(Military) press world records

[XTrainer]

I didn't say not to push you're head through. Watch olympic pressing, watch Vasily, watch log pressing. It doesn't look like they put their head through. I'm thinking maybe not doing it helps put some chest into it. I don't know, its not advice, its just food for thought. I push my head through, I feel the difference when pushing your head through (in my head its correct technique), I'm just wondering why the pro's don't do it.

Show me a video of a pro in any competition doing a big, successful press without putting his head through. To be counted in most events (including strongman), you have to get your head through and control the weight at lockout. By the same token, locking out and controlling a weight overhead requires getting your head through. If you don't put your head through and press out in front of yourself, you're going to have an uncontrolled, momentary lockout at best.

 

[Searcher]

YouTube - Doug Hepburn - Olympic Press, 1954
YouTube - Paul Anderson clean and press 435 pounds.
YouTube - 1968 Olympics 82.5kg Press
YouTube - 2004 Strongman World Championships - Log Press
YouTube - 370lbs Log press
YouTube - Derek Poundstone 400lb real log press for 1 Rep

as compared to
YouTube - Overhead Press

I know mehdi is an extreme example and he isn't strong, but you can see that even the strongman don't put their heads through too much. I can see know that they do to some degree, but watching the poundstone video, it seems like he needs to put his head through to get the lift, yet he doesn't. I'm starting to think its the strongman's size that gives an illusion, but it might also be their lack of flexibility that doesn't let them put their heads through as much as they could with more flexible shoulders.

 

[XTrainer]

What are you talking about? Every single one of those guys got his head through, with the possible exception of Hepburn (I won't pretend to be able to tell what's going on in old footage like that). EDIT: Watched the Hepburn one again. He doesn't get his head through, but he "finishes" in a position of layback, so the bar can be in balance over his feet without him having to get under it all the way. In a lot of contests, judges would not count it as a successful rep until you're standing fully upright (you can't "finish" in a position of layback).

Also...he's freaking Doug Hepburn.

I don't know who the guy in the last video is, but that's not a press.

Video of Rip telling a Crossfitter not to do that silly "behind the back" thing. Watch from :40 to 1:40.
http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/CrossFit_RipWeightedPress1.wmv

 

[Tosa]

The head is going to have to come through at some point for every overhead lift (except if it's already through, like a BTN jerk). This is because when standing upright, a weight locked out overhead must be behind the head. It's simple anatomy. The shoulders and the muscles supporting weight when locked out overhead are towards the back of the head. Try it for yourself, pick up something (not too light) and hold it overhead, what position feels most solid? That said, if someone is doing a press with a lot of layback, like in Searcher's examples, then getting the head through is one of the last things done, in contrast to a jerk or press without layback, where it comes as soon as possible.

 

[Searcher]

I stand corrected.

 

[Miiiiiiighty]

Thank you for all your answers .

I knew about most of the lifts you spoke about ( Redding , Alexeev , Misha of course ...)

I just wanted to know if anyone had an "idea" of the zone of the "unofficial" WR ... Let's say it's in the 500's between 525 and 550 ...

On a side note the weightlifting coach of my former gym in Lille , who is a former world record in oly weightlifting and had chance to train with or train people like Pisarenko , Jean Pierre Brulois or Vencenslas Dabaya told me years ago that he personnally saw former shot put world champ Werner Gunthor from Switzerland ( who was an amazing athlete in his days, and like 6'7 285lbs ) seat press (behind the neck) 550 lbs ( 250 kg ) ...
This was later confirmed by a former France champ in the javelin throw who told me the same story ..

Is it true/exagerrated I don't know but I thought it was worth sharing considering this topic ...

 

[Searcher]

It might have been more of a lockout than a press. Its still a hell of a feat, but more believable than a world record.

 

[Morganation]

I am always left feeling like a weakling after hearing how much weight some of these guys can move.

 

[Origins]

On not pushing your torso through on the press:

http://startingstrength.com/articles/olympic_press_starr.pdf

Obviously you will have to get under the bar at some point to finish the lift, but the version discussed here does not seem to include the movement as a significant part of the lift as much as the classic press. In the classic press it is advocated to get under the bar as soon as possible to make the rest of the lift easier, but here that ROM is mostly done during the "second bow." You would only get under the bar to finish the lift.

 

[TrevorRoss]

It's really too bad that the press is no longer an olympic lift.