Issue 043
November 2008
Introducing The Push Press
An exercise often used by Olympic lifters, the push press is similar to an overhead press but uses the legs combined with the arms to drive the weight overhead. The advantage of using leg drive is that you will be able to use more weight, which will further overload the shoulders and triceps as well as forcing you to stabilise more.
To perform a barbell push press, take a shoulder width or slightly wider grip on the barbell. Either lift the bar from a rack at shoulder height or clean the bar to the shoulders. From here, take a deep breath to ensure you are tight in the entire torso and look at the ceiling to get your chin clear of the bar path. Next, perform a very shallow squat (you may prefer to think of it as a dip of the hips) and then immediately drive the body back up into the bar, pushing with the arms at the same time. Once the bar is clear of the head height, push the head back to its normal position and lock out using the arms. Carefully return to shoulders and repeat if necessary.
The Push Press in Fighting
The push press could be considered useful to a fighter for a few reasons. Firstly, in the push press the legs and arms are used in tandem, with the torso keeping tight in order to correctly transfer force to the bar. In a similar way to throwing a punch, the movement is started with the legs, transmitted through the torso and finishes off with the arm. Secondly, the tightness required to correctly stabilise a large weight overhead teaches the ability to control the torso in difficult positions. Thirdly, the push press will enable the shoulders and triceps to handle greater loads, especially if the bar is lowered slowly. The final main benefit of choosing the push press is that it is an explosive movement, which will increase speed and power in the whole body.
Push Press Variations
Here are some variations of the push press that you can try:
Push press with dumbbells
One handed push press with dumbbells
One handed push press with barbell
Push press with kettlebells
Push press using an exercise band
Push press with sandbag
Push press with keg
Push press with chains attached to bar
Ask Alex
Each month our resident strength and conditioning expert, Alex, will answer your training-related queries. If you’re struggling with your strength training or unable to kick-start your cardio, email us at [email protected] (making sure to put ‘Ask Alex’ in the subject header) and he will help.
Q.I’m starting MMA training soon and was wondering what sort of weight routine and cardio routine I should be implementing to prepare me properly for serious training.
Martin McCombe
A.The first thing that most people would recommend is to start training as soon as possible! You will get a better idea of what you need to improve, plus be working on the skills needed at the same time. However, outside of MMA training you should probably start simple, working on basic strength using compound movements such as squats, bench press, pull-ups and so on, and focusing mainly on aerobic conditioning. As you progress you will find your routine will develop complexity, but to start off with this will work perfectly for you.
Q.Just a quick one really – after reading the great article on Jim Wallhead and Andre Winner’s conditioning programme (Fighters Only issue 40) I was really just after some insight into when the various recovery methods mentioned should be used, i.e. ice baths, contrast showers, saunas and massages? I’d like to start looking at this aspect of my training but I’m guessing each recovery technique has its own merits and usefulness, so a bit of advice on how to use them all would be fantastic please!
Graeme
A. I cannot speak for Jim and Andre’s trainer, however here are some guidelines on a few recovery methods I use. After training, shower using three-minute hot cycles and 30-second cold cycles, finishing with cold unless you plan to sleep immediately after. The day after a hard weights session, a warm bath - keeping the head cool with a flannel - works well to reduce soreness. Lastly, the sauna can be used in five-minute intervals as long as you keep well hydrated. However, using the sauna directly after training can impair recovery; the best time is six to nine hours after a workout.
Alex Gold is a strength and conditioning specialist working with fighters to achieve peak performance. Alex offers in-person training in the London area and online training worldwide. Alex is also available to speak on various topics related to strength and conditioning. For more information, visit www.hardcoresportstraining.co.uk where you can also sign up for a free newsletter with training tips and exclusive offers.
