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Struggling with overhead press

X

xassius

New member
Hi,

I have been doing 3x5 for the military press for quite a while now, and I have been stuck at 37.5kg for a month! :mad:

I am fine with 35kg, can complete all sets, but with 37.5kg, I can't do more than ~3-4 with the latter two sets! It hasn't been improving at all!

I think i need to mix it up with other shoulder exercises? maybe? Would doing dumbell shoulder presses help? What about going with a lighter weight but for a lot more reps for a week then going back to the 3x5?
 
Whats your eating like?

So u have the bar 20kg and 8.75 a side?

Try the 37.5 and when u cant do anymore turn it to push press keep eating and lifting.. Better to get the 4 reps with the heavier weight then do 5 reps with the same weight over..

Or do 4x5..

More wieght or more reps.. one or the other.
 
n00bs said:
Whats your eating like?

So u have the bar 20kg and 8.75 a side?

Try the 37.5 and when u cant do anymore turn it to push press keep eating and lifting.. Better to get the 4 reps with the heavier weight then do 5 reps with the same weight over..

Or do 4x5..

More wieght or more reps.. one or the other.
Click to expand...

I'm not eating _massively_ (something i need to work on), but my squats, powercleans, jerks, chinups, deadlifts, bench, have been improving!

i will try push pressing it......

thanks
 
Last edited:
Ok xassius,

I've done some research on you and I found that you're an 18 year old young man who weighs 68kg and would like to break through some military press barriers. Am I right so far? Let's move on...

This Friday coming (2-10-09), I'd like you to do the following for me please. Begin your workout with military press, making sure that you've done your rotator cuff warm ups as I've outlined in my "Rotator Cuff" article.

1. Grab the empty bar (20kg?) and press up 5 reps for me. Rest for 2 minutes then do the same again.

2. Load the bar with 25kg and press it 3 times for me. Rest 3 minutes.

3. Load to 30kg and press it 2 times. Rest 3 minutes.

4. Load to 35 and do 1. Rest 4 minutes.

5. Load to 37.5kg and do 1. Rest 5 minutes.

6. Load to 40kg and do 1. Rest 5 minutes.

7. Load to 42.5 and show me what you're made of.

8. PM me if I don't respond to this thread for whatever reason by Friday.

9. We'll talk...

Thanks for your time.


Fadi.
 
xassius said:
Hi,

I have been doing 3x5 for the military press for quite a while now, and I have been stuck at 37.5kg for a month! :mad:

I am fine with 35kg, can complete all sets, but with 37.5kg, I can't do more than ~3-4 with the latter two sets! It hasn't been improving at all!

I think i need to mix it up with other shoulder exercises? maybe? Would doing dumbell shoulder presses help? What about going with a lighter weight but for a lot more reps for a week then going back to the 3x5?
Click to expand...

The MP is easily the most difficult of exercises to improve on. Most that use a basic 5 x 5 program as you are will hit a wall, as you have found.

I have had a fair bit of success with this lift, myself and clients. You need to address the most dificult section, the start.

Push press wont help, that eliminates the hard part. You need to become more explosive. The MP, unlike other lifts, starts from a dead stop, no momentum, unlike the bench press.

You need to do exercises that make you more explosive. When I set about doing over 100kg on the MP, my favourite exercise was the single DB overhead press. For some reason you can be more explosive with one DB than with a bar, without using your legs.

I eventually built up to 50kg x 1 and 45kg x 5 with the single DB overhead press. By this time, I could do 102.5kg in the MP.

My son Max at 17 and 68kg military pressed 65kg, very close to bodyweight. He now weighs 72kg and hasnt attempted a 1RM, but is doing movements to help him get to bodyweight.

Even my wife reps out 40kg for 5, she weighs 60kg and is 45yo.

Trust me, I know MP. I love it. My brother did 115kg, but he was much heavier than most lol

Hope this helps.
 
So with the single DB overhead press, do you just have one DB in one hand and press that? I take it you are standing? Do you press from the same point as you would the MP.

I find a couple of techniques have helped, like moving my head into the hole. Making sure my elbows are right up at the start which helps in the initial push out of the hole.
 
i love military press its making me stronger...i wanna go body weight all in due time though...
 
wow thats interesting Markos might have to try that one i guess u would be trying not to slouch to one side and keeping ya core strong too i like this very much... its like once i saw this guy benching and he only had weight on one side...but that another thing again...
 
PTC said:
The MP is easily the most difficult of exercises to improve on. Most that use a basic 5 x 5 program as you are will hit a wall, as you have found.

I have had a fair bit of success with this lift, myself and clients. You need to address the most dificult section, the start.

