PUSH

The top of the dip is going to show us both shoulder stability along with midline strength. Athletes may struggle to find tension here which should be noted. It’s also important for us to develop capacity here before mounting any higher rings.

Simply changing the object for our horizontal hold provides the demand for more shoulder stability since it is an open chain movement. Other potential added benefits can be that athletes can orient the weights in a manner that takes stress off the shoulder at varying ranges of motion.

The rings provide us the opportunity to easily adjust the level of loading we experience on the shoulders by walking our feet up or down. They also add in the requiring element of stability in the shoulder as athletes work to control the rings.

The gateway to show flexibility and stability in shoulder flexion for all other overhead movements. Varying loading and duration can make these an excellent training tool to both the beginner and advanced athlete.

This shows great control through a full range of motion. You will likely see many not able to hold the bottom of the movement with control, pass through it, or even be limited in their ability to get there. These can easily be done with a supported version to help build strength and confidence with the movement.

Lowering the torso to a more horizontal position in regards to the floor increases the loading on the shoulder. A great next step for developing strength and also an excellent option for when it comes to warming up the shoulders and midline for more advanced athletes depending on the duration of the hold.

Changing the orientation of our midline requires both much more midline stability but also shoulder strength and stability as well. This movement can often show an athlete's lack of or quality of awareness when it comes to understanding what a truly open shoulder angle is.

The same benefits of the bar dip hold are applied here but often with the added demand on stability. Some may find it easier to meet a range of motion requirements since the rings are more easily moveable in regards to their distance with one another.

The introduction of a barbell is likely less loading than our body but it does provide the element of an external load. Varying the load can decrease or increase the challenge here and is a great way to build strength in an isometric fashion if athletes experience pain or discomfort moving through full ranges of motion.

The introduction of a barbell is likely less loading than our body but it does provide the element of an external load. Varying the load can decrease or increase the challenge here and is a great way to build strength in an isometric fashion if athletes experience pain or discomfort moving through full ranges of motion.

Simply changing the object for our horizontal hold provides the demand for more shoulder stability since it is an open chain movement. Other potential added benefits can be that athletes can orient the weights in a manner that takes stress off the shoulder at varying ranges of motion.

This is the easiest way to help athletes learn proper shoulder position in a horizontal plane for pushing. It helps develop stability in the shoulder for beginners or deconditioned athletes without adding in any external loading.

Much like the plank hold variations this is an excellent teaching tool for proper shoulder position at the bottom of nearly any horizontal pressing movement. It also helps with identifying where elbows should be pointing and where an athlete's preferences are which expose strengths or weaknesses in certain muscle groups.

We love the simple front leaning rest for what it communicates about the motor control involving the combination of the torso and arms. While slightly more challenging than the plank hold, we think it's an excellent predictor to upper body strength.

Stability comes more into play here with the open chain movement. This is primarily seen at the top of the dip but can also apply to motor control and body awareness in regards to the end range of motion at the bottom of the dip.

While the burpee can look very different depending on the athlete and their capacity when done quickly and in a ballistic fashion we ideally want to see good control in our isometric and dynamic versions. This can also potentially require the most amount of strength when it comes to deceleration of our mass since we can be dropping from a position with our hands off the ground.

The need for isometric and dynamic strength is quickly undeniable when performing these. They teach explosive power along with the need for decelerating our mass.

The increased range of motion and added demand on the midline make this the most difficult of all vertical pressing variations for many of us. They should be left to a select few and have an honest assessment on whether or not the movement is staying true to its original intention.

The box is referring to one on either side of the athlete and allows for a fixed object. This will place less demand on stability while still working on the deceleration phase of the movement.

This is where we need to show absolute control of isometric, and dynamic movement through a full range of motion. Working to decelerate our mass while having our neck be the point of compression is something to be aware of. We generally suggest that these be limited to those needing the capacity for competitions only.

This movement variation is excellent for the development of explosive power while combining the control required in decelerating our mass. It places the most demand on the shoulders and pecs of our ballistic variations.

An excellent movement to work on explosive and pressing power. These are incredibly valuable for those not ready for the added complexity of a push jerk or split jerk since they can feel constant tension on the barbell.

The potential for increased weight is largely linked to the competency with technique for this movement. Athletes not only need to have explosive power driving the barbell up, but also under the barbell along with the ability to decelerate an external load. Shoulder stability is maximized in both this and the split jerk.

