Log Press
The log clean and press is a strongman lift: you clean a large cylindrical log with parallel handles from the floor to your chest, then drive it to straight arms overhead, usually with a dip and drive of the legs. It works the shoulders and triceps for the press, the back, hips and legs for the clean, and the grip and trunk throughout.
Also called: Strongman Log Press, Log C&P, Log Lift · Equipment: strongman · Pattern: push
Step by step
- Stand close behind the log with your feet about hip-width apart. Hinge down, grip the neutral handles and brace your trunk with your back flat.
- Stand up with the log and roll it back onto your thighs so it rests in your lap.
- Drive your hips forward and pull the log up your body. As it reaches your chest, whip your elbows under and forward to rack it across your upper chest.
- Stand tall with the log on your upper chest, elbows high and pointing forward, ribs down. Sit your head back so your chin clears the log's path.
- Take a breath and brace, dip a few inches at the knees with your trunk upright, then drive up hard through your legs.
- Punch the log overhead, moving your head forward through the gap as the log passes your face. Lock out with straight arms and the log over the middle of your feet.
- Bring the log back down to your chest under control, then to your lap and the floor or pads.
- Lap it, then snap the elbows through
- Chin back, then head through the gap
- Dip straight down and drive hard
- Ribs down as you lock out
- Finish with the log over your mid-foot
- Elbows high in the rack
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Anterior deltoid: anterior | Prime mover | C |
| Erector spinae | Prime mover | B |
| Triceps brachii | Secondary | C |
| Trapezius: upper | Secondary | C |
| Forearm flexors | Secondary | C |
| Gluteus maximus | Secondary | C |
| Quadriceps | Secondary | C |
| Lateral deltoid: lateral | Secondary | C |
| Pectoralis major: clavicular (upper) | Secondary | C |
| Rectus abdominis | Stabiliser | C |
| Hamstrings: biceps femoris (long head) | Stabiliser | C |
| Biceps brachii | Dynamic stabiliser | C |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Slow, curling clean
Fix: Drive your hips and whip your elbows through fast to rack the log.
Leaning back to press
Fix: Brace, keep your ribs down and use your legs to drive the log past your face.
Chin in the press path
Fix: Sit your head back, then move it through once the log clears your face.
Elbows dropping in the rack
Fix: Keep your elbows high and pointing forward before you dip.
Dipping forward onto the toes
Fix: Dip straight down with your weight across your whole foot.
Grinding a strict press when heavy
Fix: Use a dip and drive to move the log through the hardest part.
What the research says
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- Load — Research finds maximal strength gains favour heavier loads, while muscle growth is similar across a wide range of loads. Strongman athletes commonly train the log in sets of 1–5 reps.
- Rest — A trial in trained men found 3-minute rests produced greater strength and size gains than 1-minute rests. Long rests between heavy log sets are common.
- Volume — A meta-analysis found strength rises with weekly sets, with diminishing returns, and moderate weekly volume produced meaningful gains.
- Frequency — A meta-analysis found higher training frequency helps strength mainly by allowing more weekly volume. Many strongman athletes press the log once or twice a week.
- Leg drive — There is no direct research comparing strict and leg-driven log pressing. Most strongman athletes use a push press or jerk once the log is heavy.
- Session order — Many lifters place the log first in a session because it is maximal and technical.
Swap it mid-workout
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
Log the log press in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.
General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.