Press Progressions:
This is a video discussing and demonstrating various press progressions. Each exercise will become progressively more challenging as well as work your pushing muscles in various ways. Pressing weight directly out front will utilize more chest than pressing overhead and therefore will use more shoulder strength. Both of them will use the tricep as a helper. You will notice that pressing overhead to the overhead lockout position requires quite a lot of flexibility. Roughly one third of my clients are unable to get to this position when they first start training. Pressing weight overhead also requires a lot of deep core bracing and strength, make sure you don’t arch your back when you press or hold weight overhead.
Incline push up
The incline push up is a great way to develop push up strength for those unable to do them traditional style. It is a much better variation than the knees down push up, as it allows you to focus on keeping the tight plank from ankle to head.
Military press
This lift must be learned properly to develop the strength and technique to get the bell past the sticking point. This exercise is one of the best exercises to build core strength.
Push press
This uses the assistance of your hips and legs to drive the bell past the sticking point, followed by a press with your shoulder to get the bell overhead. Just like the military press, make sure you neutralize the bell in the overhead loaded lat position.
One arm push up
This exercise isn’t as challenging as you might think, but you will have to learn the right technique! This is a wonderful exercise to greatly increase your resistance for pushing without having to use any equipment.
Decline push up
Use this as a way to decrease the level of resistance in your push up without going into the one arm variation. This exercise will also use a little bit more of your upper chest muscles.
Most pushing variations are not too demanding on your grip so they work well with exercises like deadlifts and kettlebell swings. If you are looking for an upper body pump you can also train them with pull ups, or other pulling exercises. I do not demonstrate, or typically recommend, pushing exercises that allow you to disengage your core, a bench-press for example. By laying down or sitting down you will work this essential movement in a way that doesn’t correlate to real life and therefore will create improper motor patterns and muscle development. Practice all of your variations so that as we use pressing in our workouts, you will be prepared.
