Leaning too far back on military press?

[Blindead]

I feel like i'm leaning too far back on my standing OHP. it's nothing severe, about the same as the arch I have in my back when I bench (no powerlifter arch). this too far? I'm not sure whether i have to lean that far back or if I just want to because I'm afraid of falling forward. I'm using about 35 pounds less than I weigh so I feel like its dragging me forward haha. could it be due to a lack of lowerback and/or core strength?

[Blindead]

bump.

[ToshiroMifune]

IDK.....during bench you should be indirectly pressing your back against the bench not arching it. If you are then youre recruiting different muscles to do the job. Same thing for M press. A slight arch is natural, but anything more means to lower the weight used

[Blindead]

i'm not sure arching is the best word? i fully retract my scapulae which lifts my lower back off the bench a bit. I've never seen anyone recommend anything different.

[ToshiroMifune]

i'm not sure arching is the best word? i fully retract my scapulae which lifts my lower back off the bench a bit. I've never seen anyone recommend anything different.

'cause people are so anxious to work their way up to benching 1000lbs overnight LOL. I admit sometimes using a heavy load during bench my lower back archs, but what I do to ensure proper form is bring my knees up either onto the bench or in the air.

[rea66]

Just don't lean back so far that you strain your abs. Try to stay under the weight and not as if you're trying to do incline bench. Hyper extending your back is another possibility.

[Sevada]

try to use a litte more legs

[chazzy1864]

i'm not sure arching is the best word? i fully retract my scapulae which lifts my lower back off the bench a bit. I've never seen anyone recommend anything different.

You are correct. The natural arch that your lower back maintains as you just simply walk around during the day, should be maintained while on the bench. Your back will be arched. Saying that an arched back is cheating, is just simply ignorant.

To create the St. Louis arch using your lower back, isn't needed unless you are entering a contest, but you should have a gap between the bench and your lower back.

If you are leaning back on the military press, it could be normal, or it could be a little too heavy for you and your are compensating. As long as you aren't forcing yourself into a psuedo-incline bench press, you should be fine as far as form goes.

[djartek]

Tighten your glutes and your hams as well as your core, when you are doing standing MP's. You will notice that this will drain you alittle more but in due time you will be able to press more weight with better form.

This way you are recruiting a **** load more muscles in your body rather then just focusing on your delts, making this a more

[ToshiroMifune]

THE BACK ARCH
Many trainees, especially powerlifters, use a back arch to decrease the distance the bar is pressed. Unfortunately, as a powerlifter I experimented with various ways to increase my arch to decrease the distance the bar had to be pressed. I would really drive with my legs with my back arched. This was pretty stupid. If I was to do it all over again, I would not arch, not even in competition. The danger to the low back is just too great. Chronic lower back pain or worse can be the result. Don't arch. Keep your back flat on the bench.

(excerpt)^^^^ http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/hardgainer6.htm

[Blindead]

alright, thanks for the input. I think I'll just up the weight to 130 or 135 and do it with a little bit of leg drive. I did try it at 125 with some leg drive and I noticed that it let me stand up completely straight. It wasn't anywhere near an incline bench so I don't think I really have anything to worry about. The only discomfort was in my left glute, but I pulled that a bit doing squats 2 days before.

[jgreystoke]

A correct military press:

When the bar passes your forehead, you push your head forward a little so the lift finishes like a press behind the neck. The plane of your arms is now behind your ears. There is absolutely no lean back at all. The centre of gravity of the bar is in a straight line with your spine + the base defined by the rectangle joining your feet.

The way most people do OH presses, is they lean back and do a sort of "standing incline press". This is an upper chest exercise. Only hits the anterior delts. Bad for the back, because of the hyperextension under a heavy load overhead. Less stable than a properly executed press as described. If you lose the lift when you are arched back, you could do yourself serious injury.

If the weight is directly overhead, and your torso upright as prescribed, then if you did lose the weight forward, it is simple to step back, and if you lost it backward, you could step forward. You can do neither when you have the exaggerated arch(called the "Russian bow").

[ToshiroMifune]

For a super pump, bring the bar down to chest area, then press all the way up, then lower behind your head, the back up, then repeat

[GoJu]

a weight you can strict press overhead isn't a heavy load, relative to what you could actually support overhead