The difference between a seesaw press and alternating press is that with the seesaw press both kettlebells keep moving and with the alternating press one waits for the other before moving. Either of these presses is always performed with two weights, and either kettlebells or dumbbells.
The seesaw press is great for the thoracic area and it’s also a real shoulder burner because the tension remains on the delts throughout the exercises. The tension remains because of the movement not returning to racking (chest/rest). Your objective is to mimic a real seesaw which is one side up while the other goes down with constant movement.
The alternating press has one weight waiting in recking position for the other to return and then go up. The alternating press can also be performed with a front or side press, whereas the seesaw press is always performed with a side press.
The seesaw press should be programmed in lower reps than the alternating press due to the constant pressure on the deltoids. Lower weight is also recommended. The opposing shoulders/shoulder blades moving is what provides the benefits for the thoracic area, it’s not just the movement but also the stabilization requirements throughout the movement that is great from this exercise.
I choose to demonstrate these two kettlebell press variations together as there is some confusion and it’s common for the alternating press to be referred to as the seesaw press, however, this is incorrect.
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