January 2003

THE

IN THIS ISSUE:

"mess you up"

CrossFit Journal
Shoulder Press, Push Press, Push Jerk - page 1
A Postural Error - page 5
Interview: Coach Glassman - page 8
Now for Something Completely Different. - Odd Lifts - page1

Now for Something Completely

Different - The Odd Lifts

Shoulder Press, Push Press, Push Jerk

The Overhead Lifts

There are movements that will never make it to your

local gym and they include some of the best exercises
ever known. There is a collection of them known as
the odd lifts. It would be foolish to ignore these lifts.
It would be even more foolish to approach them with
other than extreme caution.

Introduction
Learning the progression of lifts that moves from the
shoulder press, to the push press, to the push jerk has long
been a staple of the CrossFit regimen. This progression
offers the opportunity to acquire some essential motor
recruitment patterns found in sport
and life (functionality) while greatly
improving strength in the power zone
and upper body. In terms of power zone
and functional recruitment patterns, the
push press and push jerk have no peer
among the other presses like the king
of upper body lifts, the bench press.

There are competitions with the odd lifts and they have
an assosciation - the United
States
All-Round
Weightlifting
Association
(USAWA)
The
USAWAs web site covers the rules
of the competitions and lifts. http://
www.usawa.com/rules.html.
We review the Odd Lifts with a mix of
humor and awe. The humor is a juvenile
humor because it finds its roots in the
discomfort and injury of others like
kids cartoons. Imagine the damage you
could do with the Roman Chair Bench
Press alone. Or, how about the two man
clean and jerk?

As the athlete moves from shoulder

press, to push press, to push jerk, the
importance of core to extremity muscle
recruitment is learned and reinforced.
This concept alone would justify the
practice and training of these lifts. Core
to extremity muscular recruitment is
foundational to the effective and efficient
performance of athletic movement. The
most common errors in punching, jumping, throwing,
and a multitude of other athletic movements typically
express themselves as a violation of this concept.

The awe comes in recognition of the

tremendous difficulty and discomfort
many of these lifts engender at even moderate loads.
If you try these lifts, start light, real light.

Because good athletic movement begins at the core and

radiates to the extremities, core strength is absolutely
essential to athletic success. The region of the body
from which these movements emanate, the core, is often
referred to as the power zone. The muscle groups
comprising the power zone include the hip flexors,
hip extensors (glutes and hams), spinal erectors, and
quadriceps. These lifts are enormous aids to developing
the power zone. (continued on page 2)

Some of these lifts place enormous demands on

stabilizing muscle; others are very functional. Some are
as demanding of cardiorespiratory function as running,
while others train for teamwork or coordination.
Here is a list of some of our favorites:
(continued on page 6)

January 2003

Additionally, the advanced elements of the progression, the push press and jerk, train for and develop power and speed.
Power and speed are king in sport performance. Coupling force with velocity is the very essence of power and speed.
Some of our favorite and most developmental lifts lack this quality. The push press and jerk are performed explosively
that is the hallmark of speed and power training.
Finally, mastering this progression gives ideal opportunity to detect and eliminate a postural/mechanical fault that plagues
more athletes than not the pelvis chasing the leg during hip flexion. (See article) This fault needs to be searched out
and destroyed. The push press performed under great stress is the perfect tool to conjure up this performance wrecker
so it can be eliminated.

Mechanics
1. The Shoulder Press
a. Set up: Take bar from supports or clean to racked position. The bar sits on the shoulders with the grip
slightly wider than shoulder width. The elbows are below and in front of bar. Stance is approximately
shoulder width. Head is tilted slightly back allowing bar to pass.
b. Press: Press the bar to a position directly overhead.

2. The Push Press

a. Set up: The set up is the same as the shoulder press.
b. Dip: Initiate the dip by bending the hips and knees while keeping the torso upright. The dip will be
between 1/5 and 14 of a squat in depth.
c. Drive: With no pause at the bottom of the dip, the hips and legs are forcefully extended.
d. Press: As the hips and legs complete extension the shoulders and arms forcefully press the bar overhead
until the arms are fully extended.

January 2003

3. The Push Jerk:

a. Set up: The set up is the same as for the shoulder press and push press.
b. Dip: The dip is identical to the push press
c. Drive: The drive is identical to the push press
d. Press and Dip: This time instead of just pressing, you press and dip a second time simultaneously,
catching the bar in a partial squat with the arms fully extended overhead.
e. Finish: Stand or Squat to fully erect with bar directly overhead identical to terminal position in push
press and shoulder press.

