Issue 029

September 2007

Now before you read the title and think “Great, an article on the bench press!” hold your horses! Remember that this publication is for fighters, and we deal with function. The bench press is a great strength builder but it’s not ideal for our purposes. Some would argue that the bench press is a great way to train for escaping pins on the floor. However, you enlightened readers know much better that that, I would hope. 

The Push comes in many guises, mainly the bench press, military press, dips and push-ups. These are some of the more common variations, but you also have the Neider press, French press, handstand push-ups and pike press to name some more.

Which muscles?

All pushing essentially uses the same muscles, depending on the exercise. The deltoids, pecs and triceps are hit to some degree. The push-up, dip and bench press are widely regarded as chest exercises while the shoulder press is, unsurprisingly, a shoulder exercise. Movement is generated from your shoulder complex for all these drills. Your front deltoids along with your pecs get hit with the bench and push-ups, whereas the shoulder complex bypasses the pecs in the shoulder/military press. The triceps works in all aspects of extending the elbow.

Functional?

Yes it is. The two major exercises used in many gyms would be the bench press and the standing or seated shoulder press, but in the sport of MMA any pushing movements that a fighter uses are generally somewhere in between the angles of these two lifts.

In everyday life you rarely push straight out from your chest or directly above your head. The angle is always somewhere in between. Consider punching; this movement combines lunging (previously covered), pushing (being covered) and twisting (next issue!). Now do you see why you should train with full body exercises that combine movements together? Nothing works in isolation, in life or in combat sports.

So how is it done?

The best exercises by far are those that tax the body beyond the norm. Here I’m talking about one-arm bench press (with a dumbbell or kettlebell), car pushing, handstand push-ups, and as an overall strength exercise, the one-arm clean and press.

One-arm bench press

This requires great stabilisation from the core and is therefore more taxing than the normal version. Simply sit on a bench with whichever implement you’re using, lie down and perform a press with the free hand on the hip. It must be stressed that you start lightly here and build up, as you’ll find this movement a little tricky at first. Work both sides evenly.

Car pushing

It is really that simple. Imagine you’ve broken down and you have to bump the car by getting it moving a little. By the way, you need a training partner to help with this one, steering from the rear can be tricky, particularly when you’re outside of the vehicle! Once you get some momentum going have your partner slow the car to a stop and start again, or they can lean on the brakes a little. Car pushing is a great finisher to a strength workout. Perform 5 sets of 60 metre sprint pushes and you’ll see what I mean when I say that it hits all aspects of fitness.

Handstand push-ups

These are a great bodyweight strength developer. When I hear people say that they can’t make strength gains using their bodyweight I’m always tempted to ask them how many of these they can do. Simply kick up against a wall and slowly lower yourself down to the floor and push back up. I guarantee these will humble you if you try them.

One-arm clean and press

The reason I’m including this movement is simply that it is a pushing movement in essence but also it’s a great full body blaster. This exercise was seen as the greatest measure of strength in years gone by. You’ll never hear people ask, “how many times you can snatch a 40 kilo kettlebell?” or “can you clean and press a 50kg sandbag for five minutes non-stop?” No, the gym rats will shy away from such tasks, as they are too hard. Their excuse would be that it’s dangerous or unnecessary – they work muscles that cannot be seen in a mirror! Simply clean a dumbbell or kettlebell to shoulder height then press it overhead in a controlled manner. Return to the floor and repeat. 

The above exercises should not be performed in the same workout. The one-arm press and handstand push-up are great maximal strength builders, while the car push and clean and press will build strength and great conditioning when used as a finisher to a punishing routine. I recommend everyone try to incorporate these lifts into their programme to ensure that you hit all angles from a functional point of view.

As usual, contact me with any queries or for seminars and/or training sessions, [email protected]