Kettlebell pressing is a wonderful exercise. The only problem? With the weights that typical kettlebells run in, it can be difficult to progress, since the weight can take rather large jumps from bell to bell. There are many ways to strengthen your press for making the jump to the next bell, this is just another variation I thought I would try.
A band is strapped over the top of a squat rack or other elevated object (pullup
bar, rafter, etc.) and set to a length that will allow the band to
tighten up at the bottom of the lift and then subsequently lose tension
at the top of the lift. The idea here is that you can load up with a
bell that is slightly past your capabilities and get used to its load
on your body.
This lift is in the
same category as rack pulls, board press, etc. but differs because it
allows the athlete to still maintain the groove of the original
exercise. This keeps us in line with the SAID principle and doesn't
groove a faulty press pattern. Your lockout will improve and your CNS
will begin to adjust to the heavier load. This is "future lifting" as
Pavel calls it; handling a weight that you will be pressing on your own
in the near future.
This type of training is used extensively in the Westside
Barbell template as well, with exercises like reverse band bench,
reverse band box squats, etc. and its success is obvious. Bands can be
purchased from companies such as Jump Stretch USA, Perform Better, or
Power systems and are useful for many things other than what I just
mentioned. Give it a shot and see your press grow!
(Also, sorry about the poor picture quality)
