Not straightening the arm when overhead

Common Mistake

The elbow is still bent and the arm is not straightened once the weight is overhead.

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Solution

Work on overhead flexibility, focus more, or reduce the weight.

Description

This mistake can happen with any overhead exercise like the press, jerk, snatch, overhead reverse lunge, etc.

The triceps need to be activated and remain activated for the full movement of the exercise or fixation. This means, if you’re doing an overhead reverse lunge then the arm should remain straight during that full movement. If not possible, then one should regress to a less complex exercise, in the case of the overhead reverse lunge that would be a press, back into racking, performing a racked reverse lunge, and another press in the lunge position, and back to racking to get up.

If no good overhead position can be achieved in the press, then the focus should be on flexibility and mobility of the thoracic spine, shoulder, and scapulae.

Related Exercises

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