PRESSES

Set Up

Feet planted, mainly pressure through your heels
Core tight through a full exhale, half an inhale
Pull your face to the bar to create tension (activation) in your upper back, then lower to the bench while maintaining this tension. This will lead to a lifted sternum and shoulders pressed back into the bench.

Execution

Lower the bar by stabilizing with your back (aka you should feel like the back side of your upper body is working to control the lowering of the bar) and lifting your sternum to meet the bar
Once you cannot lower any further, consciously squeeze your glutes as you drive your heels into the ground and lock out your elbows

If you do not actively flare your knees during this movement, you will lose a significant amount of range of motion as well as implicating your lower back during the movement.

CUES to be USED

Leg Drive

Actively/consciously squeeze your glutes as you drive your heels into the ground on the raising motion of a press. This sequencing will result in your body shifting slightly in the direction of your upper body while you press and your lower body while you lower. Think of a tiny back and forth motion or shifting.