The Role of the Abs in the Overhead Lifts

Athletically, the abdominals primary role is midline stabilization, not trunk flexion. They are critical to swimming,
running, cycling, and jumping, but never is their stabilizing role more critical than when attempting to drive loads
overhead, and, of course, the heavier the load the more critical the abs role becomes. We train our athletes to think of
every exercise as an ab exercise but in the overhead lifts its absolutely essential to do so. It is easy to see when an athlete
is not sufficiently engaging the abs in an overhead press the body arches so as to push the hips, pelvis, and stomach
ahead of the bar. Constant vigilance is required of every lifter to prevent and correct this postural deformation.

Common push press flaw

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January 2003

Summary
From shoulder press to push jerk the movements become increasingly more athletic, functional, and suited to heavier
loads. The progression also increasingly relies on the power zone. In the shoulder press the power zone is used for
stabilization only. In the push press the power zone provides not only stability, but also the primary impetus in both the
dip and drive. In the push jerk the power zone is called on for the dip, drive, second dip, and squat. The role of the hip
is increased in each exercise.
With the push press you will be able to drive overhead as much as 30% more weight than with the shoulder press. The
push jerk will allow you to drive as much as 30% more overhead than you would with the push press.
In effect the hip is increasingly recruited through the progression of lifts to assist the arms and shoulders in raising loads
overhead. After mastering the push jerk you will find that it will unconsciously displace the push press as your method
of choice when going overhead.
The second dip on the push jerk will become lower and lower as you both master the technique and increase the load.
At some point in your development, the loads will become so substantial that the upper body cannot contribute but a
fraction to the movement at which point the catch becomes very low and an increasing amount of the lift is accomplished
by the overhead squat.
On both the push press and jerk the dip is critical to the entire movement. It may come as a surprise to some that the
dip is not a relaxed fall but an explosive dive. The stomach is held very tightly and the resultant turn around from dip to
drive is sudden, explosive, and violent.

Try This:
Start with 95 pounds and push
press or jerk 15 straight reps rest
thirty seconds and repeat for total
of five sets of 15 reps each. Go
up in weight only when you can
complete all five sets with only
thirty seconds rest between each
and do not pause in any set.

The CrossFit Journal is an electronically distributed magazine

(emailed e-zine) published monthly by www.crossfit.com chronicling a
proven method of achieving elite fitness.
For subscription information go to:
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And This:

Aptos CA 95001

Repetition one: shoulder press,

repetition two: push press,
repetition three: push jerk. Repeat until shoulder press is impossible then continue until push press is impossible then five
more push jerk. Start with 95 pounds and go up only when the total reps exceed thirty.

Check out these sites for more push press technique:

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/OlympicLifts/PushPress.html
http://www.hhs.csus.edu/homepages/khs/Kilogram4/public/Exercises/table_of_contents_Exercises.htm

January 2003

A Costly Biomechanical Fault: Muted Hip Function (MHF)

The Problem
The most powerful forces that can be generated by the human body are initiated, controlled,
and dominated by the hip. Unfortunately, in the majority of trainees, some degree of
hip dysfunction creates postures and mechanics that reduce power and stability and are
generally unsound. The faulty mechanics arise from inadequate training and insufficient
practice of critical hip movements. Weve named this widespread fault muted hip function
or MHF.
Whos Got It?
MHF is evident to some degree in all but the most accomplished athletes or those whove
trained to avoid it. We tell our best athletes that it will typically take three to five years
to fully develop the hips explosive capacity where there are no sign of MHF postures or
tendencies.
Its Mechanics
MHF is, ultimately, the postures resulting from the legs compensating for the hips failure
specifically, and foremost, using leg extension to compensate for weak or non-existent hip
extension.
MHF is squatting where hip extension is retarded while leg extension is not. We see it
best in the dip and drive of a bad push press where the knees jut forward while the pelvis

