New to Strongman and Pressing is not your Forte?

If you want to compete in strongman and your press is a liability, here are 10 points for you to think about in your training:

1. A big lift is not going to happen overnight. It can take years of work to make it happen.

2. If you are working your press or any other weak lift with increased frequency and volume make sure to stay on top of your mobility and flexibility. 

3. If you have bad leg drive, try front squats and thrusters. If you have good leg drive and compete in strongman, you should still do front squats.

4. Rotate the implements so you always keep your technique fresh and you avoid overuse injuries by not repeating the exact same thing every week.

6. Gain a little weight or drink some creatine before you lift. Increase surface area of the muscle and increase force production.

7. If a contest is coming up and you are expected to rep out with your max, don't try to press your max every week. Set the weights a little lower, get some reps and get stronger. You're not winning that event but you don't want to bomb it because you trained like an idiot.

7b. Here is sample scenario: If you have to clean and press every rep for a minute, work on speed from 8 to 5 weeks out. Do this after your rep sets and use the same weight. Try to get 3 reps as fast as possible and beat your time with more weight each week with progressively heavier weights.

Then weeks 4-1: drop the speed work and clean and press for a minute. Drop the weights down a bit and work back up to contest weight or above. Remember this is advice for someone that is not particularly good at this event. Strong pressers you do this differently.

8. Don't forget assistance work: floor press, incline press, bench press, deltoid raises, military press, Savickas press, triceps work. Note your progress on these and guage if they help your event pressing.

9. Again work on your mobility and flexibility and be vigilant about imbalances. 

10. If you really suck, research oly lifting drills and learn to jerk the weight. To start, pick 3 drills that work for you and do the shit out of them until you begin to perform them in your lifts.