When Adam Collard isn’t appearing in shows like Love Island or Celebrity SAS Who Dares Wins, the super fit coach and gym owner invests his time into improving the form and fitness of those who want to become the best version of themselves. And, in a recent Instagram post, the avid HYROX competitor showed how to get the most out of the barbell strict press, sharing his 3 top tips. Operating two gyms and an online training resource, all under the “Sculpt” brand, Collard see’s the trials and tribulations of his clients first hand. “Upper body and the barbell can both be scary things,” explained Collard of strength training. “Fix these and it’ll help you loads on upper body.”
The concept of the standing barbell strict press, where you lift the weight high above your head seems simple enough, but the execution can often cause confusion. While these presses are punishing for the shoulders and triceps, this exercise also recruits the shoulders, chest, core, glutes, and legs when performed correctly. They key is to create a solid stance and not overly tax the lower back.
Common Barbell Strict Press Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)
Don’t overarch the lower back
Collard says that unnecessary arching of the lower back during strict presses can lead to lower back pain. So, using his assistant, Abby, they demonstrate the pressure that is placed on the lower back when the back is not straight. However, posture can be perfected by “putting her rib cage underneath her shoulders,” explained the coach. Collard also suggests contracting the glutes to line up the knees and hips, all the way up to her shoulders for a solid foundation that will stave off injury.
Don’t hold the bar out in front
In order to keep the bar in sight, lifters often fall into the trap of holding the weight out too far in front of them, observes Collard. Instead, you should be looking to push your head through the gap and line it up vertically with the barbell. “See how now, her head pushes through,” explained the coach for his 1-million-plus Instagram followers.
Keeping your head under the bar allows your shoulders and elbows to be correctly “stacked” on top of each other, advised Collard. “Whereas before, the barbell was too far forward.” This correct stance also helps to engage the upper back, once again relieving pressure from the lower spine.
Understand the correct stage to pause
“If she rests at the bottom of the rep, it’s going to be super hard to get that weight up,” explained Collard when making his third observation. Instead, the coach advised that a pause at the top of the lift, which also allows chance to breathe, makes much more sense. When making the descent, Collard says there is more potential for an explosive rep that lifters call “bouncing out of the hole,” rather than getting stuck at the bottom of the rep. “Do those three things, and you will totally change your strict press,” concluded Collard.
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