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Stance when pressing

F

Fakepolitik

New member
I'm currently in the first month of Starting Strength and I have a question regarding my stance when pressing.

You see, as I'm quite tall, when I press I sometimes hit the ceiling of my power rack, but I've found if a take a considerably wider stance I can avoid this.

Would any problems arise from adopting an overly wide stance? I press in the power rack out of pure convenience (I can't be bothered walking the bar outside of it, plus it's dangerous) and I don't seem to have any troubles so far (although, I'm still only using light weights).
 
I don't see how pressing outside the rack is dangerous? I always do my military press and push press outside my rack (its not tall enough inside). I'v done 1rep maxes, failed reps etc never had a problem. As for the foot stance it would just make it easier to stay stable/less core work.
 
dandexter said:
I don't see how pressing outside the rack is dangerous? I always do my military press and push press outside my rack (its not tall enough inside).
Click to expand...

+ 1

With your foot stance, you can try shoulder width apart or one leg foward as long as your core is strong enough to support you you should be right.
 
Sorry, I wasn't implying that pressing outside the rack was dangerous, but that moving around with that much weight was.

As with the military press, I read somewhere that there were some fundamental differences between the exercises and that it was suitable for a beginner to press standing rather than sitting. Is there any truth to this claim?
 
Fakepolitik said:
Sorry, I wasn't implying that pressing outside the rack was dangerous, but that moving around with that much weight was.

As with the military press, I read somewhere that there were some fundamental differences between the exercises and that it was suitable for a beginner to press standing rather than sitting. Is there any truth to this claim?
Click to expand...

I feel that if the reason your doing the exercise is for shoulder development and growth i.e for bodybuilding reasons then a seated press is better than a standing press purely because you have alot more focus put on the shoulders and alot less chance of cheating.

I have done both and still will do both - but I feel for growth and development and putting as much focus on the muscle you are wanting to work seated is better.
 
Both seated and standing are good exercises.

Get outside the rack and stand, get good at it.
SS as with most abbreviated routines are focusing on building strength based on effacy.

Get good at these exercises that are outlined then when you have, play around and add other movents, be patient.
 
I did seated dumbbell press for ages and always felt I got a good shoulder workout. When I moved to standing mil press I could feel my back getting a good workout as well. Occasionally I get back pain if form slips, but overall I like the standing version. I can't imagine doing it inside the rack, always do it outside. These days with shoulder problems I don't do any direct shoulder work.
 
catastrophic said:
Better for what?
Click to expand...

Read my other post - if size, and shoulder development are what you are after then I feel seated press is much better because it allows you to focus alot more on the muscles you are targeting.

Dont get me wrong standing press is great but def does not allow you to put 100% attention into the shoulders.
 
Joel said:
Read my other post - if size, and shoulder development are what you are after then I feel seated press is much better because it allows you to focus alot more on the muscles you are targeting.

Dont get me wrong standing press is great but def does not allow you to put 100% attention into the shoulders.
Click to expand...

Arthur jones would often talk about pre-fatigue, he built a machine called a "double shoulder", which I have.

Of all exercises for the shoulder girdle this particular piece of equipment is excellent for what Joel is saying.
 
I've always felt more stable (though I'm not a tall man such as yourself Fakepolitik) when I use a slight jerk (as in C&J) stance when pressing above head in the (obviously) standing position.

Both standing as well as seated presses have their advantages and I would not say that one is better than the other. Standing brings in more stabilisers, where seated places more focus on the shoulders due to the minimisation of cheating. So for me, it's a matter of mix and match rather than abandoning one over the other.


Fadi.
 
I could swear Markos once posted that he did presses while on his knees...
after reading that, I tried. My hammies cramped midset and I was stuck and yeah, weird.

standing for me, purely because I have no rack and have to clean to my shoulders to press.
 
Thanks for your help everyone.

I tried pressing outside the rack today and I found it much easier with a closer stance than the wide one I had been using. I'll try the seated press next time since so many have recommended it.

Cheers.
 
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