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Shoulder Press, Push Press,

Push Jerk.

Shoulder Press

The shoulder press is foundational to all the overhead lifts. The key elements of the execution of this lift are maintaining a neutral spine, moving the bar in a straight path, and using the correct overhead position.

1. TEACHING THE MOVEMENT

 

SETUP (THIS SETUP IS EXACTLY THE SAME FOR ALL

THREE OVERHEAD LIFTS):

• Stance = hip width

• Hands just outside the shoulders

• Bar in front, resting on the “rack” or “shelf” created

by the shoulders

• Elbows down and in front of bar; elbows are lower than

in the front squat

• Tight midsection

• Closed grip, with thumbs around the bar

 

EXECUTION:

• The cue for the action is “Press”

• Drive through heels; keep the whole body rigid; tight

belly

• Bar travels straight up to locked out, with active

shoulders, directly overhead

• Head accommodates bar (bar path is a straight line)

 

2. SEEING THE MOVEMENT

 

PRIMARY POINTS OF PERFORMANCE:

• Good setup

• Constant tightness in the midsection, ribs locked down

• Overhead and active shoulder at the top of the press;

overhead means that the bar is over or just behind the

arch of the foot, with the shoulder angle fully open

• Bar travels straight up

3. CORRECTING THE MOVEMENT

 

FAULT – BAR FORWARD OF FRONTAL PLANE.

Fix – Press up and pull back on the bar as it travels

to overhead.

 

FAULT – LEANING BACK, RIBS STICKING OUT.

Fix – Tighten abs / suck rib cage down (be sure to

check the overhead position again after this fix).

 

FAULT – PASSIVE SHOULDERS OR BENT ELBOWS.

Fix – Cue “Press up!” “Shoulders into ears.”

 

FAULT – BAR ARCS OUT AROUND THE FACE.

Fix – Pull head back out of the way of the bar.

Fix – Check that elbows are not too low in the setup.

Push Press

The Push Press builds on the same setup and overhead position as the Shoulder Press.

We add velocity with the dip and drive of the hip. The focus here is on a dip and drive

that is explosive and straight down and up.

1. TEACHING THE MOVEMENT

 

SETUP:

• Stance = hip width

• Hands just outside the shoulders

• Bar in front, resting on the “rack” or “shelf” created by

the shoulders

• Elbows down and in front of bar; elbows are lower than

in the front squat

• Tight midsection

• Closed grip, with thumbs around the bar

 

EXECUTION:

• The cue for the action is “Dip, drive, press”

• Dip: perform a shallow dip (flexion) of the hips, where

the knees push forward slightly, the butt goes back, and

the chest stays upright

• Drive: extend the hip rapidly and fully

• Press: press the bar to overhead, with locked arms

 

2. SEEING THE MOVEMENT

 

PRIMARY POINTS OF PERFORMANCE:

• Torso drops straight down on the dip. There is no

forward inclination of the chest and no muting of the

hip.

• Aggressive turn around from the dip to the drive.

3. CORRECTING THE MOVEMENT

 

ALL FAULTS AND FIXES FROM THE SHOULDER PRESS

APPLY TO THIS MOVEMENT, PLUS THE FOLLOWING:

 

FAULT – OUT OF SEQUENCE: PRESS BEGINS BEFORE HIP

OPENS UP

Fix – Take back to step 3 in progression—dip-drive fast

 

FAULT – COCKING: PAUSING IN THE DIP

Fix – Cue for dip-drive and more aggressive turnaround

of the hip

 

FAULT – FORWARD INCLINATION OF THE CHEST

Fix – Have athlete hold in the dip position and then

manually adjust them to true upright torso

Fix – Cue a shallower dip

Fix – Cue knees forward more

Fix – Stand in front of athlete to prevent the chest from

coming forward

Fix – Dip therapy: Stand with back against a wall, with

heels, butt, and shoulder blades all touching the wall;

then dip and drive, keeping everything in contact with

wall

 

FAULT – MUTED HIP

Fix – Turn the pelvis over (anterior rotation) strongly

Push Jerk

The Push Jerk builds from a good setup, a good overhead position, and a solid dip/

drive. Now, we focus on coordinating this movement so that the hip comes to full

extension before the catch, and the catch occurs with the bar locked out overhead.

1. TEACHING THE MOVEMENT

 

SETUP:

• Stance = hip width

• Hands just outside the shoulders

• Bar in front, resting on the “rack” or “shelf” created

by the shoulders

• Elbows down and in front of bar; elbows are lower than

in the front squat

• Tight midsection

• Closed grip, with thumbs around the bar

 

EXECUTION:

• The cue for the action is “Dip, drive, press and dip”

• Dip: perform a shallow dip (flexion) of the hips, where

the knees push forward slightly, the butt goes back, and

the chest stays upright

• Drive: extend the hip rapidly and fully

• Press and dip: retreat the hip downward and drive

the body under the bar, while rapidly pressing the bar

overhead

• “Catch” the bar with arms locked out overhead

 

2. SEEING THE MOVEMENT

 

PRIMARY POINTS OF PERFORMANCE:

• Full extension of the hip before reversing hip direction

from upward to downward

• Landing is in a partial squat with the bar locked out

directly overhead

• Fast and aggressive

3. CORRECTING THE MOVEMENT

 

ALL FAULTS AND FIXES FROM THE SHOULDER PRESS

AND PUSH PRESS APPLY TO THIS MOVEMENT, PLUS

THE FOLLOWING:

 

FAULT – MOVEMENT PATTERN OUT OF SEQUENCE.

Fix – Break it down via the progression and build back

up to the full movement. Reiterate that it is just a

simple jump and land in a partial squat.

 

FAULT – HIP NEVER GETS TO FULL EXTENSION.

Fix – Cue: “More extension.”

Fix – Place your hand at the top of the athlete’s head

when fully standing; keep it at that height and then

ask the athlete to hit your hand during the drive. Be

sure they continue to hit extension even when your

hand is not there.

Fix – Take the athlete back to the jump-and-land steps

(1-3) of the progression. You may have to slow it down

a bit and then speed it back up once the basic movement

pattern is solid.

 

FAULT – LANDING TOO WIDE.

Fix – Exaggerate the correction and cue the athlete do

the movement without the feet moving from under the

hips.

Fix – Therapy: Block the feet with plates or boxes or

some object so they can’t go too wide.

 

FAULT – LAZY LANDING: NOT LOCKED OUT OVERHEAD.

Fix – Cue to punch up and pull back on the bar.

Cue active shoulders.

 

FAULT – NOT STANDING ALL THE WAY UP WITH THE

BAR BEFORE RE-RACKING IT ON THE SHOULDERS.

Fix – Cue to stand up with the bar overhead.

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