Push Presses and Wall Balls

Aja Barto and Leah swing by for a workout To perform the push press: You will begin with the barbell in the “front rack” position.  The bar should be resting across the anterior delts and not simply resting on your collar bones. To help you avoid wrist pain be sure that the weight is not resting on your wrists.  If you cannot achieve this position, you need to improve your flexibility before attempting this exercise. Work on shoulder external rotation, 1st rib mobility, scapular and lat mobility to help alleviate pain in the wrists. Next, keeping the elbows high/upper arm parallel to the deck, dip down initiating with a knee bend and keeping your weight on your heels. Ensure there is no forward inclination of the chest – shoulder s should stay stacked over your hips and hips over your heels. A common mistake with beginners is to dip too far down, and running out of ankle flexion and then coming forward onto the toes. From there guys, explode through the heels into the legs (feet should start hip width apart) and get as much momentum on the bar as you can. Remember we want as close to an absolutely vertical bar path as possible. Move your head back, press the bar straight up and head comes through slightly to a neutral spine position and then back out of the way as the bar comes back down. When your dip and then drive begins do NOT press with your arms before your hips have fully opened or you will lose all of that explosive power you’ve created. Remember, jump the bar UP off of your body as far as possible before you begin pressing with your arms. Once you have reached full elbow, knee and hip extension return the bar to the front rack. Depending on how heavy you are going in the exercise, you may need to use your legs to absorb some of the weight of the bar as is returns to your shoulders. You may also be able to rapid fire your reps or may need to pause in the front racked to get set to go again; this also is dependent upon the weight. WOD Tabata 8 rounds each a. Wall Balls (20/14) B. Abmats 1 min rest a. Jump Squats b. Butt Ups [caption id="attachment_829" align="alignnone" width="300"] Karen ![/caption] ]]>