Which correction addresses overextending the spine during a press?

• A. Have the athlete tighten the abdominals by pulling the rib cage down; check overhead position again after this fix.
• B. Have the athlete use a slightly wider grip if needed, until flexibility improves.
• C. Cue the athlete to press up and pull back on the bar as it travels overhead.
• D. Press up and lock elbows.

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is keeping the spine in a neutral position by bracing the core. When the spine overextends during a press, the rib cage tends to flare up and the lower back loses its neutral alignment, making the movement unstable and risking injury. By tightening the abdominals and pulling the rib cage down, the torso is braced, the ribs stay down, and the back stays neutral as you press. This helps maintain a stable spine and a clean bar path overhead.

This correction directly targets the mechanic behind spine overextension. The other options don’t address the rib-cage position and core bracing needed to prevent hyperextension: a wider grip doesn’t fix spine angle, a cue focusing on bar path doesn’t correct rib-cage position, and locking the elbows at lockout doesn’t solve the spinal alignment issue.