๐ก Straddle press ideas ๐ก . If you feel you have a permanent seat on the struggle bus to straddle press then maybe, just maybe I might be able to help..๐ค . ๐ I do gymnastics and in gymnastics they teach press techniques with our heads firmly planted against a wall! It is how i learned so that's how I teach it.... (OK๐ฎ) . I'm a muscular presser... I bend my arms, I rely on brute force rather than physics. If you're flexible then your press will look and feel different to mine. Everyone learns their own way, it's a matter of finding that way so play with lots of techniques. . . 1. THE WONKY STRADDLE PRESS - basically this is like a puppy press with a straight leg, however try to keep the high leg as low as you can. (Think of it as being a female puppy press rather than a male puppy press๐คฃ) Start with the supporting leg on an ottoman and lean forward trying to keep the shoulder girdle stable. Don't sink into the shoulders, push the floor as hard as you can. Turn hands outwards slightly if you feel pressure on your wrists. Lift from the butt, dragging it over your head. Forget about lifting the legs they'll come up by themselves once you fully engage them to keep them straight and use your butt and hips. As you get stronger find a lower starting point eventually doing it from the floor. If you can puppy press then this is definitely a gateway progression for you! Give this a try and see how it feels. . 2. RAISED BASE PRESS - an obvious progression would be to place both feet on blocks. This never worked for me when I was learning but its worth mentioning as it has worked for some students. . 3. STRAP - this one gets a bad rep too but I couldn't be without my strap and it's what helped me most in particular with my crow press. The only issue I see with it is that you have to push your arms OUTWARDS rather than inwards. Once you realise this & you practice without a strap too then you'll be grand. . 4. DRILLS - Head against an ottoman or wall is my all time fav just mind your neck by gently pressing head to support No ramming! . ๐DON'T FORGET THE NEGATIVES That's where the real work is done! ๐ . Hope these help๐ . #questforthepress #straddlepress (at County Westmeath)