OHP, worrying about triceps injury *unloading* weight

[OldFartTom]

Hi all, I'm not a strong person at all (in fact never strayed into this section before) but I figure since this section covers strongman there should be a bunch of you with a good press who can advise.

I've been working on my weak press with the goal of pressing my own bodyweight this year (maybe by early summer?) and pleased with progress, but I've got concerned that I'm going to hurt myself if I'm not careful

When I do a heavy (for me) single strict press, no great concerns, but putting it down again is my issue. I can get it back in the j hangars on the rack mostly in control but once it's back in there I need to let go of it which involves relaxing arms. Recently as my lift has gone up I've noticed that moment of relaxing the triceps when letting go, feels bad, like I'm going to risk injury if I'm not careful.

Is this just me being very weird, or is this a real "thing" that happens?
Thanks guys

Edit, for perspective I'm currently 1rm strict pressing 5kg under my target bodyweight 3 times a week, but since my eating self control is poor that's actually about 9kg under my actual bodyweight right now

[ECGordyn]

Have you tried squatting the weight down while maintaining grip and tension on the bar? Basically the opposite of squatting the weight up when you unrack to start your set.

A vid might be useful to see if your elbow position could be tweaked

[OldFartTom]

Yes, that's what I'm doing to unload the triceps more gradually than suddenly, a sort of 1/16 of a squat.

If it was a home gym (with bumpers, rubber mat and maybe drop pads) I could just drop the weight, in commercial gym I'd get thrown out. This is the place that has a lifting platform (ticks the box that they have all the facilities) but it's placed in a low ceiling area of gym to make sure people can't raise a bar overhead. I'm 5' 10 (1.77m) and I'm touching plates on ceiling, with heels on ground.

I'd not thought about the elbows, they're far more down and back at the moment of relaxing/letting go than when picking up. Wonder if that's a contributor

I think I'll just take a session off (this morning dropped the gym session completely, also been getting some odd knee pains in last sessions) then deload a little. Make last session the top of a wave rather than pushing until injury, especially if this is some weirdness developing and not a normal issue.

[Millz12323]

I personally haven't experienced what you're describing so I'm not sure of this is helpful at all...

Do you think instead of using the j hanger to re rack the weight... Use the long bars instead.. Like in the below video. Maybe it would allow you to get into a better position when you place the weight back down before letting go of the bar since you won't need to be so precise with the placement like with the j thingy

As a bonus you can do pull ups in between sets when you set it up like this. Which has a small chance of also making your symptoms better.

[OldFartTom]

Wow, nice crisp precise form for a heavy bar!
Funny you should mention the pullups, I stirred up an old injury on the inside of my left elbow and I've taken 2 months off from doing any pullups.

First gentle assisted pullups today, I want to reintroduce them over a few weeks so as not to re-injure. Now you mention it... I see my triceps weirdness gradually developed when I stopped doing pullups. -- Maybe this whole issue is over reaching on one muscle while neglecting (or rather rehab/rest) its antagonist. Thanks! I think you've got the issue!

EDit: sorry, you're on "you must spread.."

[Millz12323]

Wow, nice crisp precise form for a heavy bar!
Funny you should mention the pullups, I stirred up an old injury on the inside of my left elbow and I've taken 2 months off from doing any pullups.

First gentle assisted pullups today, I want to reintroduce them over a few weeks so as not to re-injure. Now you mention it... I see my triceps weirdness gradually developed when I stopped doing pullups. -- Maybe this whole issue is over reaching on one muscle while neglecting (or rather rehab/rest) its antagonist. Thanks! I think you've got the issue!

EDit: sorry, you're on "you must spread.."

Thanks man! Yeah the whole antagonist muscle thing may have a part to play in the pain. Hope it gets better soon.

All the good posters are on must spread all the time.. Yourself included Tom.

Same with Gordyn above

[GreyAndMild]

I would set up the rack as Millz shows in his video but don't walk it out.

So.... Get your hands on the bar, set your grip and width, get under the bar and pop it up with a mini squat or 1/16 squat like you mentioned. Once you have the bar in your hands and it is off the rack DO NOT WALK OUT WITH IT, just stand there and start pressing.

Now when your reps are done just drop the bar into the long hooks like Millz is using, you don't have to control the weight back into the rack this way.

It's also a better way to press generally, like a mono lift you get your feet set perfectly, set your grip, breathe & brace and just pop it off the hooks and go straight down or press straight up without any walking out/setting feet up again etc... and the safeties are already there without having to stumble forwards if it goes wrong.

[Millz12323]

I would set up the rack as Millz shows in his video but don't walk it out.

So.... Get your hands on the bar, set your grip and width, get under the bar and pop it up with a mini squat or 1/16 squat like you mentioned. Once you have the bar in your hands and it is off the rack DO NOT WALK OUT WITH IT, just stand there and start pressing.

Now when your reps are done just drop the bar into the long hooks like Millz is using, you don't have to control the weight back into the rack this way.

It's also a better way to press generally, like a mono lift you get your feet set perfectly, set your grip, breathe & brace and just pop it off the hooks and go straight down or press straight up without any walking out/setting feet up again etc... and the safeties are already there without having to stumble forwards if it goes wrong.

Now that you mention it... Why the F do I walk it out? Seems like such a waste of energy

[OldFartTom]

Thanks. When I go for heavy 1RM I lift the spotter arms up as high as I can under the J hooks in case I drop it. But why am I doing that instead of just using the arms?

I didn't think through what I was doing