Bent Press, “The King of All Lifts” – by far the favorite lift of many old-time strongmen—Eugene Sandow, Arthur Saxon, Edward Aston, Siegmund Klein, Bob Hoffman, and many others. It can be performed with a kettlebell, a dumbbell, or a barbell—but it is by far the easiest to learn with the kettlebell.
The Bent Press has a bad rap for being too difficult to learn. I politely disagree. With a good foundation—Get-Up, Press, Windmill—it becomes very accessible. First, learn the “bridge” between the strict Press and the Bent Press: the Side Press. Then, move on to the full Bent Press.
Please observe the two main variations:
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The first was preferred, e.g., by Arthur Saxon.
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The second was preferred, e.g., by Harold Ansorge.
Different body types favor different styles.
Observe the bottom position and the placement of the free arm:
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Forearm on the corresponding leg
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Armpit on the corresponding leg, slipping the arm across. During the semi-squat, the forearm returns to assist the ascent.
Is it necessary for lighter weights? No. However, remember that the Bent Press was designed to lift the heaviest possible weight with one hand.
Follow one of Ernie Frantz’s famous Ten Commandments of Powerlifting:
“Treat your light weights like they are heavy—and your heavy weights like they are light.”
The same goes for the semi-squat. When the weight gets heavy, your side muscles are not enough. Use your legs—both of them. Hence the semi-squat. One-arm overhead squats were a common assistance drill for the heavy Bent Press—recommended, for example, by Siegmund Klein.
Among many other projects, I am currently working on the advanced program minimum 2.0 for StrongFirs, my dear alma mater: The Split Snatch and the Bent Press, called the IPM—Imperial Program Minimum.
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If you are interested in a Hard Style dumbbell lifting program, please check out our Dumbbell Swing Tutorial [FREE VIDEO & MANUAL]
