Which of the following is a fault in the push press (the initial fault list)?

• A. Pressing early
• B. Loss of midline stabilization
• C. Bar not overhead at finish
• D. Inactive shoulders, bent elbows at finish

Answer: (A)

In a push press, the bar should rise from the waist to overhead as a result of hip drive and leg extension before the arms press. Pressing early is a fault because it sends the bar overhead before the hips have fully extended, short-circuiting the intended power transfer from the legs. This reliance on the arms first leads to a less efficient, unstable press, with the bar path often drifting and the finish not being as solid as it should be. The other points describe issues that tend to show up later in the movement or in the finish position—loss of midline stabilization relates to core control during the dip and drive, finishing with the bar not overhead is a finish-position error, and inactive shoulders with bent elbows at finish describes the end posture rather than the initial sequencing.