The importance of driving off the heels of your hands ...

[archive_Bjaarki]

I had an interesting experience a few weeks ago. I was down in DC visiting my oldest friend, the one guy in my private life who knows I'm into gear. He's not much of a lifter, but he got into it in a casual way when he saw what it was doing for me, and we went over to his gym one morning for a workout.

Just in passing, he mentioned to me how he'd discovered that, when doing pushing lifts with the upper body - like militaries for shoulders, bench for chest - it's very important to drive off the heels of your hands. You gotta control your wrists so they don't flex to a 90-degree angle, then the bar rotates and you're driving off the palms of your hands. I experimented with what he was saying . You don't let your wrists bend much, you try to keep the bar or bell centered over the heels of your hands, and something really strange happens: You can almost feel the weight being supported by a solid column of bone that runs from mid-arm right up through your hands. You really get a hugely satisfying "centered" feel about the bar, very different from the "mushy" feel you get sometimes when your wrists have flexed and the bar is being supported by your soft palms.

It takes some getting used to, and it's difficult to do with a Smith press (my standard for MPs and inclines) since you have to rotate the bar off its safety catch. It's also hard to maintain a straight wrist when you volume train like I do - you keep having to chant "Drive off the heels of your hands! Drive off the heels of your hands!" but it's worth it. I would estimate that you add somewhere between 5 and 10% to your power when you control your wrists very well and drive off the heels of your hands.

The really funny part of this is that I've known for a million years to drive off my heels when doing squats, but it took this pretty wimpy guy, this old friend of mine, to teach me the most important thing I've learned yet about upper body pushing lifts. Pretty funny.

Be well, brothers.

Bjaarki

... Then, do what you have to do.

I can't imagine that you would allow your wrists to be brought into complete 90 degree "extension" when barbell or dumbbell pressing. Im thinking about it now, thats absolutely painful. Not to mention the instability.

235lbs of Twisted_Steel and pure Sex Appeal!

[Mister B.]

Bjaarki was saying NOT to allow the 90 bend.

I think I know what you mean Bjaarki. I had mentioned a shoulder injury earlier on and I, too, have had to experiment with how I'm positioning my hands in order to avoid that particular "groove" where I get the pain from my injury.

For example, on the Hammer Strength inlcline BPress, I often have to pull my thumb around to the same side my fingers are on and adjust my hand into a position somewhat like he's saying where the pad of my palm (or heel of my palm) is pressing the weight instead of the crux of my palm between my finger pads and my heel pads.

There's a more solid feeling about the position. But, it has to be more than a "feeling" because it takes the pressure off my shoulder/corticoid process (spelling?). At least, in my case it does.

B

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GETTIN' HARD!!

[archive_Mr. Nobody]

Thats something I see a lot of beginners do. The bar should always be directly above the wrists on the lower side of your palm, with your fingers acting as clamps. And I also hate to see the "monkey grip", whereas thumbs are not placed opposed to the fingers......I actually had seen a guy drop 225lbs on his chest because of that grip.

Disclaimer:
Mr. Nobody is presenting fictitious opinions and does in no way, shape or form encourage, use nor condone the use of any illegal substances or the use of legal substances in an illegal manner.
The information discussed is strictly for entertainment purposes only and shall not take the place of qualified medical advise.

[jimm]

i don't like thumbless grips--they scare me...even with a thumbed grip in the bench, if you keep your wrists straight, even though your hands are pronated a bit,the bar can still ride on the lower fleshy area of your hand...because i push this way, and because i allow my wrists to turn when not mindfull, i need to use good wrist wraps, or the wrists get sore.

[Mister B.]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="**-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mr. Nobody:
Thats something I see a lot of beginners do. The bar should always be directly above the wrists on the lower side of your palm, with your fingers acting as clamps. And I also hate to see the "monkey grip", whereas thumbs are not placed opposed to the fingers......I actually had seen a guy drop 225lbs on his chest because of that grip.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Agreed! I only do this on the Hammer Strength Machine and only when my injury is flaring up [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] You don't have to "monkey grip" though to get the position mentioned.

B

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GETTIN' HARD!!

[archive_Mr. Nobody]

What you have to do is grip the bar with your thumb opposing your fingers and then slightly turn your hands outward in a screwing motion, therefore placing the bar right above the wrists but with your thumb still opposed to your fingers.

Disclaimer:
Mr. Nobody is presenting fictitious opinions and does in no way, shape or form encourage, use nor condone the use of any illegal substances or the use of legal substances in an illegal manner.
The information discussed is strictly for entertainment purposes only and shall not take the place of qualified medical advise.