As I have talked about before, the overhead press has fallen out of favor in recent decades.  We have the fascination with the bench press to thank for this.  Not taking anything away from the bench press but in my opinion it is over emphasized and over used in many routines of today.  It is often times used as a false standard of strength.  Too many young and old lifters alike live and die by the poundage they can bench.  When interacting with these lifters, on of the questions almost always asked is, “what’s your bench”?  This has caused the classic torso seen in many of the great strongmen a century ago and even the great athletes depicted in the great Greek sculptures to become nothing but a distant memory. 

The great strongmen of yesteryear would never have though of lying down to perform their lifts.  What practical purpose does that serve anyway?  I guess if your only objective is to “look” strong, then the bench press is for you. 

The problem is that because of our fascination with the bench press, we have neglected the overhead press.  This has lead to weakness and feminine waists and large, sometimes intrusive pecs.  It also can result in shoulder problems as the bench press focuses on the front deltoids and all but ignores the side and rear deltoid causing injuries due to over development of the former and underdevelopment of the later. 

I have found that everybody knows how to perform the bench press but nobody knows the proper technique when performing the military press.  Done with proper technique, you should be able to press a great deal of weight overhead.  Want proof?  The world record in the bent press is an astonishing 370 pounds set by Arthur Saxon a hundred years ago.  (The bent press and military press are very different lifts but the concept of pressing a desired weight overhead with one arm is the same for both.)  Proper technique plays a very important role in developing your pressing power. 

We will discuss the kettlebell military press here although these techniques will work equally well with a dumbell or a barbell.

The first thing to remember is that the first key to a powerful press it the clean.  A properly performed clean is the foundation.  I have already discussed this in a previous blog so I won’t spend the time repeating myself.  Suffice it to say, get good at cleaning the kettlebell.

Next, remember to stay tight.  When you clean the kettlebell, tighten your whole body from your feet to your lats.  This is called bracing and will make the kettlebell feel light in your hand and will load the muscles similar to when we loaded the glutes and thighs before performing a swing.  Russian sports scientist Professor Yuri Verkhoshanky believes that by tensing your muscles in this fashion before the lift, one can increase their performance by as much as 20 percent. 

At this point we have cleaned the kettlebell into the racked position.  Our body is tight and our breathing is shallow to maintain a tight core and our shoulders are pushed down, not up as in a shrug.  As we get ready to press the weight overhead, squeeze the handle of the kettlebell for all your worth.  Crush it in your hand.  This principle is called irradiation.  What happens when you squeeze the handle for all we’re worth is that not only does your forearm tense, but you bicep and your triceps and eventually your delts. (This blog is not the place to go into depth on the subject of irradiation.  Check out ”Power to the People” by Pavel for a detailed discussion of this topic.)  I see so may people who don’t wrap their hands around the bar when performing their lifts.  They are missing out and leaving a lot of weight on the table.

Now, before you press the kettlebell overhead, flare out your lats.  A proper overhead press, or bench press for that matter is as much a lat exercise as it is a deltoids exercise.  When you flare out the lats, your arm will naturally start upward.  If you take nothing away from this post, remember this one point, it alone will add significantly to your pressing power. 

Lastly, as you press the kettlebell, imagine that you are pushing yourself away from the bell rather then pushing it away from you.  A great way to practice this is to stand in a doorway and practice pushing against the top with a moderate amount of force.  Get the feel for this and try and replicate it when performing your kettlebell overhead presses. 

Practice these principles and the others discussed in my blog on pressing and you will soon be on your way to looking like a Greek god, or goddess as the case may be.  Enjoy.

Yours in Health,

Dennis

This post is meant to give you some ideas and get you pointed in the right direction as it relates to using a kettlebell.  You will obviously not master the kettlebell just by reading this post.  I would strongly suggest you seek out quality instruction either with a certified trainer or through the use of books and videos.  The best in the business is Pavel Tsatsouline.  I would suggest to you “Enter the Kettlebell“  by Pavel.  As with any fitness routine, check with your doctor first.

Eugene Sandow

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