When doing military press I tend to arch my back and stick my belly out. I feel a tad strain on my lower back and was wondering if this is correct way? I bring the bar down to my upper chest, touch it, and then raise it as high as my arms extend above my head.
Should I be bending my knees and having my weight forward more or am I lifting it correctly?
Thanks 
It depends on what your trying to do.
When the military press used to be part of o-lifting, lifters would arch way back and then use there abs to help reach lock out, sounds like what your doing.
If all you care about is getting as much weight up as possible, learn to do a jerk, bend the knees, explode the weight up, split the stance and catch it. that was a shitty description, so use the search and learn about doing a jerk.
If you just wanna look good naked, maybe you oughta drop the weight and the ego and focus on a controled movement. try standing with you back to a wall to teach yourself not to lean back.
I forget where I read it, but someone said to stand with one of your feet a bit ahead of the other while doing the military press, and that’s suppose to relieve the stress on your lower back. I’ve never tried it, but I did tell my one client to do it and it seemed to work for him.
Sorry to hijack but this bugged me.
[quote]PF_88 wrote:
I forget where I read it, but someone said to stand with one of your feet a bit ahead of the other while doing the military press, and that’s suppose to relieve the stress on your lower back. I’ve never tried it, but I did tell my one client to do it and it seemed to work for him.[/quote]
Just curious man, but why would you tell your client to do something you’d never tried yourself, can’t explain a reason behind, and really have no evidence for other than “I think I read it somewhere.” Sorry, don’t mean to sound rude (just finished a rant in another thread and I’m kinda fired up) but that just seems like an irresponsible thing to do to your client?
Regarding the OP’s question. I know the lower back tension you’re talking about. I’m not sure, but it’s always seemed to me that it’s a sign of instability in the abdominals and erectors. I usually try to push out my stomach and brace myself pretty tight for military presses (almost like bracing for a squat, only different).
hope that helps,
Jay
[quote]PF_88 wrote:
I forget where I read it, but someone said to stand with one of your feet a bit ahead of the other while doing the military press, and that’s suppose to relieve the stress on your lower back. I’ve never tried it, but I did tell my one client to do it and it seemed to work for him.[/quote]
It’s called the Homostatic Stance.
http://www.T-Nation.com/findArticle.do?article=229short2
You should get a book called starting strength they describe military technique in detail, but I’ve learned to sort of shift my back under the bar as the press is being performed. I would type in more from the book, but it’s an entire chapter.
No big deal m0dd. He did it the normal stance once and said he felt it in his lower back a little bit, I never have myself (hense why I don’t do it). I told him to try that stance and it felt better for him. It’s not like it’s a whole new exercise I’ve never tried, or anything that could have really hurt him, just a small change. But either way, no big deal.
I think ur having some instability issues. With your entire torso struggling to balance the weight overhead. I had the same issue a month ago when trying to balance more than 85lbs overhead when trying to do Overhead Squats.
I suggest you to Military Presses standing up, keep your weight on your heels, and keep your chest out. Use heavy weights where u can only do 5 or less reps. On the last rep hold the weight above your head for 20 seconds, and/or move ur elbows a few inches and count to 8. Now IF, ur butt starts to stick out too much as well as ur gut, then squeeze ur butt to reverse this tendency.
Oh, the press can be started from the top of the chest or the back of the head. I suggest you do both variations. (funny thing, when you do presses starting from the back of your head and you hold on top, your trapz will kick in at the top of the movement).
I would also suggest u do this inside the Power rack or the Squat Rack. Just to keep safe…
Doing this helped me with holding and pushing weights overhead.
It could be that your shoulders are strong but your body is not used to lifting heavy loads overhead while standing. I prefer unracking the bar so it sits on my shoulders just like after a clean, right before the jerk. Instead of jerking the weight I just do strict movements with minimal leg movement, usually with my right leg forward.