When performing a standing overhead press, are your arms supposed to break 90 degrees? Also, when I do them, I kinda feel like my back is hyperextending to get the weight down in front of my face. Is this normal?
Thanks.
[quote]RMorrison wrote:
When performing a standing overhead press, are your arms supposed to break 90 degrees? Also, when I do them, I kinda feel like my back is hyperextending to get the weight down in front of my face. Is this normal?
Thanks. [/quote]
You arms are supposed to be straight locked out in the end position. (Some people suggest stopping just short of lockout to avoid additional stress on the elbow joint). What angle are you talking about ?
Hyperextension of the lumbar region is not healthy (although quite common) and should be avoided at all costs, even if it means to use less weight in order to perform the exercise without risking an injury.
Be sure to keep the elbows in front of the bar, feet shoulder width or a bit wider apart, flex abs & glutes.
Do not lean back, even if it allows for greater loads, it’s not a standing version of the incline Bench Press.
Well said.
as Pet said you want to stand with good posture. Tense your abs and glutes throughout the lift to help maintain your posture, and the bar is supposed to go through a full range of motion - from all the way down at the shoulders to all the way up to lockout, unless you have specific shoulder problems that limit your safe range of motion.
[quote]mr popular wrote:
as Pet said you want to stand with good posture. Tense your abs and glutes throughout the lift to help maintain your posture, and the bar is supposed to go through a full range of motion - from all the way down at the shoulders to all the way up to lockout, unless you have specific shoulder problems that limit your safe range of motion.[/quote]
I would not drop the bar below the chin during reps though.
“Hyperextension of the lumbar region is not healthy (although quite common) and should be avoided at all costs, even if it means to use less weight in order to perform the exercise without risking an injury.”
I wanted to quote this for emphasis. What everyone else said is excellent so far. From a recent personal experience, I have learned the not-so-fun way that lumbar hyperextension (even if it means you can lift more weight) is not something you want to train with. When you fire your abs and glutes to stabilize your spine, you might feel yourself sway forward with the weight in your hands. If the sway is too pronounced then try dropping the weight (worked well for me). Otherwise, if you can maintain good posture then continue.
Be sure to try and go faster up, and slower down.
Slower on the way down will help you stop at the proper angle.
I do lock out when I do this lift; I also make sure to be looking forward and not up. (To keep my head inbetween my arms and not outside them)
http://www.crossfit.com/cf-info/excercise.html#Power
There are great instructional videos there on this lift.
Out of personal experience i would not arch my back at all. While i was doing standing military press a while back i was unconsiously hyperextending my back do to the heavy weight and bcuz i was lowering the bar all the weight to my chest. The only thing i got ouf of this was a slight but sharp pain right at the end of my spine, you know, right where the ass starts so whenever i used heavy loads on my spine after that i would feel a pain down there.
Luckily i noticed what i was meesing up on right away and corrected it. Anyway this arching only caused me to get stuck so i had to deload, now i’m doing heavier press and keeping my back straight. The way i do it is keeping my knees just out of lock out with my butt sticking out slightly, this will make you use you torso for stabilisation and you should feel those obliques and abs work. I don’t lower the bar all the way down to my chest in my opinion this causes you to arch your back in order to touch your chest since your face is on the way. I only go a little lower than the chin and i look up so i’m not forced to arch.
Look these over:
Review
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Probably the best explanation I’ve found.
Thanks for the replys. Lots of helpful info, especially the vids