Common Mistake
Lowering too slow from overhead into racking
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Solution
Let the weight drop and decelerate close to the end point or pull the weight down
Description
Lowering from overhead into racking slowly or very slowly is something that can be done in training but only when you want to work the shoulders. Lowering slowly puts a lot more demand on the deltoids as the TUT (time under tension) is longer, i.e. doing more work.
Dropping or pulling the kettlebell down is the key to preserving energy in the deltoids. Dropping means that you relax the arm and let the weight fall down while guiding it and then decelerating before the end point to avoid impact.
The other solution is pulling the weight actively down and decelerating in time. If you work with a heavy weight, you also want to dampen the impact by using the legs to help absorb the energy. You know when it’s too heavy, and this is required when you feel an impact because decelerating at the last moment with the shoulder is not possible due to the weight being too heavy.
This issue can occur with the following exercises:
- Jerk
- Push press
- Shoulder press
- Half snatch
Or anything where the weight needs to come from overhead into the racking position.
In any of these exercises, you want to avoid exhausting the shoulders if you are going for reps. On the other hand, if you want to work on shoulder strength, this may be the opposite.
Related Exercises
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