Kettlebell Bent Pressing

[Jeff Roark]

Reading here and on Pavel M's website stirred me to do some Bent Pressing. I haven't done this lift in nearly 18 years if I'm guessing right. After I did my aerobics, (hard pace walking) this week I followed it up with a few sets of Getups and Bent Presses. I've just been doing them really light, with a 32lb KB and an olympic bar. I do the Getup and at the top I do 3 bent presses and then back down to the ground. Smartest setup or idea? I doubt it, but its what I'm going to do.

Anyway, what I wanted to report that I've found absolutely crazy is that its just about healed an issue that I've been having with my right bicep and shoulder. For months, I've had a super sore bicep and its really limited what I've been able to do. For whatever reason, I had a definite improvement in pain the first day after doing the bent presses. It made me scratch my head a bit at first and I told myself "no" it couldn't be the bent pressing. Well, its been a week and I've bent pressed with my getups 3x this week and this morning I woke up without a sore bicep tendon for the first time in ages. I can move my arm in all ranges with no issues. It may be a Bent Press Placebo Effect, but man, I'll take it any day of the week. Its so nice to be able to flex my bicep with no pain whatsoever.

 

[Marc]

Excellent! It really seem that what you are doing works!

 

[Im out]

Congratulations ! Bent Press rocks, light, heavy, it doesn't matter.

 

[Shahaf Levin]

Bent press training cleaned a ROM limitation in my let shoulder and t-spine/scapula dysfunction I didn't know I had on my right side

 

[Stuart Elliott]

@Jeff Roark Im another huge fan of the bent press, been practising them since October and my mobility has significantly benefited.

 

[Pavel Macek]

Bent press: health, mobility, stability, patience, precision, strength... I can go on and on. StrongFirst - bent press fans united!

 

[StanStan]

So, how do you integrate it with S&S (warmup? after the GTUs?)

 

[Kettlebelephant]

So, how do you integrate it with S&S (warmup? after the GTUs?)

Just like @Jeff Roark mentioned here:

I do the Getup and at the top I do 3 bent presses and then back down to the ground.

Or follow the guidelines from here:
Kettlebell Windmill 101 | StrongFirst
IMO windmills and bent presses follow about the same guidelines for volume.

 

[Maine-ah KB]

Bent press is Awesome! one way that works for a swing, TGU, Bentpress combo is to do 2-4 sets of TGU BP. one day 2 TGU 4Bent press, on another 3/3, 4/3, etc.

 

[Jeff Roark]

Jumped rope for 45 mins yesterday, 30sec on/30 sec off, keeping in my aerobic range and followed it up with 4 TGU(2 per side) with 3 bent presses at the top with the 50lbs bell. Felt awesome and my body feels great nice and early this morning.

 

[Im out]

So, how do you integrate it with S&S (warmup? after the GTUs?)

Bent Press can replace TGU's. Or do one session with TGU and the next session the bent presses instead of tgu..

Or .. like i sometimes do on my variety days... 3 tgu singles per arm, followed by 3 singles per arm bent press

Edit: In my opinion the Bent Press is too wonderful and benefitcial of an exercise to combine with a Get Up. I like to do both heavy and in singles only as I believe this is the way to get most out of these lifts.

Now I regret not doing Bent Presses this morning

 

[Stuart Elliott]

@Shawn90 what heavy weight are you bent pressing? I used to do heavy singles (for me) with 32kg and loved them, but since switching to pavels RSAS I dropped to 24kg to be conservative and noticed my mobility has improved over the singles, due to the volume. Im due to move up a weight soon and interested to see the mobility /strength benefits once the weights get heavy, 40kg plus.

 

[Im out]

@Shawn90 what heavy weight are you bent pressing? I used to do heavy singles (for me) with 32kg and loved them, but since switching to pavels RSAS I dropped to 24kg to be conservative and noticed my mobility has improved over the singles, due to the volume. Im due to move up a weight soon and interested to see the mobility /strength benefits once the weights get heavy, 40kg plus.

I currently use 32kg most of the time. Its my goal bell for RoP. On a good day I can do one or two singles with 36kg. If I use 24kg I feel like form detoriates since its so light.

 

[Stuart Elliott]

If I use 24kg I feel like form detoriates since its so light.

I know what you mean, its strange to say but the Bent Press is technically easier with a heavier weight. With a lighter weight I have to make sure I keep my elbow long and hinge deep to give myself room, this can get lazy with the lighter weight, but it does mean I focus on my form more.

 

[Im out]

I know what you mean, its strange to say but the Bent Press is technically easier with a heavier weight. With a lighter weight I have to make sure I keep my elbow long and hinge deep to give myself room, this can get lazy with the lighter weight, but it does mean I focus on my form more.

Please do tell more about your results with RSaS bent presses

 

[Pavel Macek]

Please do tell more about your results with RSaS bent presses

I personally think that we should be able to perform bent press with any weight - light, medium, heavy - although I agree that with medium to heavy it is "easier" to do, as you have no other way than go under the weight.

As RSAS is designed for almost daily practice (I usually did 2 days on, 1 day off, or 1 day on, 1 day off), and the number of lifts per session is from 10 to 30 (per arm) in sets of 2-3, the recommended starting weight is about 6 RM - which means relatively light weight. I started with 28 kg, and moved through 32, 36, 40 to 44 as my main training weight without any trouble. Result: symmetrical 48 kg (left, right), and 56 kg on my right, all at bodyweight of 68 kg.

 

[Stuart Elliott]

@Shawn90 I've noticed increased mobility in my thoracic spine and hamstrings in the short time I've been following RSAS. The volume builds up for example this morning I did a total of 58 bent presses 3 or 2 x each side before putting the bell down, which is signicant time under load. I feel just as strong if not stronger, dropping down the weight and expect this to increase as I work through the bells, similar to S&S. Plus everything @Pavel Macek mentioned .

 

[Pavel Macek]

@Stuart Elliott Apart form increased mobility, expect much better stability, resiliency, and also upper body hypertrophy. Thank you for taking part in the RSAS testing program, I am looking forward to hear your notes and comments after few weeks/months into the program.

 

[Stuart Elliott]

@Stuart Elliott Apart form increased mobility, expect much better stability, resiliency, and also upper body hypertrophy. Thank you for taking part in the RSAS testing program, I am looking forward to hear your notes and comments after few weeks/months into the program.

Absolutely, thank you for sharing it! I Plan to post an update once I've finished this cycle (next week).

 

[Jeff Roark]

@Stuart Elliott Apart form increased mobility, expect much better stability, resiliency, and also upper body hypertrophy. Thank you for taking part in the RSAS testing program, I am looking forward to hear your notes and comments after few weeks/months into the program.

Pavel,
I've got to say it, man I am loving your stuff and site. Now, I have a question for you. You mention increased hypertrophy in the upper body from bent pressing. Where do you feel that the majority of that will be added? Sandow, Saxon, and Cadine, had extremely strong looking forearms all the way into their shoulders. I'd really like to know what lifts that Cadine, Saldo, and Sandow used to build their deltoids. Pressing has not given me this look and I have pressed some decent weights for my size. Now that I am getting older, I want more hypertrophy than I wanted in the past, but I want it in certain areas, the same areas that the one mentioned here have it. You can see here, I just look like a pudgy mess hahaha! Heavy pressing sure didn't help my shoulders to look like the old timers..