by If you wish to construct head-to-toe energy — and also you wish to look superior doing it — there are few lifts that may compete with the hardcore nature of the log press. The unstable, unwieldy log bar may have your complete physique working in overdrive to wash it off the bottom, up your stomach and chest, and heft it into the air. In the meantime, the impartial grips contained in the bar can help you do all of this together with your shoulders in a much less compromising place than they’d be with a barbell elevate.
Whether or not you’re seeking to compete in strongman or simply so as to add one other strength-building elevate to your repertoire, the log press can set you on the correct path.
It’s obtained a heftier buy-in than a daily barbell press. Whereas barbells usually weigh in at 45 kilos, eight-inch diameter log bars weigh 50 kilos; 10-inch log bars are available nearer to 72 kilos; and 12-inch bars get as heavy as 134 kilos. Not for the faint of coronary heart, the log press won’t solely showcase your energy — it’ll construct it, too.
How you can Do the Log Press
Studying the log press could appear intimidating, and never with out cause. To elevate the 10-inch bar alone, you’ll have to be comfy urgent over 70 kilos above your head. However if you happen to’ve obtained that lined, all it takes is somewhat know-how and lots of observe.
Whereas strict presses are additionally doable, this information discusses a push press model, the place you get elevated engagement — and loading potential — out of your decrease physique.
Step 1 — Pull the Log Off the Ground
Begin in a deadlift place, hinged at your hips with bent knees. Place your ft a bit wider than shoulder-width and switch your ft barely outwards. The log needs to be touching your shins. Grip the handles and pull your shoulder blades again and down. Drive by means of your legs to tug the log to your hips.
Kind Tip: Tilt the log away from you by driving your wrists ahead. You gained’t scrape your legs and it’ll be simpler to lap the log (see subsequent step) as you possibly can rotate the log into your hips.
Step 2 — Lap the Log
As soon as the bar is at hip degree, squat down till the bottoms of your thighs are parallel with the ground. The bar ought to sit on prime of your thighs, and your elbows ought to flare outwards. This place is known as, “lapping” the log.
Kind Tip: Maintain the log pressed firmly in opposition to your chest and abdomen. If there’s any house between your physique and the log, it’ll make the clear harder to execute.
Step 3 — Clear the Log
Although it’s referred to as a “clear”, cleansing a log is mechanically completely different than the barbell variation. From the lap place, explosively arise, driving you hips ahead and rolling the log up your abdomen and chest. Because the log ascends, deliver your elbows in and underneath the implement in order that you find yourself within the entrance rack place.
Kind Tip: You need your elbows up as excessive as you will get them, which suggests the bar will wants to take a seat in your higher chest and press into your neck. It’s not probably the most comfy place, however it ought to final solely however just a few seconds.
Step 4 — Press Overhead
There are two main methods you possibly can lock out the log overhead. First, you possibly can implement a break up jerk, the place you concurrently drive the bar underneath head and dip underneath it by staggering your legs. The opposite choice is the extra commonplace push press, the place you dip down just a few inches after which explode up, utilizing that leg drive to lock out your arms.
Kind Tip: When you’re new to the log press, we recommend sticking with the push press choice because it’s technically simpler to grasp.
Step 5 — Decrease With Management
Decrease the log with management so it falls in entrance of your face (as a substitute of onto your face). Catch the bar in your chest with a beneficiant bend of your knees so your physique can take in the burden. Reset and repeat.
Kind Tip: When you’re lifting a max effort press or are finishing your final rep of the set, you possibly can drop the log by letting your arms swing down in entrance of your physique and dropping it onto the pads.
Advantages of the Log Press
The advantages of the log press are legion — as are the bragging rights you get when your lifting buddy movies you crushing a brand new log press private file. It’s not nearly constructing extra energy and energy, both (although it’s about that). The log press additionally places your shoulders in a comparatively steady place, making this a probably extra accessible type of overhead urgent than barbell urgent for these with shoulder points.
Huge Urgent Potential
Not like a barbell, the log bar has impartial grips. Since your shoulders gained’t be in such a compromised place — that’s, flared outwards — you’ll probably improve the load you’re in a position to press by fairly a big sum. You should use that impartial grip to construct your overhead energy much more than you possibly can together with your shoulders locked into the place a barbell places them in.