January 2003

rolls back pushing the belly forward. In fact the push press is the best way to conjure up this fault even in people who
otherwise may have a beautiful squat and seem immune to this curse. A load that can be push-pressed max twenty reps
will typically induce this fault for the final four or five reps. More athletes will do it than not including many good
ones.
Elements of MHF
The elements of MHF include but are not limited to structurally disadvantaged spinal posture, low/no glute recruitment,
low/no hamstring recruitment, pelvis abandons the spine and chases the legs, center of gravity shifts dramatically
backward, center of balance shifts toward toes, knee experiences unsound sheer force, leg extension only productive
effort, hip extension not possible with low hip angle, pelvis rotates wrong way, and most importantly stability, balance,
and power diminish with lowered center of mass.
The Damage
The degree of MHP varies from mild to severe. In severe cases everything the athlete attempts is rocked by instability
and low power. In mild cases power loss and instability occur only while under great physical stress. In combat and elite
performance even mild MHF can lose the day.
For physical performance what could be worse than low power and instability?
The Solution
Deliberate and focused training and practice of demanding hip extension movements is the only way to eliminate the
effects of MHF. Again, it will typically take three years or more to eliminate all tendencies toward MHF.
No exercise offers as much opportunity to correct MHF tendencies than perfect form, high rep push-press. MHF is
evident within the first .01 of a second of a bad push press.
(Odd Lifts - continued from page 1)
The Inman Mile: Traverse 1 mile with 150%BW on shoulders. Gait
optional! Refreshments allowed!! Not only is this a perfectly functional
movement but an exciting component to overall fitness.
Roman Chair Extensions: Weighted hip extensions with weight in
crook of elbows. Not necessarily functional but an education in hip
extension and extensors!
Roman Chair Bench Press: This is a bench press from face up parallel
to floor extended and hanging position on Roman Chair. The bench press
is just a distraction to keep your mind off of your gut.
Allen Lift: A sit-up from the ground with arms locked overhead holding
weight. If bar moves inside straight line from hip to shoulders or arms
bend the lift is disqualified. This has to be the all time mother of hip flexor
exercises.
Abdominal Raise: A sit-up with a barbell held behind the neck. Done
on ground and Roman Chair. Why dont we see more weighted sit-ups?
Give this a try.
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January 2003

Two Person Cheat Curl: Very cool curl!

Two Person Clean and Jerk: This is a great source of
amusement (try a tall guy and a short one, or one strong
one weak variations) but may develop teamwork.
Two Person Snatch: Same as above.
Steinborn Lift: From a loaded bar on ground the lifter
stands the bar on end, takes a position against the bar
(squatting?) and lets the bar fall to one shoulder and
pivot to the other from which position the athlete squats
on command.
Actually, very functional. You wouldnt have to hang
out at a construction site too long before youd see this
done.
Zercher Lift: Deadlift to knees, rest barbell on knees,
and then bring barbell to crook of elbows and finish
deadlift.
Middle Fingers Clean and Press: You guessed it, clean
and press with two middle fingers only. This one is great
for you grip junkies.
Zeigler Clean: This is a clean while balancing a plate on
your head. Lift is complete only if plate doesnt fall.
Judd Clean and Jerk: One-legged clean and jerk.
Two-Person, Two-Hand Team Press: This one will get
you a free year at 24-hour Nautilus; just try it.
Repetition Snatches With Body Weight: This exercise
and the Repetition Clean and Jerk with Bodyweight has
reasonable claim to be the best overall conditioning drill
ever.
Repetition Cleans with Bodyweight: Yeah! The
greatest single weightlifting movement turned into a
cardiorespiratory nightmare for those strong enough.
Repetition Clean and Jerk with Body Weight: Same
as above.
Repetition Jerk with Bodyweight: Outstanding
exercise.
One Hand Snatch: One-handed versions of big weight
movements are very demanding of the transverse axis
and consequently strengthen trunk. Theres also a
neurological benefit to the greater control demands of
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January 2003

one-handed movements.

Interview: Coach Greg Glassman

One Hand Clean and Jerk: Same as One Hand Snatch.

CFJ: Whats wrong with fitness training today?

Coach Glassman: The popular media, commercial
gyms, and general public hold great interest in endurance
performance. Triathletes and winners of the Tour de
France are held as paradigms of fitness. Well, triathletes
and their long distance ilk are specialists in the word
of fitness and the forces of combat and nature do not
favor the performance model they embrace. The sport
of competitive cycling is full of amazing people doing
amazing things, but they cannot do what we do. They are
not prepared for the challenges that our athletes are.

Continental Clean: This is an anything goes except

standing the bar on end clean. The bar can touch the body
anywhere the lifter chooses! You can even put knee or
butt to ground.
This may be a good way to teach the efficiency of the
normal clean, ouch!
Wrestlers Bridge, Pullover and Press: From Wrestlers
Bridge pull barbell overhead to chest and then presses to
lockout. No points other than head and feet may touch
ground during lift. Two-inch pad O.K. for head!!

The bodybuilding model of isolation movements

combined with insignificant metabolic conditioning
similarly needs to be replaced with a strength and
conditioning model that contains more complex
functional movements with a potent systemic stimulus.
Sound familiar? Seniors citizens and U.S. Marine
Combatant Divers will most benefit from a program built
entirely from functional movement.

