It is the third video in our series on getting back into shape after injury, or time away from training for whatever reason. If you have been following along, you may have noticed that we have stayed in the strength and stability phase with almost everything. We have worked a lot of mobility and balance but avoided the power phase moves that the kettlebell is known for such as the swing, clean and snatch. (Yes, we did a few cleans on day one, but it was very light, low rep and the least demanding of all the power phase lifts). Today, we are going to continue with even more complex movements in the stability and strength phase and really push your mobility and motor patterns. I found a great spot up on the cliffs here in Carlsbad, with no foot traffic and a great view of the ocean. And unlike on the beach, we don’t have to worry about the tide coming in and trying to wash away my bells! (That actually happened). We are currently upgrading our mic, so I apologize if the audio is a little rough in spots, it will be getting much better soon!
The bent press is one of the most important exercises that I will be using to get back the strength I had before my injury. I am going to take you through the progressions to reach the bent press and then walk you through the exercise itself. Make sure you start very light on this lift, as the slightest amount of technical error will make a big difference in the perceived difficulty. Try to grab as many various weights as you can, so that once you start to figure the move out, you can move up in weight gradually, which will result in you learning the move better. Heavier weights just teach you the most efficient movement possible and help to iron out any mild deviations.
The progressions for a bent press that we have gone over in the series so far are the clean, military press, windmill, and see saw press. If I can recommend one other exercise it would be the pull up. Low reps of pull ups in between or building up to sets of bent press are a great way to activate your lats, essential for stabilizing throughout this tough move! Be careful not to fatigue yourself on pull ups, however, perform low reps just to activate the lats, perform pull up negatives if pull ups are too difficult.
As I mentioned before, the bent press is very technical, so pay close attention to the video. There are a few small details that will make the difference between failure, and surprising success. I say surprising because what may at first appear to be an awkward move will quickly become a very, very strong motion. It also feels good. To me, this move seems to have a way of opening up all of the energy channels in my body and lengthening tight fascia from head to toe. Now, get ready to engage your lats and have some real weightlifting fun!
Peter Hirsh
