speeds, then I see better results, like I have been throughout this year.

More Related Posts:
Thoughts on Exercise Selection Here

3. Practice Tension Management

I have used the term Radiant Tension here on this site many times. Gross Tension throughout your body can help you lift more weight. However, some people go overboard with tension. Tension is a skill that must be learned and constantly improved, just like they tell you with your driving skills. To get started with this, try squeezing the barbell or dumbbell handles harder than normal from the time the barbell/log is at your shoulders until the point the implement passes your forearm. You may have to squeeze very hard at first in order to feel the effects of radiant tension, but later on you will understand when you have to squeeze harder than others.

More Related Posts:
Tension Management for Strength Training
How I Improved My Kettlebell Press

4. Improve Movement Quality

There are many more people out there to go into a full discussion on movement quality, assessment, and correction than me. However, I know enough about it to tell you that if your body can’t move right, you can’t get as strong as you want to. I have seen eye-opening results this year after I finally admitted to myself that I had to start improving my movement abilities. As soon as I put emphasis on this, my numbers started improving faster than I ever could have expected.

More Related Posts:
Results of Working Flexibility Between Sets
Upper Body Warm-up for Healthier Shoulders
Addressing Tightness for Increased Pressing Strength

5. Incorporate Heavy Dumbbells

The biggest change in my overhead lifting practices has been the inclusion of heavy dumbbells in my training again. I haven’t had a set over 70-lbs in my gym since I built it, so I didn’t get that individual arm stimulus. Dumbbells make each arm work individually. You don’t get that same synergy effect with dumbbells that you get from a barbell, log or stone. Since it is somewhat tougher to press heavy dumbbells, when you go back to barbells, you should see some pretty good improvement.

Those 5 points are the main points I have worked on for years and many of them are key factors I have been using recently. To illustrate how much these points have helped me, check out the video below, where I recently pressed two 100-lb dumbbells for a set of 3, the first time ever.

100-lb Dumbbell Military Press X 3

To recap the first 7 months of 2012, until earlier this year, the best I was doing was high-rep sets of 50’s. In February, shortly after beginning to work on my poor movement demons, I was able to get 3 sets of 10 with 70’s, and eventually I began testing myself on the 100’s, and I have gradually worked up in reps with them.

If you are looking for more information on Overhead Lifting, make sure to check out the links to other posts here on the site. If you need to bring up your Overhead Lifting Strength for the sport of Strongman, then check out our Introduction to Strongman DVD. The Log Press, one of the most awesome tests of overhead strength, requires excellent technique, and if you don’t know it, you will never reach your full potential and be completely competitive in competition.

Look for more info on Improving Overhead Lifting coming up in the future here at DieselCrew.com. Make sure to subscribe to the newsletter for more lifting tips and updates.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

Improving Overhead Press

What’s up DIESELS?!!
Over on my Grip Strength Coaching Site, TheGripAuthority.com, from time to time I will put up a video just telling my guys and girls what I have found in my training to be really working well for me. I pass this on to them so that they can try it in their training and see if it works for them as well. I’d love to help you towards your Grip goals, so join today at http://www.thegripauthority.com.
They seem to get a lot of it when I put up the What’s Working Now posts, so I thought I would start doing the same here occasionally as well.

What’s Working Now – Overhead Work

Today, I want to talk a little bit about some results I am seeing in my training with my overhead work.
First a little recent history…
Most of my overhead work the last couple of years has been with a log. I’d estimate about 60% of it has been based around the strongman log, and more than half of that has been in a push press or jerk style.
Last summer, when some lower back troubles reared their ugly heads, I began doing my overhead work in a more strict fashion in order to have a bit more control over the implement. I also began using more conventional equipment, such as the barbell and dumbbells.
In October, I added some more dumbbells to my collection. Previously, my dumbbells went from 50-lbs straight to 85lbs. I now have a pair of 55’s and a pair of 70’s. With more dumbbells to choose from, I became more interested in using them, and I started establishing some new PR’s.
Here is where it all gets interesting…
From November until the end of January, my best set of 70-lb Dumbbell press was a set of 7, and I only managed that one time. Below that, my best was 3 sets of 5, but they were done seated, so it is kind of hard to compare them really well.
In November, one day I decided to see if I could pres my 85’s. It was nearly embarrassing how tough it was to get one repetition, and that was all I got. This one repetition was so disgustingly difficult, I did not try it again for over two months.
Then on February 14th, after doing some intense Myofascial Release techniques for my pecs prior to the workout, I was amazed at how good it felt to press. This was done with a barbell, standing, and I took it out of the rack. I was able to press 205 for the first time in many, many years. I’d estimate the last time I pressed that kind of weight on a barbell out of the rack was in 2008 when I did Wendler’s 5-3-1 for a while. So it is not really an all-time “PR,” but it felt outstanding, so I continued to do the SMR work in between each set, as I moved into Dumbbell Presses.

