A common reason/excuse used for this downward movement is using the movement to load the latissimus dorsi (lat) for the press because using the lat in the press is a crucial aspect of the pressing technique.
For those confused as to how the lat assists in the military press, when the lat is used to pull the arm into adduction and extension during the clean or the active negative of the military press, the antagonist/agonist action and length-tension curve results in the lat forming a “shelf” for the abductors and flexors to push the bell out of the rack and into the press. (Hat tip to Dr. Kathy Dooley for her input on this.)
So, how do we solve this apparent contradiction of needing to load the lat for the press and not having any downward movement of the bell before initiating the press?
Fabio Zonin, StrongFirst Certified Master Instructor, provides the answer in this video showing how to load the lat for the military press the right way. And be sure to take advantage of the 25% discount on Fabio’s pressing master class, VICTORIOUS, before it ends on May 16th. | 