The same principles of our kipping handstand push up ring true here as well. Likely even more so as we see and increase in range of motion.

Just like our barbell variation this adds in athleticism along with a hint of a single leg variation. Interestingly, you may find those with tight shoulders able to accommodate a single arm version more easily than a bilateral version. This may often result in a rotation at the torso though and should be taken into account.

The true benefit of the split jerk vs. the push jerk boils down to technique. This adds in the element of a single leg variation with potentially substantial loads overhead. It’s also a great way to work on athleticism with lighter loading and possibly even switching to less dominant sides.

A deceivingly difficult movement. This is often due to the need to keep tension between the athlete and the loading while having a more unstable load. These have the potential to have the most amount of loading of the landmine variations requiring the most shoulder stability of them as well.

The same benefits of the landmine press carry over to the push press variation but now we can see the benefit of increased loading. There is often even a rotational element to this movement and can help develop explosive power and shoulder stability due to the increased loading.

An open chain movement that will limit loading but also often require more shoulder stability. These are great for changing things up, working on unilateral pressing, or accommodating those that may be dealing with an upper body injury on one side.

A deceivingly difficult movement. This is often due to the need to keep tension between the athlete and the loading while having a more unstable load. These have the potential to have the most amount of loading of the landmine variations requiring the most shoulder stability of them as well.

Much like the bilateral variation this adds in the complexity of decelerating the loading. Benefits remain the same as other single arm movements while potentially allowing for more loading.

The seated variation takes a bit more midline stability out of the equation but still provides tremendous value. Varying objects can allow for more or less stress on the shoulder along with different requirements for flexibility at the shoulder.

This is an easier variation than the rings since it is a closed chain movement. Just because you are an advanced athlete doesn’t mean you won’t benefit from these. Often, it’s easier to add loading to this variation of the dip.

This is a great single arm variation of the movement and starts working beyond the horizontal plane of movement. These are an excellent tool for those that may have shoulder impingement or issues with taking loading overhead. Taking the bar to a kneeling position rather than standing will increase the loading on the shoulder creating a more challenging movement.

Honestly this may be one of the most underutilized upper body strength movements in typical programming. You can perform these with varying levels of loading or even band tension for advanced athletes while beginners or those looking to build strength can see tremendous benefits with lower rep schemes.

Providing a fixed object along with the ability to use our feet for assistance is a great starting point. Some may feel more of a stretch in their shoulders on this variation but it is still an excellent starting point.

Simply moving to a standing position will increase the demand on the midline and will also often expose athletes' tendencies to overextend at the low back in order to have the appearance of weight being over their head.

The same benefits of our push up carry over to the ring variation but with the added requirement of stability. If you’re looking for an extra challenge or true demonstration of stabilization you can turn the rings out at the top of the movement. These are also great for beginners to easily adjust the angle of the rings to make the movement more or less difficult.

We strongly encourage the ability to display proficiency in all other pressing movements in an isometric and dynamic pattern before flipping upside down for good reason. It’s important to have the capacity here to protect your neck! However this can still still be a good option for building pressing power while working on body awareness due to the inverted position.

The assistance of the feet can be varied by the athlete themselves while still requiring some level of shoulder stability. These are a great way to start building strength through the full range of motion while having less loading on the chest and shoulders.

This is a great single arm variation of the movement and starts working beyond the horizontal plane of movement. These are an excellent tool for those that may have shoulder impingement or issues with taking loading overhead.

This is a great alternative to the typical push up from the knees. It allows for varying degrees of difficulty and can be easily progressed for athletes. It also adds in the element of more midline stability as the angle to the floor decreases.

This is a great single arm variation of the movement and starts working beyond the horizontal plane of movement. These are an excellent tool for those that may have shoulder impingement or issues with taking loading overhead. Taking the bar to a kneeling position rather than standing will increase the loading on the shoulder creating a more challenging movement.

Good, quality reps, with full range of motion show flexibility and stability in the shoulders. Watch to make sure the hips are truly lowering and rising to show that athletes are moving their center of mass and not cheating things.

Increasing the range of motion from the traditional handstand push up will place more demand on strength through a full range of motion of the joint. This will be more representative and applicable to a standard strict press in regards to range of motion.

Some say it’s the king of upper body strength exercises! Maybe for some, but this is without a doubt a beneficial pressing movement. Adding external loading in varying degrees and rep schemes can increase upper body pressing power.