I started off with a token set of 6 with 50-lb dumbbells, and then move right into 70-lbs for the next set. To my astonished amazement, I got 10 reps. I continued doing the SMR and even added some stretching of the pecs between sets. DIESELS – it was awesome. I got 10 reps for all 3 sets. This was an all-time dumbbell press PR and it was after a 3-set session of standing barbell press, so I was pre-fatigued to a degree.
To say that I could not wait until my next pressing workout would be an understatement. My next session was February 22, and as I moved into Dumbbell Presses, I did the same thing as before, a token set of 6 with 50’s and then I moved into my work sets, but this time I said SCREW THE 70’S, and went right for the 85’s.
Below are my 3 work sets with 85’s…

Despite the fact that I was able to get 2 reps for the first time ever during set 1, I could really tell that my pecs were feeling tight.
If you watch set 1 again, you can see how I have to fish around for body positioning in order to press them up. So, I gave the pecs some serious attention prior to set 2.
For set 2, after the extra SMR work and stretching, the first 2 reps shot up really easy and I even had enough left in the tan for a third rep and a partial 4th.
After more pec work between set 2 and set 3, I was able to muster 4 repetitions, despite being fatigued in the triceps at this point, but since I was feeling less restricted in the chest, I was able to get better drive from the bottom position.
So you might be asking yourself, what does the chest have to do with overhead press?
Well, it can have a lot to do with your overhead press if you are a tight son of a bitch.
You see, if you are tight in the chest, then when you are trying to drive through the overhead pressing movement, you are going to be hindered. If the muscle and fascia of the front torso are too tight, then there’s no way you can lift overhead to your full potential. Your shoulders are going to be pulled forward and in, instead of wide like they need to be to press well.
Watch the difference between set 1 and set 2 in the video above and you will see what I mean along these lines. In set 1, I am still tight and restricted. My shoulders are pulled forward and I need to do all sorts of leaning in order to groove the dumbbells up.
After very aggressive work to loosen things up in my chest, it felt SO MUCH better to really extend through the thoracic spine, my shoulder blades felt like they could move more freely, and as a result, I was able to get better quality reps and one more rep, to boot.
For set 3, again, the torso felt better, thoracic extension felt easier, the scapulae were tracking better, and I was even able to get a 4th rep.
My next pressing workout is scheduled for Tuesday this week, BUT it is a deload workout with Mighty Mitts coming up, so the programming isn’t working out to push for a new PR, just yet, but I definitely plan on continuing the aggressive soft tissue work between sets.
In fact, I have been continuing the aggressive soft tissue work on non-upper body training days, because I really want to keep this momentum going.
I will report back soon.
SPECIAL NOTE: I absolutely feel that this kind of work to loosen up your tight chest can help for any type of overhead pressing, whether with dumbbells, barbell, axle, log, et cetera.
FEEDBACK WANTED: Is this kind of information something you’d like to see more of here on the site? Most of the content I post here is in article format, and this entry was more of a narrative report than anything else? I am interested in what you think, so please leave a comment below.
Thanks and all the best in your training.
Jedd

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Want to start training like a Strongman, but not sure how or where to start? Looking for the Technical Guidance you need to excel in Strongman Competition?
Pick up our DVD and learn everything you need to know about the Log, Farmers, Stones, Odd Objects, Yoke, and MORE.
Check it out today:

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Improving Overhead Press

What’s up DIESELS?!!