This takes a classic exercise, the Wresters Bridge, and

adds weight. Beautiful!

CFJ: What about aerobic conditioning?

Coach Glassman: I know youre messing with me
trying to get me going. Look, why is it that a 20 minute
bout on the stationery bike at 165 bpm is held by the
public to be good cardio vascular work, whereas a mixed
mode workout keeping athletes between 165-195 bpm
for twenty minutes inspires the question, what about
aerobic conditioning?
For the record, the aerobic conditioning developed by
CrossFit is not only high-level, but more importantly, it
is more useful than the aerobic conditioning that comes
from regimens comprised entirely of monostructural
elements like cycling, running, or rowing. Now that
should start some fires!
Put one of our guys in a gravel shoveling competition
with a pro cyclist and our guy smokes the cyclist.
Neither guy trains by shoveling gravel, why does the
CrossFit guy dominate? Because CrossFits workouts
better model high demand functional activities. Think
about it a circuit of wall ball, lunges and deadlift/highpull at max heart rate better matches more activities than
does cycling at any heart rate.
CFJ: How many times should someone do the
Workout of the Day (WOD)?
Coach Glassman: Yeah, we actually get this question
every once in a while. When it comes up we know for a
fact that either theyve not tried the workouts or theyve

Zercher Lift
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January 2003

tried them at a leisurely pace. Done right, they have a horrific impact; theyre designed that way. No one comes out
standing much less looking for another one later.
What the WOD does allow for is learning and practice of sports. Juggling sport and the WOD requires careful modulation
of the intensity of the WOD or overtraining is a certainty.
CFJ: What is your message for law enforcement and military special ops trainers?
Coach Glassman: Make sure that the missions requirements dont exceed the training stimulus. If youre working a
program where your men and women are running on M, W, F and working upper body weight training on T-Th, like
weve seen so often, your product is not optimally prepared.
Arrest and control is not aerobic like the Tour de France; its anaerobic like cage fighting.
CFJ: What is the best way to start CrossFit?
Coach Glassman: If not intimate with the elements (squat, deadlift, clean, pull-up, push-up, box jump, etc) of the
CrossFit routines then gaining familiarity has to be the first step.
If unfamiliar or less than very confident with the elements, then nearly any regimen with the singular focus of learning
the sound mechanics of basic movements is a perfect prescription for the first month or two.
For those new to the CrossFit method it will be necessary to establish consistency with the Workout of the Day before
increasing the intensity of the workouts. The workouts exceed the capacity of the fittest men on earth. Be careful.
CFJ: What about nutrition?
Coach Glassman: Meat and vegetables, nuts and seed, some fruit, little starch, no sugar. End of subject.
CFJ: What are your favorite exercises?
Coach Glassman: Cleans, push-ups (across 180 degrees from handstand push-up to dip), Squats, Jumps, Running,
Deadlifts, Rowing, Cycling, Pull-ups, Muscle-ups, Presses, Presses to handstand, wall ball, dumbbell and Kettlebell
swing, lunges, snatch, rope-climb (and other non-technical climbing), sit-ups (and gymnastic variations on sit-up
theme).
CFJ: Do you have a program for?
Coach Glassman: This is another question that I see daily. We are asked for workouts for baseball, karate, swimming,
dance, boxing, but they all get the same thing CrossFit.
The athletes, firefighters, soldiers, and cops that we work with have benefited most from increased practice within their
disciplines and better general fitness.
We design and deliver a broad based general fitness. The need for specificity in sport is nearly perfectly met within the
training and practice of the sport. Theres a strong and mistaken belief that every sport requires a separate and distinct
strength and conditioning prescription. The notion is nonsense.
CFJ: Why CrossFit Journal?
Coach Glassman: Why is there nothing in the popular media that both the professional athlete and dedicated fitness
enthusiast could find useful? Thats the niche were trying to fill.
The idea behind CrossFit Journal is simply to support and expand the CrossFit community by offering information that,
like our workouts, is potent and brief. The rest is a distraction.
CFJ: Why Gymnastics, weightlifting, and sprinting?
Coach Glassman: Gymnasts have no peer in trunk and hip flexion, upper body strength in multiple joint angles, agility,
accuracy, balance, coordination, their domain is body control.
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January 2003

The weightlifters are masters of power, speed, and hip and leg strength. Powerful hip extension is the most critical
element of human performance and none have the capacity of the weightlifters.
Sprinters have enormous physical potential due to their metabolic competency across anaerobic and aerobic pathways
and the speed, power, and total conditioning that sprinting demands.
Blending workouts from each domain gives us a total greater than the sum of the parts a gorgeous hybrid.

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