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Barbell Yamamoto >BW x 10 reps OHP

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From Starting Strength:

A military press is performed without any bend of the hips or back used to start the weight, sometimes with the heels together.

Referred to by the term "Olympic press", the form of this movement that developed over the last few years of its presence in the meet was such that the bar was driven up from the shoulders by the use of a combination of sharp hip flexion from overextension and a shrug of the traps. . . Our version of the press is adapted from the Olympic press, preserving the full body aspects of the lift but eliminating the excessive layback.

Starting-Strength-Press-Sequence.jpg
 
More on hips in the press:

Forward hip movement in the initiation of the press has multiple purposes. First, it helps move the head out of the way of the bar as it goes up, so that we may press in a more or less straight line from start to lockout. Second, when properly timed, it initiates an elastic rebound that propels the weight off the shoulders, much like the stretch reflex at the bottom of the squat. Lastly, it allows the use of more musculature by better aligning the front deltoids and pectoral muscles with the direction of bar motion. In order to reap these benefits, we must execute the movement correctly.

 
From Starting Strength:





Starting-Strength-Press-Sequence.jpg

I used to press that way (2018 example) and have taught others to do the same.

I didn't feel like I ever perfected the method or that it really got me a bigger press, but it was a handy thing to know. It doesn't work well during a set -- adds too much time and extra movement. Often times what people do is use it for the first press, then maybe the last in a set as well, but not the ones in between.
 
Our version of the press is adapted from the Olympic press, preserving the full body aspects of the lift but eliminating the excessive layback.


I wonder what's defined as "excessive" in that system.

Here's how Pavel (in PTTP Professional) describes the Soviet press technique:
After the clean the lifter pushed his hips far forward to make a 'bow' out of his back. Upon the press command he explosively went from the extended to the ramrod straight position tossing the barbell forward and up. Imagine a partial Roman chair situp (in fact, weighted Roman chair situps were used as an assistance exercise). By the time the athlete was standing straight the bar had been body slammed as high as the chin. At that point he quickly leaned back again, performing a 'second dip' of sorts with his trunk, then leaned into the weight and pressed out what was left.
Unlike Rippetoe, he doesn't mention the traps as contributing to the movement. It seems that SS press consists merely of the second dip of the tempo/Olympic one.
 
Unlike Rippetoe, he doesn't mention the traps as contributing to the movement. It seems that SS press consists merely of the second dip of the tempo/Olympic one.

What do you mean by the 2nd dip?

As for excessive layback, it's subjective (one of the reasons why it was eliminated from weightlifting). Personally, I would call the layback in that video excessive.

If you're at approximately 45 degrees or more layback it's turning into a standing incline press.
 
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For me, it had a feel like lifting with your friends.

"How much do you think you can do for 3?"

"Uh, I dunno, how about a PR over last time?"

"Only a few kilograms higher? That's lame, bro."

"Okay, what if I add 10kg?"

It was amazing he hadn't hit a PR in that rep range since 5 years ago. I also thought it was interesting on that one rep where he lost his bracing and had to tense everything again.
 
"Only a few kilograms higher? That's lame, bro."

"Okay, what if I add 10kg?"

It was amazing he hadn't hit a PR in that rep range since 5 years ago. I also thought it was interesting on that one rep where he lost his bracing and had to tense everything again.

"My leg looks jacked. What if I do a body building pose next time on the platform?"

"You look like a horse."
 
For me, it had a feel like lifting with your friends.

"How much do you think you can do for 3?"

"Uh, I dunno, how about a PR over last time?"

"My leg looks jacked. What if I do a body building pose next time on the platform?"

"You look like a horse."
Yes, I think that's why I enjoyed it so much. It was relaxed, good natured, having fun in the gym lifting weights with a little good natured ribbing. Maybe that's an "act" for the camera, but I still enjoyed it.
 
I used to press that way (2018 example) and have taught others to do the same.

Except for the really old school feet together strict military press, what you're doing is the same way I learned, too.

I just thought it was the typical standard for strength-oriented pressing.

(bodybuilding is another matter)
 
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