Over on my Grip Strength Coaching Site, TheGripAuthority.com, from time to time I will put up a video just telling my guys and girls what I have found in my training to be really working well for me. I pass this on to them so that they can try it in their training and see if it works for them as well. I’d love to help you towards your Grip goals, so join today at http://www.thegripauthority.com.

They seem to get a lot of it when I put up the What’s Working Now posts, so I thought I would start doing the same here occasionally as well.

What’s Working Now – Overhead Work

Today, I want to talk a little bit about some results I am seeing in my training with my overhead work.

First a little recent history…

Most of my overhead work the last couple of years has been with a log. I’d estimate about 60% of it has been based around the strongman log, and more than half of that has been in a push press or jerk style.

Last summer, when some lower back troubles reared their ugly heads, I began doing my overhead work in a more strict fashion in order to have a bit more control over the implement. I also began using more conventional equipment, such as the barbell and dumbbells.

In October, I added some more dumbbells to my collection. Previously, my dumbbells went from 50-lbs straight to 85lbs. I now have a pair of 55’s and a pair of 70’s. With more dumbbells to choose from, I became more interested in using them, and I started establishing some new PR’s.

Here is where it all gets interesting…

From November until the end of January, my best set of 70-lb Dumbbell press was a set of 7, and I only managed that one time. Below that, my best was 3 sets of 5, but they were done seated, so it is kind of hard to compare them really well.

In November, one day I decided to see if I could pres my 85’s. It was nearly embarrassing how tough it was to get one repetition, and that was all I got. This one repetition was so disgustingly difficult, I did not try it again for over two months.

Then on February 14th, after doing some intense Myofascial Release techniques for my pecs prior to the workout, I was amazed at how good it felt to press. This was done with a barbell, standing, and I took it out of the rack. I was able to press 205 for the first time in many, many years. I’d estimate the last time I pressed that kind of weight on a barbell out of the rack was in 2008 when I did Wendler’s 5-3-1 for a while. So it is not really an all-time “PR,” but it felt outstanding, so I continued to do the SMR work in between each set, as I moved into Dumbbell Presses.

I started off with a token set of 6 with 50-lb dumbbells, and then move right into 70-lbs for the next set. To my astonished amazement, I got 10 reps. I continued doing the SMR and even added some stretching of the pecs between sets. DIESELS – it was awesome. I got 10 reps for all 3 sets. This was an all-time dumbbell press PR and it was after a 3-set session of standing barbell press, so I was pre-fatigued to a degree.

To say that I could not wait until my next pressing workout would be an understatement. My next session was February 22, and as I moved into Dumbbell Presses, I did the same thing as before, a token set of 6 with 50’s and then I moved into my work sets, but this time I said SCREW THE 70’S, and went right for the 85’s.

Below are my 3 work sets with 85’s…

Despite the fact that I was able to get 2 reps for the first time ever during set 1, I could really tell that my pecs were feeling tight.

If you watch set 1 again, you can see how I have to fish around for body positioning in order to press them up. So, I gave the pecs some serious attention prior to set 2.

For set 2, after the extra SMR work and stretching, the first 2 reps shot up really easy and I even had enough left in the tan for a third rep and a partial 4th.

After more pec work between set 2 and set 3, I was able to muster 4 repetitions, despite being fatigued in the triceps at this point, but since I was feeling less restricted in the chest, I was able to get better drive from the bottom position.

So you might be asking yourself, what does the chest have to do with overhead press?

Well, it can have a lot to do with your overhead press if you are a tight son of a bitch.

You see, if you are tight in the chest, then when you are trying to drive through the overhead pressing movement, you are going to be hindered. If the muscle and fascia of the front torso are too tight, then there’s no way you can lift overhead to your full potential. Your shoulders are going to be pulled forward and in, instead of wide like they need to be to press well.

Watch the difference between set 1 and set 2 in the video above and you will see what I mean along these lines. In set 1, I am still tight and restricted. My shoulders are pulled forward and I need to do all sorts of leaning in order to groove the dumbbells up.

