The Viking push press is a vertical push exercise that uses the entire body to complete the movement but the main focus is the shoulders. Clients with shoulder or low back pain can benefit from this exercise instead of a standard military press because the viking press allows you to keep a neutral spine without hyperextending the lumbar. You can train the whole strength spectrum with the Viking Press You can train for maximum strength( ≥ 85% for fewer than 6 repetitions), power production ( 80-90% for 1-2 reps), hypertrophy (70-85% for 6-12 reps).
The client should stand with feet shoulder width apart and soft knees while holding the handle with a neutral wide grip at shoulder height.
The first part of the movement is going to be the “dip”. Performing the dip slowly and controlled will ensure that no energy is wasted. During this stage you will also want to stabilize the torso by keeping the chest tall, push the knees out and hips back.
The next part of the movement is the ”drive”. During this part of the movement power produced in the lower body will be transferred through the torso generated through the extension of the ankle, knee and hip. Your legs and hips are the main movers at this stage.
The final step is the “press”. This is when the upper body comes into play. Using the momentum from the “drive” the client is going to lean in, bring the head forward and push the handle straight up overhead with arms in complete extension, exhaling at the top. At the end of the movement of the body should be in perfect alignment, back straight leg straight and locked out in arms fully locked out. Even though the body will be lean forward the body should be in a perfect line.
