The Lowdown on Push Press

judging

In Ipswich today training focused on Jerks and Push Press. Push Press is the final of the five exercises in Kettlebell Pentathlon, and many find it particularly tough because the assistance in the lift comes only from the knees.

As Meet Host (and WKC Judge) I got talking to spectators at the competition last week. We talked throughout the day about form, Counts and No Counts, and I was asked about heel lifts in Push Press. At Ipswich I encourage the guys to keep heels on the floor throughout, to avoid confusion with Jerks. But I feel I should point out that Valery Fedorenko doesn’t have an issue with heel lifts ON THE WAY DOWN, after the lift is completed.

Here’s the lowdown from WKC: “On the way down, the count has already been given. Push Press is done, and you can do what you want to return the bells to rack. You can just drop them down or go up on your toes to shorten/ soften the impact. One has nothing to do with the other.”

However, I can also see that it depends on the lifter: in competition will you be able to manage a heel lift at the end but not at the beginning of the lift? For some, the confusion may outweigh the benefits. A heel lift at the start of the Push Press will mean a No Count, after all. So, there’s the explanation, and you can go and try it out, see what will work best for you.

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