Shvung push and press: exercise technique, what is the difference, what muscles are working

personal trainer of the Spirit Fitness chain of fitness clubs

“Schwung is a basic exercise from the world of weightlifting that is used as an underlying exercise to develop strength and speed in the shoulder girdle. In bodybuilding and fitness, it is often incorporated into training programs for upper body development.”

The history of the schwung has its roots in kettlebell training. It was the kettlebell that became the first training tool for athletes, allowing them to work various muscle groups, including those that are actively used in the schwung.

Later, the barbell appeared, which brought variety to training programs: it opened new opportunities to increase strength, endurance and technique. Today, both types of equipment can be used to perform the schwung.

Table of Contents

Benefits of the exercise

Development and mass gain of the shoulder girdle. When performing the schwung, the upper body muscular system is actively working: deltoids (anterior, lateral and posterior fascicles), triceps, forearm extensors and upper pectoral muscles receive significant loads. Thanks to this, you will not only strengthen and build these muscle groups, but also improve your performance in all pressing movements (push-ups from the floor, on the bars, bench press, French press).

Whole Body Workout. Schwing is a functional exercise. In addition to the shoulder girdle, it engages the muscles of the torso, as well as the muscles of the lower limbs, which transmit momentum through the body, helping the upper body to overcome the load.

Strengthening ligaments and hands. Schwing allows you to strengthen the ligamentous apparatus and develop wrist strength due to the need to lock the projectile at the top point of the movement. This load makes the radial and wrist ligaments stronger and also improves performance with other types of weights.

Explosive Strength Development. “Explosive” schwung movements engage fast-twitch muscle fibers. This work leads to an increase in the body’s ability to generate maximum force in a minimal amount of time – a key quality for many sports.

Improved coordination. The complex nature of schwing helps develop coordination abilities. The lifting and lowering phases of the barbell require different muscle groups to work together, which teaches the body to better coordinate movements.

Strengthening of the cardiovascular system. The rhythmic nature of the exercise increases the heart rate. This strengthens the heart muscle and vascular system, and increases the body’s overall endurance.

Metabolic Acceleration. Schwung is an intense exercise with a large working amplitude of movement. It leads to an acceleration of metabolic processes in the body both during and after training due to the effect of post-training stress.

Stress reduction. Schwing causes the release of endorphins, the so-called “happy hormones”. This helps to reduce stress levels and increase overall vitality and positivity.

Technique

Shvung is very similar to the well-known standing barbell bench press (it is also called strict standing press or army standing press). In it we also lift the bar above the head using the muscles of the shoulder girdle, but the technique is very different.

Shvung can be performed in two techniques: the bench press and the push press. But before we start to analyze each of them, let’s consider an important moment – getting into the starting position.

Getting into the starting position

To get into the starting position of the schwung, you can take the barbell from the floor or from the racks.

If you take the barbell from the floor, you add another exercise to your routine – the deadlift. It gives an axial load on the spine, and if done incorrectly, it can be injured. Therefore, if you are a beginner, I recommend you to take the bar from the racks at shoulder level.

If you are an experienced lifter and still want to take the barbell from the floor, your task is to jerk the barbell on your shoulders, lifting it from the floor with control of your back muscles. To do this, follow the technique.

Stand up straight with your feet shoulder width apart. The feet should be positioned under the barbell. Bend your legs at the knees, lean forward to grasp the barbell at about shoulder width.

Keeping your back in flexion, lift your torso with a powerful back and leg movement, guiding the barbell along your body over the surface of your shin and thigh.

When the bar reaches the level of the pelvis, toss it up with your hands, at the same time, slightly sitting up.

Getting into the starting position is considered correct if you have transferred the momentum of movement from the gluteal muscles, quadriceps and calf muscles, which are much stronger than the arms. In this case, the arms will not feel the weight of the barbell, because the legs transmit the force and inertia. It is due to the gained inertia that the barbell should be on the shoulders.

The final position of this exercise is the starting point for the schwung.

Technique of the bench press schwing

The technique of the bench press schwung is quite simple and is suitable for athletes with different levels of training. This sub-type of exercise develops and strengthens the muscles of the shoulder girdle.

Starting position: the barbell is on the front of your shoulders or rests on the top of your chest (if your flexibility allows you), your feet are shoulder width apart, and your hands are one and a half shoulder width apart (but you can go a little wider).

Squat one-third into a half squat, holding the barbell on your shoulders or upper chest. Then exhale as quickly as possible (explosive movement) and straighten your legs, giving the barbell the starting momentum.

As soon as the barbell starts to rise up by inertia, pick up the movement with your hands and push the barbell completely down, bringing it to the final position – above your head.

At the end point, keep your gaze straight ahead of you. Arms fully straightened, back bent, shoulders fixed, shoulder blades not strongly brought together. Legs are completely straightened.

After a slight squat and during this movement lower the barbell to the shoulders or the upper part of the pecs – to the starting position. Simultaneous squatting gives good cushioning for the shoulder joints, taking some of the load off the shoulder girdle.

Perform three or four approaches of 12 repetitions.

Technique of the push schwung

The push schwung is a technically more difficult exercise. It is used in weightlifting to develop leg strength. The shoulder girdle in this variant receives minimal load compared to the legs.

Starting position: feet – shoulder width apart, barbell – on the front of the shoulders or upper chest, hands – one and a half shoulder width (but you can take a little wider).

