Overhead Press Progression

[Santa]

I’ve been stuck at 205 on my strict OHP for quite a while. I have a short term goal of trying to press 225.

From what I’ve read this movement is hard to progress. Any recommendations?

In the past I’ve tried volume, pin press, landmine press, z press, kettlebell, etc.

Based on what I’ve learned here I’ve increased my rest time/failure, and do notice improvement. So thanks for that discussion.

 

[turkey_sandwich]

@Thewall

please tell us what worked for you.

 

[BigBaldBeardGuy]

I’ve been stuck at 205 on my strict OHP for quite a while. I have a short term goal of trying to press 225.

From what I’ve read this movement is hard to progress. Any recommendations?

In the past I’ve tried volume, pin press, landmine press, z press, kettlebell, etc.

Based on what I’ve learned here I’ve increased my rest time/failure, and do notice improvement. So thanks for that discussion.

Strength development is slightly different than hypertrophy. Obviously bigger muscles can move bigger weights when trained to move those weights. Along with the CNS discussion for hypertrophy training, strength has a lot to do with CNS recruitment of motor units. You want to train maximum motor recruitment. In this scenario, volume can be beneficial. As your muscle group becomes fatigued, it will recruit additional motor units to move the weight. This is why powerlifting training programs are very different than bodybuilding programs.

You have some options. You can utilize periodization and alternate a few weeks of hypertrohpy training (sets to failure) with strength training using varying sets and reps and weights based off of percentages and prilipin's chart. Fatigue masks the full expression of strength. During the strength training you actually WANT that accumulated fatigue through the weeks of training, and then you would do a deload week to remove that fatigue and that's when super-compensation is observed. Take that new PR and go into the hypertrophy period of training and repeat the process.

Or up your drugs. Lol.

 

[Santa]

Thanks and that makes a lot of sense. I’ve had some moderate success in strength gains the past few years since switching my focus from running (155lbs bw) to lifting (205-210lbs). 315/405/500 in the big 3.

However I tend to jump back and forth between endurance training, strength training and hypertrophy. Which is one of the reasons I want to hang out here. To learn and focus.

Drugs can help, sure. But I’m pretty tame. I cruise most of the year on 200/week. I’ll do a few short blasts of 8 weeks of test/deca 500/300 week. It’s worked for me, my dick works, and I’ve got all my hair. Lol. Once I learn better diet/training I’ll consider the additional risk.

Anyway, thanks for the advice. I’m going to print out some charts and start tracking things better.

 

[OldeBull1]

5 Ways to Increase Your Press

Ever since I started pressing, I have been obsessed with making it better. Partly because I was so weak at it for so long (which meant that it had no place to go but up) and because it is simply a cool exercise to do. The death of the Press as a movement can be attributed to a lot of things...

www.jimwendler.com

Some things that have worked for me:
*2 Upper body press workouts weekly.
*Back off bench press work. More incline press and dips. Don't worry about chest, focus on pressing.
*Push Press and Strict press.
I lead with a push press using heavier weight, lower reps. Focus on a solid lockout before lowering. Get comfortable using heavier weight. Follow with a few sets of a stricter press to work the muscles.
Quickly, you'll be pushing 205,215,225 for a few explosive reps. Build those numbers over a few months. As you do that, your back off strict sets will naturally increase in weight as well. When you go back to a focus on the standard overhead press, you'll see the carry over.

 

[GreenAmine]

OHP is my favorite lift. Learning proper technique from this guy helped me tremendously:

Learn how to breathe and brace for this lift. Big belly breath, flex glutes and quads. Frequency is also very important for OHP. Press frequently.

Incline bench will help as well. The steeper the incline, the better.

Pin presses will allow you to press heavier weight and will help you become comfortable with heavy weight overhead.

 

[Thewall]

I personally love the press, I had a pec injury years ago which held me back in the bench. I took that energy and put it towards my press. I am still learning myself, but what I learned thus far is frequency and practice in the press is crucial. I started out by pressing more days a week slowly. I started out with doing laterals 4-5 days a week which then progressed to adding more pressing days. I would start out first getting use to the frequency which means leaving a decent amount of reps in the tank. I would stick with no more than 5 reps in your press. Maybe try one day 5x5 the next 5x3 and the third 4-5 sets singles and doubles. Every session practice your form, the press is very critical on staying in the right bar path. If the bar is a hair out of the right groove you will not get the lift. You will see this when it comes to heavy weights. Start by just building your volume so you can press 3 to 4 days a week, once you are accustomed to that start going heavier one day a week, (meaning less reps in the tank, but not failure) I would video yourself when you start pushing heavier weights to see where your sticking point or weak link is. Pin presses are great for this. Steep inclines are also another great alternative lift. Tricep strength is a big one too so maybe replace your bench with close grip benches. It is a process and it is a slow one. Your bodyweight of course is crucial with the press too. This is where periods of hypertrophy to build mass would help in between strength phases. The press is very sensitive to it. I recently lost a little weight after my competition and my press went down a little. This is a ramble of information and hard to put it in one post. I have done a lot of research in the press and all the great pressers back in the day pressed often and heavy. They also based their assistance on their weak link. So this is very individual and you have to find what works for you.

