No, not the bench press—the
bent press. This exercise was popular
in the 18th and 19th centuries but fell out of favor at
the cusp of the 20th century and has dived into obscurity since
then. Why? Well, the exercise was really, really, really hard to perform. You had to be really strong in every
muscle, and have exceptional endurance, balance, and flexibility. The movement was
a man’s move—a lifter’s lift. It especially gained traction in the late 19th
century from a fellow by the name of Arthur Saxon.
If that name doesn’t ring
a bell, don’t beat yourself up, not many people would recognize it nowadays.
But back then, he was the king of strength—performing feats
that even strongmen of today would stand in awe over. Some of these included military
pressing 252 pounds, snatching 200 pounds…with ONE hand, and bent pressing a
world record 371 pounds. To this day, nobody has ever lifted more in the bent
press than him, and it may be that nobody ever does.
So, besides everything
else I’ve mentioned, it’s just a really cool lift to do. Have your friends gasp
in excitement as the mighty [insert name] lifts a 200-pound weight over their
head with ONE ARM…ooohh…ahhhh. Sorry, I was stuck in fantasy there for a moment!
Anyway, now that I’ve talked about how awesome it is, what exactly IS a bent
press, and how do you practice and get better at it?
Bent pressing is 50% skill
and 50% mindset. So, grab your hemp oil and drink some warm tea because we’re in for a bumpy ride. First, you have to
psyche yourself down, as in, you have
to imagine you’re NOT about to lift 100, 200, or even 300 pounds with one arm
over your head. Next, you need to approach the bar from the side, prop it up so
it’s on its end, grab it in the middle with your right hand, placing your left
hand directly under your right, and then whipping the bar over your shoulder
while getting into a lunge position.
Then, you have to stand up
with the weight at your shoulder. Now, drive your elbow behind your back and
into your hip region while keeping your right leg straight and bending your
torso to your left leg, which is also bent. While bending, slowly straighten
out your arm until your torso is 90-degrees with the floor and the barbell is fully
at arm’s length. Now, slowly move your torso upright while getting into a squat
position. Now, stand up with the barbell at arm’s length, close your feet, and
bam! You’ve done your first bent press.
The mindset aspect of bent
pressing is really tough. You seriously have to tell yourself it’s less weight
than it is and break into a chant before the lift. Bill Kazmaier
would say “I can, I will” and I’ve adopted the same practice. Before getting under
the bar, chew some hemp
seeds to lubricate the joints, blast whatever music gets your adrenaline
pumping, and then keep reciting your mantra while reminding yourself it’s about
half the weight it really is. Following these steps, I’ve managed to get 115 pounds,
which isn’t too shabby for a girl. You should try it out and see how you fare!