Your physique and muscle mass can subsequently turn out to be accustomed to shifting a lot larger weights. As such, if you do return to the barbell, chances are you’ll effectively be capable of deal with urgent considerably heavier hundreds.
Full-Physique Hypertrophy
The log press could also be an overhead press at coronary heart, however it gained’t solely problem your shoulders. This transfer additionally faucets into your triceps, lats, traps, core, and even leg energy in an enormous method.
You’ll construct muscle throughout your complete physique, notably your higher physique. When coaching the log press for hypertrophy, you’ll go a bit lighter than you’ll if you’re going for max energy. However both method, working underneath such an intense stimulus will problem your muscle mass to develop.
Extra Shoulder-Pleasant
Though the log press is an intimidating elevate, remember that you’ll be utilizing neutral-grip handles. Because of this your shoulders can be in a much less compromised place than they’re throughout a barbell press, the place your grip is horizontally-oriented. So you possibly can elevate even heavier able that’s higher in your shoulders — a win-win for energy and longevity.
Full-Physique Energy and Conditioning
When you’re utilizing a push press or jerk to heft the log over head as a substitute of performing a strict press, you’ll must generate big quantities of energy all through your complete physique. The whole lot out of your toes to your fingertips have to be working collectively in an explosive style to efficiently full this elevate.
As a result of this transfer requires you to generate a lot energy all through your complete physique, you’ll get your conditioning work in, too. From pulling and rolling the log bar into the rack place to utilizing a full-body leg drive to lock it out overhead, you’re being each explosive and controlling your kind throughout your physique. With so many shifting elements, even one heavy rep could make you breathless — stringing collectively a number of reps can turn out to be a stable a part of your conditioning routine.
Muscle tissues Labored by the Log Press
The log press faucets into so many alternative elements of your physique. Listed here are among the large movers.
Shoulders
Since that is, on the finish of the day, an overhead press, your shoulders could be the very first thing that involves your thoughts with this elevate. Certain sufficient, the log press requires and can develop very sturdy and steady shoulders.
Triceps
You’ll be able to’t lock out heavy weights with out some fairly highly effective, well-developed triceps. With a view to not let your triceps turn out to be a fast limiting issue to your log press, ensure you’re not neglecting them in the remainder of your coaching.
Traps
With a view to assist the burden of the log overhead — and to assist your shoulders out within the entrance rack place and with the tip of the clear — you want sturdy traps. With out partaking your traps, you’ll have a tough time establishing this elevate correctly and stabilizing it on prime.
Lats
As you’re pulling the bar from the ground to your lap and rolling it up your physique to set your self up for the precise press, you’ll want your lats. They’ll assist drive the pulling that begins this elevate and — as they do within the bench press — will make it easier to stabilize the elevate in the course of the urgent a part of the motion.
Core
Falling over throughout your log press wouldn’t be optimum, to say the least. To maintain your physique regular, you’ll want a powerful core — which is precisely what the log press will make it easier to develop. Your core will even make it easier to transmit pressure out of your legs to your higher physique if you’re utilizing your leg drive to hoist the log bar overhead.
Quads
Lastly, the log press will make it easier to develop highly effective quads. Certain, they gained’t work them to the identical extent that barbell squats will, however you’ll nonetheless be squatting in unstable circumstances to stand up into beginning place. Then — until you’re strict urgent — you’ll want your quads to generate an entire lot of energy by means of your leg drive.
Who Ought to Do the Log Press
The log press doesn’t fiddle with regards to how a lot energy it’s essential generate to hoist it over your head. With a buy-in weight of not less than 50 kilos (for the smallest kind of log bar), you want to have the ability to effectively translate all of your physique’s energy and energy into urgent prowess. Lots of completely different sorts of athletes may wish to develop precisely that.
Strongwomen and Strongmen
Athletes who compete in strongman competitions will nearly definitely wish to prepare with the log press.
Not solely is that this usually a contest elevate in itself, however it additionally has direct carryover into different potential competitors lifts, just like the monster dumbbell press.