After very aggressive work to loosen things up in my chest, it felt SO MUCH better to really extend through the thoracic spine, my shoulder blades felt like they could move more freely, and as a result, I was able to get better quality reps and one more rep, to boot.

For set 3, again, the torso felt better, thoracic extension felt easier, the scapulae were tracking better, and I was even able to get a 4th rep.

My next pressing workout is scheduled for Tuesday this week, BUT it is a deload workout with Mighty Mitts coming up, so the programming isn’t working out to push for a new PR, just yet, but I definitely plan on continuing the aggressive soft tissue work between sets.

In fact, I have been continuing the aggressive soft tissue work on non-upper body training days, because I really want to keep this momentum going.

I will report back soon.

SPECIAL NOTE: I absolutely feel that this kind of work to loosen up your tight chest can help for any type of overhead pressing, whether with dumbbells, barbell, axle, log, et cetera.

FEEDBACK WANTED: Is this kind of information something you’d like to see more of here on the site? Most of the content I post here is in article format, and this entry was more of a narrative report than anything else? I am interested in what you think, so please leave a comment below.

Thanks and all the best in your training.

Jedd

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Want to start training like a Strongman, but not sure how or where to start? Looking for the Technical Guidance you need to excel in Strongman Competition?

Pick up our DVD and learn everything you need to know about the Log, Farmers, Stones, Odd Objects, Yoke, and MORE.

Check it out today:

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Axle Clean and Press for Max Weight

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In any strongman competition there is going to be an overhead event of some kind. This event could be in the form of Maximum Log Press, Log Press for Reps, Max Axle, Axle for Reps, or it could involve the Viking Press, or the Circus Dumbbell, etc.

When most strongman contests involve 5 events with one of them being overhead, if you suck at overhead press, can you afford to give away 20% (one out of 5 events) of the points?

If you can afford to give that much of the score away to your competitors, then you’d better be heads and shoulders above the rest of them in all four other events in order to negate all of the points you’re handing over to them in the overhead.

If you have identified the overhead lift (regardless of the implement used or whether for reps or max weight) as an event that you must improve upon, there are a few ways you can go about improving your performance.

Which one you choose will depend on what your weakness is, and one of these points of attack may be something you have not thought of before.

Liability #1 – Weak Clean

If the event involves cleaning the implement to the shoulders before pressing, and you struggle with the clean, then you are going to be in trouble for the press.

When you have to labor in order to make the clean, then you will be burning energy reserves that you need for the press.

If you have to struggle in order to get the log or axle up, and it is a clean-every-rep event, then you will be in even more of a rough spot.

If you knowingly have a hard time with the clean, then you will need to dedicate time to it in your training sessions.

One way you can do this is to over-load the clean beyond the weight you can comfortably press or jerk overhead. I show you how to do this in the video below, from 2006.

Strongman Training DVD

Without a doubt if your difficulty is a technique flaw, then you need to fix that. Getting stronger in order to power through it will only get you so far. It is much better to hone your technique, make it efficient, and then improve your strength levels later on.

If technique is what you need work on, then you should check out our Strongman Training DVD, which is heavily technique based in order to help you solidify your foundation for strongman training. Remember, it all begins with technique.

Liability #2 – Weak Leg Drive

In most of the overhead events in strongman, you are allowed to use your legs to propel the log, axle, or viking press upwards. In some events you are even able to re-bend in order to catch the implement, similar to the Olympic Jerk.

What I suggest here is Front Squats. While many Strongman competitors include Back Squats in their routine on a regular basis, Font Squats should not be forgotten. After all, initiation of the press is done with the legs, and since the log or axle is being held at the front shoulder, the most specific movement to train is Front Squats.

In addition to doing regular Front Squats with an Olympic bar, there is also nothing wrong with including Front Squats using the Log, in order to get used to the shape of the Log, and increase the specificity of the lift (as shown below).

Strongman Training DVD

However, if your legs are weak and you can not drive through the log and propel it towards lockout, that will mean you will have to develop sick strong triceps in order to catch the log once its momentum ceases and then drive the arms straight to lockout.

