Catching a behind the neck press

[mattsams89]

Hey, guys, quick question for everyone. I would like to integrate some behind the neck pressing movements into my training (specifically the back squat to press). My press has never been all that great, but I have a decent squat, so the force I can put behind the bar is relatively high in a back squat. I performed a few warm-ups tonight and put 65kg (for a light 3x5) on the bar just as a test drive. The weight went up easily, but the problems started during the eccentric part of the press. Too slow a descent caused intense pressure on my shoulders, while too fast a descent caused a few shots to my spinal column. After dropping a rep on my C7, I called it quits and finished my working sets with push press.

My question to everyone: what are some tips for catching a behind the neck press more smoothly? Is there something I can set up that allows me to squat but drop the weights after the press (some jerk box configuration perhaps)? Or am I just going to have to learn the hard way? I definitely don't want to drop the weight to the ground each rep, but I also don't want to paralyze myself from a particularly hard shot to my spinal column P). I know there will undoubtedly be people thinking "grow your traps" and "just do push press, behind the neck stuff is bad for your shoulders," but I'd appreciate it if we could avoid those posts.

Thanks for your input, guys!

 

[asooneyeonig]

i hope you great shoulder mobility and flexibility, otherwise i would recommend finding a great orthopedic surgeon and ask him how to continue to shred your shoulders so you can have him cut you up sooner.

 

[mattsams89]

i hope you great shoulder mobility and flexibility, otherwise i would recommend finding a great orthopedic surgeon and ask him how to continue to shred your shoulders so you can have him cut you up sooner.

I know there will undoubtedly be people thinking "... behind the neck stuff is bad for your shoulders," but I'd appreciate it if we could avoid those posts.

I'm intelligent enough to avoid movements that don't jive with my anatomy and mobility, and I don't choose exercises for my training based on a "oh that looks cool" whim. I also practice good form and don't press my luck with near maximal attempts on a potentially compromising exercise such as a behind the neck press. In short, I'm smart about my training.

Now that we've gotten the first "they hurt your shoulders" post out of the way, any actual feedback to the original question would be appreciated.

 

[Torobestia]

So you want to perform the jerk starting in the squat position, right? Do you care if you catch it in the same position? If so, then the answer you don't want to hear is the answer you deserve: grow your traps, and increase your shoulder mobility, period.

If you don't care how you catch the behind the neck jerk, then yeah, set up the jerk boxes and just dump the bar in front of you. Re-align the bar, then set up like a squat, unrack, and then jerk again.

 

[mattsams89]

So you want to perform the jerk starting in the squat position, right? Do you care if you catch it in the same position? If so, then the answer you don't want to hear is the answer you deserve: grow your traps, and increase your shoulder mobility, period.

If you don't care how you catch the behind the neck jerk, then yeah, set up the jerk boxes and just dump the bar in front of you. Re-align the bar, then set up like a squat, unrack, and then jerk again.

Typed out a reply then realized my problem re-reading before submitting. My problem stems from lack of experience with BTN lifts, not trap size or shoulder mobility. Thus, a motor pattern isn't there yet, and a few weeks of practice will likely clear it up. Working in sport performance, you'd think I would take my own advice to practice the movement and not give up from frustration just because it doesn't look quite right or isn't "heavy enough" the first few weeks of doing a new movement. I guess we just have to remind ourselves of the basics sometimes. I digress.

I will try setting up jerk boxes on my work sets until I have a better understanding of the catch. I'll perform a catch on my warm-up sets then slowly transition to work sets with a catch. A few weeks of that will sort things out.

Thanks for your reply!

 

[ZiR RED]

When I do snatch recoveries I put a squat pad on the bar that way I can basically "drop" it down onto my traps/shoulders without excessive pain or worrying about chipping my c7/t1.

Br

 

[mattsams89]

When I do snatch recoveries I put a squat pad on the bar that way I can basically "drop" it down onto my traps/shoulders without excessive pain or worrying about chipping my c7/t1.

Br

I'll have to give that a shot once I'm home. We don't have any squat pads here but my gym at home has a few different sizes I can try.

Thanks!

 

[mattsams89]

Edit: Sorry, double post.