 

[Badleroybrown]

Concentrate on incline press’s..
You can’t just concentrate on this you also have to strengthen your tri’s as well.

So over the years I have tried a lot of different ways to train.
Some were standard and maybe some were not..

So when I wanted to get stronger in a compound lift I incorporated pin press’s in the rack..

Weekly I worked in a different height.
So if I wanted to get any stronger now with my ohp I would set up in a rack…
First week I would set the pins a starting point.

Next week I would set it one or two holes up on your rack depending how far apart the are.
So on until you are almost at the top…

When you bring the bar down let it rest and take a breath and then start the press again..
If course the lower you are the closer to your max you can be but the higher you get on the rack the more you can add…
This is training the movement at different point..

Case in point for me..
When I was a young buck… prob OMG ten years ago I was really trying to drive my squats numbers up…

I always did box squats… so they essentially are the same kind of set up as I explained above..
So yes you ever see the dude at the gym that had too much weight on the bar and only did a 1/4 or half the ROM..

Not different than rack pulls. You can always move more weight at the top end.

Yes this was me… the only difference was I was squatting Cough Cough..
more weight then most will ever touch…
So yes by the time I was done with a 1 month I treid a new max…
Even if I add 10 more pounds to the bar…
It’s still ten pounds heavier then the previous month..
You will get stuck sooner.
If you can continuously just add 10 pounds you would add 120pounds to the bar in a year. That is probably a difficult feat for most and not possible without drugs..

I dont know maybe I dont
Know wtf I am talking about…

There are more knowledgeable dudes around here..

But you never know what works unless you are willing to think outside the box…

Good luck…

 

[Yano]

Inclines , JMs , Spotos , Bradford Press , floor or pin press

I'm not a big OHP guy [ 225 standing for a single if i dont stroke out ] but those are what I work mostly along with them.

 

[Santa]

Well fuck, after watching that video I have a lot of room for improvement. Im proud of what I’ve accomplished so far with shit knowledge.

My technique was shit. I use a false grip but I had been letting the bar roll back into my palms and not ‘stacking my bones’. Breathing was fucked, not breathing and bracing. And I wasn’t squeezing my cheeks.

Anyway. I’m glad I asked. I went in to the gym this morning just to put into practice the grip, breathing/bracing and keeping core/cheeks tight. Definitely noticed a difference in how the movement felt. I started with pin press, did a few singles of 200/205 focusing on technique. Moved over to practice push press and did a few doubles of 215. I finished up with lateral raise.

Next week I’ll find/create and start a plan looking at frequency, rep ranges, and different lifts.

Thanks again.

 

[BigBaldBeardGuy]

Damn. All the advice and you can’t be bothered to post a video or even just a damn picture of the tight squeezing cheeks?

Zero appreciation.

 

[Santa]

Damn. All the advice and you can’t be bothered to post a video or even just a damn picture of the tight squeezing cheeks?

Zero appreciation.

2 things, I just figured out how to do something other than ‘like’ a post. Lol.

And two, I don’t need anyone else falling in love with me. Sorry man.

**I would like to post my transformation picture one day. Sadly, still won’t be any cheeks.

 

[Thorongil]

I'm not the best OHPer, my best set ever is 215 for 6 or 7. But for me what helped drive progress was

1) Volume. Lots and lots of reps, lots of sets
2) Hanging from the bar for a few sets of 20-30 seconds as part of my warm up. Helped really stretch out my lats
3) Triceps work, heavy and high rep, 2-3x a week

I know Mitchell Hooper swears by a close-grip incline bench for overhead strength. I see Trey Mitchell do that a lot as well. Both top strongmen

 

[Santa]

I forgot about this post. I finally broke 225, I can hit singles consistently now. I got 235 once but failed subsequent attempts and said fuck it.

And yeah, volume it seems was what did it for me. I was hitting OHP 3x per week with one day being heavy.

 

[Test_subject]

I forgot about this post. I finally broke 225, I can hit singles consistently now. I got 235 once but failed subsequent attempts and said fuck it.

And yeah, volume it seems was what did it for me. I was hitting OHP 3x per week with one day being heavy.

OHP (and shoulders in general) seem to respond well to volume. I got up to 275 x 4 by doing OHP twice a week: one day with 5 sets of 12-15 and one day with 5 sets of 6-10.

It’s a tough lift to progress without really working at it. A couple sets a week is not going to get you there.

 

[Yano]

Standing i'm up to 225 at 202 body weight but it's damn near a push press , not so strict but no real leg drive just bit of " knee pop "