The problem with this scenario is that after a few reps, if your legs are a weak point in the movement, then they will eventually burn out and you will not even be able to pop the implement high enough off your shoulders to involve the triceps. If that is the case, the only alternative is to try to employ a jerk-style re-bend in order to get your body further under the implement in order to catch it.

Unfortunately, while this may sound like an extraordinary plan, this technique requires more skill and to shift to this style mid-way through the event without having practiced it will probably not result in much of a benefit.

Liability #3 – Weak Triceps

As you can see, when there is a weakness somewhere in the overhead lift movement, the general objective is to build the strength and power on either side of the movement in order to fortify the previous link and next link in the overhead lifting chain.

Unfortunately, in the case of weak triceps, there is no next link in the chain to strengthen. Everything up to this point depends on your triceps and their ability to take over in the transitional phase of the “press,” continue to full lockout, and thus control the log in order to get into the finished position (feet together, head facing forward, etc).

With every other part of the overhead lift depending on your triceps to finish the job, its imperative for them to be rugged enough to get the job done, or else you will end up doing a lot of work for nothing in the form of monster cleans, big powerful attempts to push the log up with the lower body, an exhausted core from attempting stabilize the body with all of this movement going on as well as your oxygen and energy stores becoming depleted with possibly many more events to go.

Many strongman athletes realize that their tricep strength is holding them back and they begin adding extra tricep work into their training. Exercise choice in this regard is extremely important. For instance, if you start throwing in a few extra sets of tricep pushdowns or kick-backs, you are in trouble as these movements do very little to improve overhead press strength. Instead, standing overhead tricep work should be employed, such as rank lockouts, pressing against bands, and half reps.

Strongman Training DVD

In the video above, I show you how to add resistance bands to the log in order to strength your triceps for the lockout.

Liability #4 – Weak Shoulders

If your shoulders are your weak point in the press than you are going to be against the wall in an overhead event. This is a common scenario, especially for strongman competitors who venture into the sport after years of Powerlifting, where overhead work is not routinely done.

If your pressing power is weak due to a lack of shoulder strength, then you need to spend more time pressing, utilizing a variety of overhead lift methods.

First, you will need to build your vertical pressing using stricter movements in military press fashion. Building a foundation of strength in the vertical position will be a huge asset toward your performance in competition.

Next, you will also need to work on your speed, propelling the log upwards with the lower body in order to avoid a hang-up when the shoulders need to take over. By developing speed in the lower half you can blast the log or axle high enough where the triceps can come into play in conjunction with the shoulders and contributing to a stronger lockout.

Liability #5 – Let’s stop right there for now

I’ve already given you 4 big factors in overhead press success and how to improve upon them. Look at your training program and try to plant some of these movements in it to bring up your weaknesses in the overhead press.

Down the line, I will put up another installment in this series on how to improve overhead pressing power. And in this next one, I will show you some thing you have probably never thought of to improve your overhead lifts.

Be sure to sign up for the Strongman Training Newsletter to be sure you know when the next installment in this series comes out.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

Hello DIESELS!

Strongman Training is a great addition to the athletic strength training program. Check out some of the benefits of Strongman Training:

• Triple Extension – Many Strongman events involve the powerful action of extending the ankles, hips and knees, just like any sport involving leaping, bounding, and other explosive movements from the lower body.
• Grip Strength – Strongman events often use implements that are large and cumbersome to grip, especially Thick Bar Axles, Sandbags, Stones, and other Odd Objects, forcing the athlete to develop strength at the end of the kinetic chain – the hands, wrists and forearms
• Movement Under Tension – Many Strongman events involved carrying implements over a distance. Examples include the Farmer’s Walk, certain Atlas Stone events, Odd Object carries, and the Yoke Walk. It’s one thing to be strong enough to pick something up. It’s another altogether to carry it!
• Absorb and React to Force – Many Strongman events involve multiple repetitions, especially with overhead lifts, like with the Log or Viking Press. This requires the athlete to tolerate the dynamic center of gravity of the implement.

It’s due to all of these benefits, that I hold the Strongest Strength Coach contest each year at Juniata.