Weightlifters
Weightlifters will seemingly wish to follow a majority of barbell lifts, for the reason that approach with a barbell is so particular and completely different from the log urgent approach. Nevertheless, each competitors lifts for weightlifters contain growing super overhead energy and stability. A weightlifter could also be searching for strength-building, shoulder-saving selection of their coaching in the course of the offseason. If that’s the case, the log press could be an efficient — and enjoyable — method to take action.
Powerlifters
Not like strongmen and weightlifters, powerlifters don’t overhead press in competitors. Nevertheless, many powerlifters may wish to develop their overhead energy within the low season for well-rounded energy. Overhead work may also assist powerlifters develop stronger lats, traps, and shoulders, all of that are essential for his or her large three competitors lifts.
Due to the impartial grip supplied by the log press, this could be a fascinating overhead variation for powerlifters. It’ll be much less taxing in your shoulders due to the grip orientation, which is precisely what you may want if you don’t wish to set your shoulders up for failure throughout your bench urgent periods.
Non-Aggressive Gymgoers
You don’t should be the most important lifter on the block to profit from — and revel in — the log press. You probably have entry to 1 in your fitness center and are in a position to safely press it overhead, you may profit quite a bit from the log press.
Not solely will the coaching selection probably add lots of enjoyable to your routine, however studying such a cool elevate could be a nice confidence-booster that retains you coming again for extra. Moreover, the impartial grip that the log bar offers could be nice for non-competitive lifters who’re searching for methods to press overhead with out compromising their shoulders with horizontally-oriented grips.
Log Press Units and Reps
Typically talking, if you’re working with the log press, you’re most likely seeking to construct max energy. That stated, the log press has loads of makes use of for hypertrophy and even conditioning.
For Max Power
Whilst you’re nonetheless studying the log press, work within the greater rep ranges earlier than attempting to max out and work within the decrease, strength-building ranges. If you’re able to develop max overhead energy with the log press, goal for 3 to 5 units of two to 5 reps. You’ll need the burden to be heavy and method failure — however ensure you’re in a position to preserve secure kind all through.
For Constructing Muscle
If you’re working towards hypertrophy with much less concerned, lighter lifts, you may be capable of push towards failure with rep schemes between six and 12 to fifteen reps. However lifting even reasonably heavy with a log press may allow you to construct a big quantity of muscle utilizing fewer reps.
As a result of a lot of your physique is concerned and you may transfer a lot weight with this elevate, greater rep counts will construct muscle but in addition cross into endurance and conditioning territory. You’ll seemingly be capable of construct a hefty quantity of muscle with three units within the 5 to 10 rep vary.
For Conditioning
As a result of the log press includes your complete physique — actually from head to toe — and lets you elevate so closely, you’re prone to get your coronary heart price up fairly excessive. Coaching the log press for conditioning will make it easier to get stronger and extra cardiovascularly match all on the similar time. The way you method this actually is determined by your expertise and general health degree.
For some, you may take into account eight reps to be extra conditioning than you usually combine into your coaching. For others, cranking out as many stable reps as doable in 60 seconds could be a extra apt type of conditioning.
Log Press Variations
A log bar is such a highly-specific piece of kit — however that doesn’t imply it might probably solely make it easier to full one elevate. Try these log press variations to see how one can add much more spice to your log urgent life.
Log Viper Press
If the log press itself isn’t fairly sufficient of a conditioning problem for you, you may wish to attempt the log viper press on for measurement. As a substitute of bringing the log bar again right down to the entrance rack place between every rep, you’ll deliver it again down beneath your chest.
Then, you’ll use your hip extension to take the bar in a single swift motion over your head to lockout. It’ll look extra like a snatch than a push press. This variation includes extra hips and much more energy than the unique model, which you may love if you happen to’re seeking to develop as a lot explosivity as doable.
Strict Log Press
For the log strict press, you’ll be performing a log press — however with none momentum out of your decrease physique. This takes the push or jerk aspect out of the transfer, which suggests you’ll be capable of transfer much less weight than you in any other case may.
