Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Neutral Grip Piston Press worth another look
The Neutral Grip Piston Press is an exercise I presented in Master Class some time ago, but it’s such a great movement that it’s worth another look. We should talk about repetition timing and cadence, which have quite an effect on such an alternating unilateral movement pattern.
Plenty of personal trainers, fitness experts and blog writers can recommend a certain number of sets and reps for a given exercise. The basic standard of “two to three sets for eight to 12 reps” has been proved to be effective for decades and so the frequency with which it is recommended probably won’t change any time soon.
Meanwhile, “time under contraction” is a topic that is not often discussed. And yet it’s a factor that can dramatically change the safety and effectiveness of any strength-training exercise.
For general strength training, most experts agree that a repetition should take between 2 and 4 seconds, depending on the range of motion, muscle groups involved and resistance level. The time used by any repetition fluctuates up or down if the exerciser is interested in power lifting (faster reps) or building muscular endurance (slower reps). So there’s definitely some wiggle room to adjust the repetition speed when appropriate.
I find it useful to increase repetition speed under two conditions. First, if I’m using less than 50% of my maximum resistance level, I like to move a little faster. I use a faster repetition pattern for warming up, increasing blood flow to the target muscles and preparing my body for action. I usually take a lower-weight, faster-rep approach after my cardiovascular warmup and stretching. It’s useful for all kinds of exercises ranging from barbell squats to bench press.
The second circumstance where I prefer a faster repetition speed is when resistance levels are above 85% of my maximum. There are instances when lifting heavy with a quick cadence makes sense, particularly for total body movements like the barbell clean. When lifting heavy, I like to keep the momentum going and push a few extra pounds (with good form) by speeding up the repetition.
When to slow down the repetition is a bit less defined for me in my personal practice, but any exercise involving my rotator cuffs, lower back or calves is one I always perform a little more slowly. The target muscles in these exercises tend to be injury prone, so moving more slowly reduces my chances of muscle strain.
A slow cadence allows the exerciser to closely control the movement pattern, so it’s a little safer for these finicky structures.
The Piston Press is a shoulder exercise that addresses relatively large muscles on the front and outside of the shoulder, the deltoids. This is one instance where I like to use a quicker cadence, and I incorporate the movement as part of a warmup; but it can easily be slowed down to become more of a “main course” vs. an appetizer.
1. Select a pair of medium-weight dumbbells.
2. Sit on an upright bench and hold the dumbbells in your hands at shoulder level, with your palms facing you.
3. Sit up so that your back is not touching the support pad.
4. Tighten the abdominals and press your right arm straight up to full extension.
5. Just as your right arm reaches full extension, press the left up and bring the right arm back down.
6. Continue alternating in this “piston” motion for 15 total repetitions and do two or three sets.
For those who have injury prone shoulders, I recommend adjusting your grip on the weights. Instead of the neutral grip described above, use a reverse grip (palms facing toward the face) for added safety. A reverse grip changes the angle slightly and creates a little more stability for the rotator cuff, which is key to security for those who have injured their cuffs before. Enjoy!