The barbell overhead press is a real take a look at of energy as a result of no one yells, “It’s all you, bro.” as they yank the bar out of your chest. With the overhead press, you’ll be able to raise it, or you’ll be able to’t. Though the barbell overhead press isn’t the one solution to enhance overhead energy, it’s the one which lets you raise probably the most weight, so it’s the king of the overhead jungle. For these in search of to enhance their overhead press, you’re in skilled palms. Tasha “Iron Wolf” Whelan, a world champion powerlifter and strongwoman athlete with over twenty years of teaching expertise, has the proper train for you: the scrape the rack press, which might improve your higher physique energy and muscle.
Right here, Whelan explains what it’s and the way it’s an overhead energy game-changer.
Why the Barbell Overhead Press Is An Efficient Train
Barbell overhead presses are an important train for a number of causes. It promotes higher physique energy by strengthening the shoulders, higher chest, triceps, and higher again whereas constructing a rock-solid core. This train mimics real-world pushing actions and reaching skills, bettering practical energy and efficiency. It additionally gives postural advantages by strengthening the shoulder and higher again muscle groups, lowering the danger of higher physique accidents.
A barbell supplies extra stability as a result of each palms are fastened on it. This higher stability makes it simpler to go heavier than dumbbells,” explains Whelan.
What’s the Scrape The Rack Press Train?
This train includes urgent a barbell overhead whereas maintaining the bar in shut contact with the rack’s uprights all through the motion. By “scraping” the bar in opposition to the rack, you preserve a managed and steady bar path, which improves stability and muscle engagement within the shoulders, triceps, and higher again.
How To Do The Scrape The Rack Press
Whelan provides you the lowdown on performing this train with good kind.
- Place the bar at shoulder peak or barely above in an influence rack. Stand along with your toes shoulder-width aside and grip the bar barely wider than shoulder width. Too large, and the shoulders might get cranky. In case your grip is just too slim, and the vary of movement extends, rising triceps demand.
- With the barbell resting on the highest of the “J hook,” elbows barely in entrance of the bar, and wrists straight, brace your core.
- Press whereas maintaining it in full contact with the rack, “scraping” it as you prolong your arms till lockout. Guarantee your head strikes barely ahead so the bar is immediately overhead. Keep away from flaring your elbows out or shedding contact with the rack. Keep a impartial backbone; shoulders, elbows, and wrists ought to align when arms are locked out.
- Decrease the bar again to the beginning place on the highest of the “J hook,” maintaining it involved with the rack to take care of management and good kind.
Advantages of the Scrape The Rack Press
Whelan explains why it’s so nice and the way it can enhance your overhead energy.
Higher Stability:
Through the use of the rack as a information, lifters can preserve a constant and correct bar path, which helps stabilize the load and scale back the danger of shoulder pressure.
Elevated Muscle Emphasis
This variation emphasizes the deltoids and triceps whereas participating the higher again muscle groups as a result of managed motion alongside the rack.
Setup Ease
Establishing contained in the rack is safer, particularly when lifting heavier weights. The protection bars will be adjusted to catch the bar if wanted, and the rack acts as a information and spotter whereas urgent.
Improved Approach
The rack supplies a tactile cue that helps lifters preserve good kind, encouraging a vertical bar path and lowering extreme backward lean and decrease again arching.
Exercise and Programming Ideas
The scrape-the-rack overhead press is great for anybody who has shoulder mobility to go overhead. Right here, Whelan provides you units and reps based mostly in your exercise expertise.
Freshmen: Three units of 8-12 reps with a lighter weight to concentrate on kind and method and get used to the bar path.
Intermediate: Three units of 6-8 reps, progressively rising the load as you grow to be extra snug with the motion, slowly constructing energy and hypertrophy.
Superior: 5 units of 3-6 reps with heavier weights, specializing in maximal energy and energy.
Further Issues
Mobility: To carry out overhead presses safely, guarantee sufficient shoulder and thoracic mobility. Incorporate mobility workouts corresponding to shoulder arm bars, thoracic extensions, rotations, and lat stretches into your warm-up.
Development: Step by step improve the load as your energy and kind enhance, making certain you don’t compromise your method for heavier hundreds.