Sit up in a half squat and powerfully push your feet off the floor as during a jump – heels slightly off, the foot comes out on the toe. The movement should be powerful and as fast as possible, so that the barbell begins to rise, taking off from the resulting inertia.

Once the barbell has started to move upward, squat down again quickly, while straightening your arms as much as possible. The depth of the squat depends on your flexibility and leg strength (I don’t recommend squatting deeply with the barbell above your head).

The second time you squat, you will find yourself in a half squat under the barbell with straight arms. After that, straighten your legs completely – again, do it in a smooth and quick movement, with full control of the projectile.

In this position, fixate for a fraction of a second. And after that, slightly bending your knees, lower the bar to your shoulders or the top of your chest. In the classic version, the barbell is thrown to the floor, but since we are not working at the ultimate maximum with a controlled weight, we smoothly lower the projectile.

We perform three or four approaches of 12 repetitions.

Common mistakes when performing the schwung

Schwing is an exercise that requires not only strength, but also coordination, technique and accuracy. In the process of mastering the exercise, trainees often make mistakes that can lead to ineffective training or even injury.

Too heavy a weight. Many people train their ego rather than their body and take too much weight. This is very dangerous. When you take weights that are hard for you to handle, you risk a whole list of future injuries, as well as ligament and joint damage – and this will take you out of the training process for a long time.

Insufficient leg work. Insufficient leg work in the first stage of the barbell lift limits the speed of the barbell. This does not create enough momentum for the next stage. This leads to rapid fatigue of the shoulder girdle muscles. Here you need to understand: the schwung (both push and press) uses leg strength to help the upper extremities to relieve the load from them. If the upper body is overloaded, it will lead to at least a decrease in the number of repetitions in the movement, and at most – to injuries, sprains and tears of muscles and ligaments.

Improper weight transfer to the heels and toes. Many trainees keep their weight on their heels during the initial lift and sometimes even at the end point. This mistake can lead to loss of balance. Distribute the load on the foot evenly and then keep your balance.

Slow elbow movements. The elbows must move quickly and efficiently to grip the bar at the top point. Delays lead to failure and injury.

Insufficient training. Many people mistakenly believe that weightlifting exercises can be neglected and require no special training. But shvung requires flexibility of wrist and shoulder joints: during the exercise you need to put the barbell on your chest and put your elbows forward, while maintaining a neutral position of the spine (not bending backwards or leaning forward). In addition, if your back and shoulder muscles are not stretched and you do not have the necessary mobility of the shoulder joint and scapula, you will not be able to lift the bar straight above your head, maintaining the natural curve of the spine, without a strong deviation of the body back.

Contraindications to performing the exercise

Back problems. Shvung gives an axial load on the spine, so if you have intervertebral hernias and pinched nerves and muscles of the spine, it is better to refrain from this exercise. Consult your doctor, take a rehabilitation course to strengthen your back, and after the rehabilitator and the attending physician’s approval, try to include this exercise in your workouts.

Knee joint and ligament injuries. During explosive jumping movements, the impact force of the movement on the musculoskeletal system is increased. Therefore, in case of injuries to knee joints and ligaments, shvung will have to be excluded (especially the push shvung).

High blood pressure or cardiovascular disease. Shvung creates a high load on the cardiovascular system, and if you have problems with it, it is better to avoid this exercise.

Overweight. Excess weight puts extra strain on the joints, especially the knees and hips. This can lead to damage to joint surfaces or the development of degenerative processes. In addition, there is an increased risk of injury due to a possible mismatch between muscle strength and body weight, which makes it difficult to control the performance of complex motor tasks such as the schwung press or push press. The diet and endocrine system (if necessary) should be adjusted. And after the weight is close to normal, this exercise can be added to the training process.

Recommendations on how to include the schwung in the training process

The strongest people on the planet are weightlifters – weightlifters. They are incredibly flexible, fast, and strong. Therefore, by adding the schwung, a powerful weightlifting exercise, to your training arsenal, you will definitely gain some of the strength that fueled great weightlifters like USSR champion Yuri Vlasov (for your information, he was an idol for Arnold Schwarzenegger!).

Yuri Vlasov and Arnold Schwarzenegger

However, be careful. Consider the following recommendations when planning your training process:

Warm up thoroughly. Always perform a warm-up before you begin an exercise. Prepare your muscles and joints for the upcoming load with dynamic exercises – for example, you can exercise on an elliptical or exercise bike. This will help prevent injury.
Choose the right weights. Start with a weight that allows you to focus on your technique. Your goal is to master the correct movement and then gradually increase the weight.
Watch your technique. Keep your back straight during the entire movement, keep your knees pointing toward your toes, and focus on the smoothness of the movement. Practice in front of a mirror to self-monitor your technique.
Increase the load in stages. Take your time to increase the intensity of your workout. Add weight and difficulty gradually to avoid overtraining and injury.
Vary the types of schwing. Using different variations of schwung will enrich your training program and help lead to better results. For example, the press schwung can be used in circuit endurance training by combining it with exercises (stations) for all muscle groups in 12 to 14 repetitions. As for the push schwung, it combines well with leg and shoulder training and is suitable as an auxiliary and warm-up exercise.
Rest. Don’t forget the importance of rest and recovery. Adequate rest between workouts promotes better muscle recovery and prevents overexertion.