However simply since you’re shifting much less weight doesn’t imply it’s an inferior transfer. Having the ability to strict press construct an excessive amount of core stability, to not point out locations an excellent bigger emphasis in your higher physique muscle mass. Certain, they’ll be hefting much less weight. Nevertheless, with out help out of your decrease physique, it turns into totally about how a lot your shoulders and higher physique can transfer on their very own.
Block Log Press
Need to get rid of the clear from the transfer? This manner, you possibly can focus solely on higher physique energy and energy with out worrying in regards to the awkwardness of the beginning of the transfer. In that case, begin with the go surfing blocks just under your shoulders.
Doing this may function an excellent introduction to the transfer for rookies who haven’t fairly gotten their heads across the awkward clear portion but. It’s additionally an excellent choice for superior lifters who wish to load up as heavy as doable for greater reps.
Log Press Options
Don’t have entry to a log? Not an issue. There’s one other specialty bar that may make it easier to press heavy overhead with a impartial grip. And in case your fitness center doesn’t have any specialty bars to supply, you possibly can nonetheless use a superb old style barbell to get the job accomplished.
Swiss Bar Press
Whereas it’s not a log, the Swiss bar has one big — and massively essential — similarity to the log bar. It comes with impartial grips, too. Because of this you’ll be capable of transfer weight overhead together with your palms going through one another even if you happen to don’t have entry to a log bar.
This preserves the shoulder-saving facet of the log press whereas nonetheless permitting you to place large weight above you. Whereas it’s nonetheless a specialty bar, many gyms usually tend to have a Swiss bar than they’re to have a log. In that method, this press is a good various for aspiring athletes with out entry to all the best strongman tools.
Barbell Clear & Jerk
As a result of the implement is so completely different, the barbell clear & jerk requires completely different motion mechanics than the log press. So, it’s not a instantly transferable ability. However, being proficient at one can probably make it easier to develop the physique consciousness to be taught the opposite.
Plus, the barbell clear & jerk allows you to push an amazing quantity of weight overhead. When you’re seeking to push a max quantity of weight overhead with out entry to a log, this elevate is a wonderful choice.
Get Urgent
Seeking to compete in strongman and strongwoman occasions? Studying the log press can be a vital a part of your journey, since you’re prone to come throughout it as an official occasion. Even if you happen to don’t have aspirations to compete, you could be searching for a strategy to push large weight overhead and not using a punishing shoulder angle. Plus, it doesn’t damage that this is among the coolest-looking lifts round.
Steadily Requested Questions
Of us who’re simply studying strongman and strongwoman lifts usually have lots of questions. And questions are good — they imply you’re paying consideration and usually tend to be taught what it’s essential succeed. Listed here are some questions that lots of people have in regards to the log press.
Do it’s essential be taught the log press for strongman and strongwoman competitions?
Not like powerlifting and weightlifting meets — which all the time characteristic the identical lifts and competitors construction — strongman and strongwoman competitions or extra unpredictable. They don’t all the time characteristic the identical lifts and feats of energy. That stated, many competitions do characteristic the log press itself or different overhead variations. So, it’s price studying if you happen to can.
What if I don’t have entry to a log bar?
Possibly you’re attempting to compete, or possibly you simply wish to be taught the log press as a result of it appears to be like and feels so darn cool. No matter your motivations, you don’t should despair if you happen to don’t have entry to the precise tools the elevate requires.
So many strongman occasions depend on lifters having the ability to adapt to shifting extraordinarily heavy, extraordinarily awkward implements. When you don’t have entry to a log bar, get artistic in your coaching — possibly with a Swiss bar, or possibly with a (sturdy) implement of your personal making — to observe getting large weights overhead.
How a lot do log bars weigh?
That relies upon. Completely different log bars have completely different dimensions and diameters, all of which have their very own distinctive benefits for coaching. Whereas eight-inch log bars weigh 50 kilos, their 10-inch cousins are nearer to 72 kilos. And 12-inch log bars can get as heavy as 134 kilos.
Smaller bars can help you prepare with a much bigger vary of movement. So although they’re lighter, they may problem you extra since you must push them by means of extra time underneath rigidity as a result of bigger vary of movement.
Featured Picture: Dmitriy Khitrin / Shutterstock
