Kettlebell A couple quick bent press questions...

[Snowman]

Before anyone asks, I do have Taming Bent Press and have read it cover to cover. I just have a couple quick questions for anyone with experience in the lift, and I'd be tickled to hear what @Iron Tamer has to say if he's hanging around.

1) There's lots of spinal rotation going on. I presume that most of this should be thoracic spine rotation, but I would also imagine that some lumbar rotation is occurring too. Currently I try to minimize lumbar rotation as much as possible, and am working the rib pull/bretzel to that end, is that what I should be doing?

2)Typically, in a hip hinge movement, we keep shoulders above the hips in order to more efficiently produce force. In the bent press, it seems very normal for the shoulders to come down level with the hips. Is this due to the relatively lighter load (compared to a deadlift), or is this just one of those "this is how we've always done it, and it's always worked" sort of things (which is fine by me)? Or is it something else?

 

[JeffC]

I have been practicing the bent press for only a few months, it is by far my favourite lift. It still takes me a while to get warmed up and flexible enough to effectively practice.

The Brettzel and half kneeling windmill bent arm bar are awesome drills. Another great drill for me is the Alexander Shoulder Roll one of my yoga instructors taught me it. It really opens my shoulders and get the t-spine moving. Another drill I use also for TGU is a band archer in the half kneeling windmill position. Like the reach through but with a band instead. I have never seen it anywhere else but it works for me.

In order to lock out the arm without side pressing it, the shoulder has to go very low for most people. Or you drop the hips into a squat. It depends on body leverages and flexibility. I use the back of the hand on the thigh and my shoulder goes below my knee. With maximal weights I push against my thigh or overhead squat the stand up. I have been playing with both.

I am not an expert, and I am still trying to dial my technique/style these are just my observations.

P.S. Hold the bottom position for 3-5 seconds on sub-maximal bent presses to help get comfortable down there. In weightlifting one of my coaches I really liked always had us hold the top and bottom of snatches, cleans, and jerks to strengthen and stretch the end ranges of motion. Something i have always carried in my toolbox.

 

[Steve Freides]

@Snowman,

1. Pressurizing your belly and bending at the hip will both help minimize lumbar spine rotation. If you have a mobile t-spine and a healthy lower back, this isn't something you should be concerned with.

FWIW, I have neither, so I make it a point, even with a light weight, to tighten up in the belly whenever I do a bent press. Put another way, I stick to light weights and I treat them like they're heavy. In my particular case, with a laterally herniated disc, rotation one way is better than the other way, so I do the bad one first so that I end up with my spine in a good place if some lumbar rotation is happening.

2. The bent press is not a pure hip hinge, and every time we bend our hips, that doesn't mean we're doing a "hip hinge." Don't worry about that, just follow @Iron Tamer's advice and let your hips and shoulders go where he says they're supposed to go.

-S-

 

[Iron Tamer]

1) There's lots of spinal rotation going on. I presume that most of this should be thoracic spine rotation, but I would also imagine that some lumbar rotation is occurring too. Currently I try to minimize lumbar rotation as much as possible, and am working the rib pull/bretzel to that end, is that what I should be doing?

2)Typically, in a hip hinge movement, we keep shoulders above the hips in order to more efficiently produce force. In the bent press, it seems very normal for the shoulders to come down level with the hips. Is this due to the relatively lighter load (compared to a deadlift), or is this just one of those "this is how we've always done it, and it's always worked" sort of things (which is fine by me)? Or is it something else?

1. Yes.
2. It is an individual structure thing. Long torso and short legs doesn't require as much bend in the bent press. Long legs, short torso might have the shoulders well below the hips.

 

[Snowman]

Thanks for the quick replies everyone! I don't mind if anyone else wants to comment, but I think my questions have been answered. Here in a month or two I'll probably post a video for critique, but I think I have enough information to get started in earnest and see what the movement can teach me.

 

[Iron Tamer]

don't wait a month to post a video.

 

[Snowman]

don't wait a month to post a video.

Duly noted