How To: Military Press a Kettlebell – Safely and Effectively

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Military Press: The Best core Exercise ever?

The Military Press has been described by some as ‘the meaning of life.’ When you can Press a Heavy Kettlebell (Close to a 1/3 or 1/2 bodyweight) something happens as You are forced to stand up, embrace life and should you stumble, that kettlebell tumbles. There is a laser like focus required and a posture that is aligned to reciprocate. Being able to Press Heavy means that your body isn’t being forced into a Bubba Gump Shrimp, rather, you have the resolve, requisite mobility, stability and strength to utilize your body the way it was intended.

Think of your body like a piece of Architecture, the Keystone is the strongest piece. The Keystone of your body is the Sacrum or where your spine meets the pelvis. If it’s unstable, so to will be your press and any chance of ever having a connected body that can stack or ‘Link’ together like Lego blocks, not fall apart, or ‘Leak’ like a Jenga game. The strongest position for any structure is when it’s in perfect alignment, all forces distributed equally. If something goes off line, well, that’s when structures collapse. The Press will give you Structure, or at the very least, keep it from caving in.

Why Press? Well, in a few words, it can develop your entire upper body if you use it enough. Look at some of the strong men and ladies of yesteryear, going back to the teens and twenties, before a bench press was the standard norm. The offset weight of the bell, forces instability in your shoulder mechanics during the groove, that you are forced to counteract with proper proper tension, or the ability to recruit and contract muscles in your entire body, creating resilience in the rotator cuff muscles and shoulder girdle. The press teaches you to disperse the weight of the load across the body and not just isolate and press with the shoulder. This is a Full-Body-Building Move.

Now, that first press, I leaned in a little. Try and remain Stable and Press the weight by leveraging or again, wedging underneath. Think of pressing yourself away from the bell.
A Bad press looks something like a garden hose when you turn the water on real fast. It shakes a bit, cannot for the life of stay still and when it attempts to straighten up, the other side collapses and wiggles, never allowing the chain stability, rather sloshing around like a limp noodle.
A Big Press can literally put years back onto your life. You will breathe better, have better posture, strong shoulders, arms, core and there it is, the best reason to press. If you’re doing it right, your shoulders will feel amazing and the corset of muscles that wrap around your pelvis to your neck, are forced to get with the program. They must adhere and work in a reciprocal manner to get that bell over head.
Imagine a Big Oak Tree with large Branches Over Head and suddenly a Big Ax chops out 3/4 of the trunk. Will the tree collapse? Maybe not right away but eventually, yes and it is impossible for it to support itself. Your core has to do the exact same thing and literally be like an oak, as you extend your branches upward. Do not bend, or weep like a willow, for headaches abound in the ways of noggin samiches from the ole kettleball (that’s what you’ll call it after your concussion)
This Press is also fantastic injury prevention for your body, Bulletproofing your Shoulders and Demanding everything from your core. You build a truly resilient Physique.
If you’re reading this, maybe an instructor and watched the video, asking me about brace this, engage that, tension, tension, tension….I intended this video as a way to Simply get Started. Drinking from a fire hose is No Fun and neither is being bombarded with information. Even though I’ve supplied many finer points below, As good friend, Pat Flynn of ChroniclesofStrength.com would say ‘Less is More.’ So, Again, Simple…Just get started.
If you’re not sure, Don’t do it, send me a video of the first step and we’ll go from there – John@BairKnuckleStrength.com 
Over time, as you start to understand the subsequent movements leading up to to the press, you will seek more information about the Press. How to use it for Strength, Power and Conditioning. How to Press heavier etc. and guess what, that information will be right here, waiting for you. This post gives you a blueprint to build a foundation. Go, Build!

Standard Form

  1. In the Rack Position the fist must be below chin level
  2. The KB in the rack and Girevik must pause motionless before each press
  3. Press with knees locked, the neck neutral and no back bend
  4. Keep the quads, glutes and midsection tight
  5. The torso may lean slightly sideways but cannot increase during the press
  6. The shoulder may not elevate in the range between the rack and the point where the handle is at eye level
  7. The forearm remains vertical or nearly vertical throughout the press
  8. The wrist may not hyperextend
  9. The bio-mechanical breathing match
  10. Lock out the elbow completely and pause motionless
  11. Pause for one second in the rack without relaxing and press again

Progressions

  • Tall and Half Kneeling. (Pressing from 2 knees down or one, creates the Linkage to press heavy)
  • Active Negative
  • Press
  • Wedge
  • Trigger
  • Supramaximal Attempt

 A few notes:

  • Clean the Kettlebell, just before press, squeeze off hand and Grip the kettlebell tight, or crush it, just before the Press. This will teach you tension and the trigger effect.
  • You press your body under the weight, or wedge, by driving the heels down while simultaneously pressing up.
  • Stand taller than you are. If you’re 5’8” then act 5’10”, and push the crown of your head up and tuck your chin.
  • Imagine being a ‘Standing Plank’
  • Pack the Shoulders and use your lats to press.
  • Fast & Loose Relaxation Drills – Shake your arms and legs vigorously, as if trying to shake off water and belly breathe in between sets, to bring Heart Rate down
  • There are more: Check Back Later, Again be smart and send me a question if you’re not sure: John@BairKnuckleStrength.com 

Beginner’s Programming:

  1. Do 1 Repetition of the first progression well, and then the next, etc.
  2. Practice a progression at a time and move on when it feels appropriate, you will know.
  3. If you feel you could do 50 clean repetitions of a progression, try another. Just do sets of 1, 2, 3 and repeat for ladders.
  4. Do Not Rush, Do Not get ‘Tired or Fatigued’ – Just get Better at the movement.
  5. A few reps here and there throughout the day with rest in between, keep power output good
  6. A good goal is to work the progressions, with one weight in ladders go 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 reps and work your way up to 5 ladders, then grab a bigger bell and repeat
  7. Focus on quality repetitions
  8. Ladies will start with anywhere from 5lb –12k(26lb) Gents – 8k(18lb) – 20k(44lb) / Rule of thumb –  Another way to think of it is use an appropriate weight.
  9. And eat clean, like meat, veggies and fruits…. then tell me how you feel below in the comments section 🙂

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