I am a firm believer that Strength Coaches and Personal Trainers should be athletic themselves. It makes a huge difference to athletes and clients when they know their coaches and trainers know what they are talking about, so here is a chance to test yourself and be put through the ringer just like they do each workout.

If you are looking to compete at the Strongest Strength Coach Competition, that will be held at Juniata on June 17th, then check out the video below because it shows you exactly how the events will be contested and judged.

It’s also important for people in the position of teach strength and fitness skills to clients and athletes to be able to draw on many different strength backgrounds. It’s not all about throwing around crazy odd objects like logs. That’s why I included lesser seen objects such as the Mace and the Sled Drag in this event. This should be an eye-opening and idea-generating experience for the Strength Coaches at Juniata, for sure.

Finally, I believe that Strength Coaches and Personal Trainers must have a grasp on proper technique before subjecting athletes and clients to complex movements. If you want your athletes to get the obvious benefits in their strength program by doing Strongman lifts, but you don’t know the technique, then sign up for the Early Bird list for the Strongman Training DVD, coming out soon from Diesel Crew and Strongman Stuff!

See you at Juniata!

Jedd

Hello DIESELS!
Strongman Training is a great addition to the athletic strength training program. Check out some of the benefits of Strongman Training:

• Triple Extension – Many Strongman events involve the powerful action of extending the ankles, hips and knees, just like any sport involving leaping, bounding, and other explosive movements from the lower body.
• Grip Strength – Strongman events often use implements that are large and cumbersome to grip, especially Thick Bar Axles, Sandbags, Stones, and other Odd Objects, forcing the athlete to develop strength at the end of the kinetic chain – the hands, wrists and forearms
• Movement Under Tension – Many Strongman events involved carrying implements over a distance. Examples include the Farmer’s Walk, certain Atlas Stone events, Odd Object carries, and the Yoke Walk. It’s one thing to be strong enough to pick something up. It’s another altogether to carry it!
• Absorb and React to Force – Many Strongman events involve multiple repetitions, especially with overhead lifts, like with the Log or Viking Press. This requires the athlete to tolerate the dynamic center of gravity of the implement.

It’s due to all of these benefits, that I hold the Strongest Strength Coach contest each year at Juniata.
I am a firm believer that Strength Coaches and Personal Trainers should be athletic themselves. It makes a huge difference to athletes and clients when they know their coaches and trainers know what they are talking about, so here is a chance to test yourself and be put through the ringer just like they do each workout.
If you are looking to compete at the Strongest Strength Coach Competition, that will be held at Juniata on June 17th, then check out the video below because it shows you exactly how the events will be contested and judged.

It’s also important for people in the position of teach strength and fitness skills to clients and athletes to be able to draw on many different strength backgrounds. It’s not all about throwing around crazy odd objects like logs. That’s why I included lesser seen objects such as the Mace and the Sled Drag in this event. This should be an eye-opening and idea-generating experience for the Strength Coaches at Juniata, for sure.
Finally, I believe that Strength Coaches and Personal Trainers must have a grasp on proper technique before subjecting athletes and clients to complex movements. If you want your athletes to get the obvious benefits in their strength program by doing Strongman lifts, but you don’t know the technique, then sign up for the Early Bird list for the Strongman Training DVD, coming out soon from Diesel Crew and Strongman Stuff!


See you at Juniata!
Jedd

Who is the Strongest Strength Coach at Juniata?

Below are the events for the Strongest Strength Coach Event at the 2011 PA Strength and Conditioning Clinic at Juniata College on June 17, 2011.

Log Clean and Press for Reps

The Log will start on the ground, weighing roughly 150-lbs. The coach will pick the log up and clean it to his/her shoulder and from there Press/Push Press/Jerk it to the locked out position overhead for a “GOOD” call. For each subsequent rep, the log should taken back below the waste and then cleaned and pressed again. There will be a one-minute time limit. Points will be awarded for each good Lockout with head through and feet even upon recovery.
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This past Friday I got a call on my cell phone around 9 PM. It was Rick Walker, who has written many of the articles we have in our strength and conditioning articles section.
CHECK OUT THE REST OF THIS KILLER POST AFTER THE JUMP (more…)