A typical workout exercise with Mike Brown

Here is a typical workout exercise--work large muscles for strength.

Note that my trainee, Derek, fails two attempts at 225# in June and then succeeds with 230# a few weeks later in July.

You may wonder why a bodybuilder should use a push press, involving the legs and hips, as opposed to simply lifting the weight in good form.

You can handle more weight if you push press, as the push press helps get the weight "started" and moves it past the normal "sticking point" (normally about the bridge of your nose). More weight equals more muscle size. More muscle size equals more strength. More strength, even when the press is done in strict form, allows you to handle more weight.

Back in 1971 a fellow named Bob Simpson out of Knoxville, Tennessee trained in this fashion. At a height of 5' 7" and a bodyweight of 250 lbs. he could press 550 lbs from a squat rack: in strict form.