Push Press - T. Derek Sobel (1980)

 

In recent years the push press has gone the way of the American buffalo, becoming an endangered stranger on the musclebuilding plains. 

But, alas poor Yorich, it's a "fabo" exercise which really belts the delts and tris, turning mice into powerhouses 

F-A-S-T. 

Don't take my word for it, ask the king of the wrestling ring, Ivan Putski. He'll tell you a lot of high level bodybuilding contests are rigged entertainment just like pro wrasslin', with the winners selected according to potential monies to be made from them, previous contracts and favors owed to the judges and their handlers. No, wait, that ain't true, right? Staged? Oh my God, no! 

Anyhow, no matter, the push press is the Polish Hammer's ace shoulder-moulder, the delt belter that made him a human Adirondack. 

It's also a rave fave of mega-lifter Phil Grippaldi, the pontiff of shoulder width. His upper tract is a mind-defying original act with boulder-like, transcontinental delts stitched by ponderous, sinewy, sugar loaf traps. 

Why, then, if it's such a great exercise, is it going the Mohican route? 

Probably because it's underpublicized, physically and mentally tough, and a groatsworth awkward until you get the hang of it. 

But once you've become accustomed to the movement you'll feel those delts and triceps reel as they erupt and blow up before your eyes. Hard core Pump City! If you train hard, heavy and consistently you can't miss -- plant the seed and size, strength and width are guaranteed. 

Here's how it's done: 

1) Rest the barbell on your upper pecs and shoulders (clean it or take it off a rack, just rack it, will ya). 

2) Dip knees about three inches. 

3) Straighten up using as much explosive arm, leg and shoulder power as you can muster and thrust the weight overhead. 

Don't confuse the push press with the jerk. 

Only "push" with leg drive enough to get past the sticking point and press out the remainder of the movement. 

In the push press the feet remain parallel and on a line, the trainee doesn't split or propel one leg forward during the drive as in the Olympic jerk. The push press is still a press, albeit assisted through the sticking point by the push. It is not, like the jerk. a bone-on-bone type of lift. 

The beauty of the push press is that it requires less technique than the jerk but enables the trainee to handle a great poundage. If done properly, a lifter should be able to push press about 20% more than he can strict press. 

So, friends, if you're in an aspirational tailwind for a shower of power, an avalanche of traps and astounding, rounded deltoids, invest a horde of workouts in the upcoming creme de la creme routine and score big. 

1) Push press: 

2 light warmup sets, then 5x6 as heavy as possible. 

2) Strict presses: 

5x6, heavy as possible. 

3) Barbell shrugs: 

3x10-15. 

4) Side lateral raises:

2x10-15. 

That adds up to 15 sets and a ton of pump and sweat -- and, in time, a gorilla-strong, blue chip upper body. 

Include these fine assistance exercises in your training regimen, and don't get caught in the sensationalistic, phantasmagorical, commercial onslaught of shysters, ghostwriters, and armchair "allegority" authorities. 

Train each muscle group twice a week on a split routine when crusading for bulk; concentrate on heavy basic movements until you've acquired a bustle of muscle and then, and only then, start blasting light and fast for vascularity,  cuts and mobilizations of separation. 

So try the Super Shoulder Moulder and 

cakewalk into the fruited plains of steady gains . . . 

Enjoy Your Lifting!