How to Lift a Heavy Chest Press?

To effectively lift a heavy chest press, focus on driving the bar back towards your shoulders immediately after lifting it off your chest.

Here's a breakdown based on the provided reference:

Key Technique: Bar Shove

• Minimize Moment Arm: The primary goal is to reduce the distance (moment arm) between the bar and your shoulders as quickly as possible. This is crucial because as the bar is further away from your shoulders, you exert more effort.
• Initial Movement: As you press the weight upward from your chest, actively shove the bar back towards your shoulders. This is not a straight up movement. According to the YouTube video (at 2:51) this action helps to get past the initial sticking point which is the toughest part to get past when lifting a heavy weight.
• Benefit: Shoving the bar back efficiently engages your muscles at the most effective angles, allowing you to overcome the sticking point and complete the lift.

Practical Steps

1. Lower the Bar: Bring the bar down to your chest in a controlled manner.
2. Initiate the Press: As you begin to press the bar upwards, think about pushing it backwards toward your shoulders.
3. Maintain Control: Keep the bar on a straight line after you have made the initial shove.
4. Complete the Rep: Continue pushing until your arms are fully extended.

Why this Technique Works

• Leverage: By reducing the moment arm, you're essentially using better leverage to push the weight, making it feel lighter.
• Sticking Point: This technique directly addresses the sticking point, that area a few inches off your chest, which is the most difficult part of a chest press.
• Efficient Movement: This method ensures that you're not just pushing up, but also moving the bar in a direction that optimizes your strength output.