Sometimes if I do it at the end of a strength training session and I just want a quick GPP hit, I’ll use a slightly lighter dumbbell. This doesn’t make it easier on the cardio system, as you take less rest. But it’s easier on muscles that have already been worked hard.

I decided top give it a go toady as it looked good. Near enough killed me but must be doing me some good.

How often would you chuck in a workout like this to your normal strength routine? Is it a once a week effort or every now and then just to see how you are improving?

Just found your article. I have been doing these for a while but always good to ensure my technique is correct. This is far and away the best article on this exercise rather than the single sentence you find on other sites.

Cheers

If you want to learn the technique, choose a weight that is reasonably light but not too light, since it is hard to get the feel of an olympic-style lift without a bit of resistance. You need to have something to drop under (see step 3) and having some weight makes you do this properly.

Without weight, it’s too easy to just do a bit of a knee bend or use arm strength to lift the weight, rather than pulling yourself underneath it and then pressing it up.

If you just want to get the movement wired first, choose a super light weight or even mime it with no weight at all. Then choose a practice weight. I recommend a dumbbell that is heavy enough to give some resistance but light enough that you can shoulder press it overhead for at least 5 reps.

Once you’ve got the technique down, match the weight to your workout goal. For strength, choose a heavy weight and low reps; for GPP, choose a lighter weight and higher reps. I often use 5 reps each side as a warm up set.