Push press wont help, that eliminates the hard part. You need to become more explosive. The MP, unlike other lifts, starts from a dead stop, no momentum, unlike the bench press.

You need to do exercises that make you more explosive. When I set about doing over 100kg on the MP, my favourite exercise was the single DB overhead press. For some reason you can be more explosive with one DB than with a bar, without using your legs.

I eventually built up to 50kg x 1 and 45kg x 5 with the single DB overhead press. By this time, I could do 102.5kg in the MP.

My son Max at 17 and 68kg military pressed 65kg, very close to bodyweight. He now weighs 72kg and hasnt attempted a 1RM, but is doing movements to help him get to bodyweight.

Even my wife reps out 40kg for 5, she weighs 60kg and is 45yo.

Trust me, I know MP. I love it. My brother did 115kg, but he was much heavier than most lol

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

thanks Markos, im storing this post under my pillow
 
Fadi said:
Ok xassius,

I've done some research on you and I found that you're an 18 year old young man who weighs 68kg and would like to break through some military press barriers. Am I right so far? Let's move on...

This Friday coming (2-10-09), I'd like you to do the following for me please. Begin your workout with military press, making sure that you've done your rotator cuff warm ups as I've outlined in my "Rotator Cuff" article.

1. Grab the empty bar (20kg?) and press up 5 reps for me. Rest for 2 minutes then do the same again.

2. Load the bar with 25kg and press it 3 times for me. Rest 3 minutes.

3. Load to 30kg and press it 2 times. Rest 3 minutes.

4. Load to 35 and do 1. Rest 4 minutes.

5. Load to 37.5kg and do 1. Rest 5 minutes.

6. Load to 40kg and do 1. Rest 5 minutes.

7. Load to 42.5 and show me what you're made of.

8. PM me if I don't respond to this thread for whatever reason by Friday.

9. We'll talk...

Thanks for your time.


Fadi.
Click to expand...

Done. Very easy :)

EDIT: Not ridiculously easy. Loaded up with 45kg after, but couldn't get it up. I was surprised at how 42.5kg flew up though. I really thought I would get 45kg after that....
 
Last edited:
I have been doing 3x5 for the military press for quite a while now, and I have been stuck at 37.5kg for a month! :mad:

I am fine with 35kg, can complete all sets, but with 37.5kg, I can't do more than ~3-4 with the latter two sets! It hasn't been improving at all!

You havent adressed your original issue at all, you simply dropped the reps and of course could use more weight. Everyone can do that on every exercise.

I thought you were asking how to get 3x5 with 37.5kg in the MP.

If you had asked, "how do I MP 40kg+" everyone would have said "you can, just not for 5 reps"

I'm confused.
 
PTC said:
I have been doing 3x5 for the military press for quite a while now, and I have been stuck at 37.5kg for a month! :mad:

I am fine with 35kg, can complete all sets, but with 37.5kg, I can't do more than ~3-4 with the latter two sets! It hasn't been improving at all!

You havent adressed your original issue at all, you simply dropped the reps and of course could use more weight. Everyone can do that on every exercise.

I thought you were asking how to get 3x5 with 37.5kg in the MP.

If you had asked, "how do I MP 40kg+" everyone would have said "you can, just not for 5 reps"

I'm confused.
Click to expand...

I know I haven't addressed the _original_ issue....I was just doing what Fadi asked me to do :(

EDIT: I'm all ears. Tell me what to do and I'll do it.
 
I generally find, that when a lifter wants to lift more weight, I encourage him to get stronger.

I'm not being a smart ass, I will help you, eventually, but I want to see if you know what you need to do to get stronger.

Treat this like problem solving, which those that know me will tell you, I love.

The key to lifting more weight is to get stronger. Whats the best way to get stronger?

I'll be back.
 
PTC said:
I generally find, that when a lifter wants to lift more weight, I encourage him to get stronger.

I'm not being a smart ass, I will help you, eventually, but I want to see if you know what you need to do to get stronger.

Treat this like problem solving, which those that know me will tell you, I love.

The key to lifting more weight is to get stronger. Whats the best way to get stronger?

I'll be back.
Click to expand...

Being stuck for a month, my first instinct would be to try varying the routine from 3x5 barbell military presses to dumbell presses (as you have mentioned). Probably work up the dumbell presses (3x5 again?) for a few weeks until progress halts??

hmm. stronger. which means i should also be chugging down milk (nearly 2L a day now), and eating lots.

...ok...i'm out of ideas now :p
 
Not a riddle, solution is in my threads on here, most wont do their own research, its a no brainer. That means you can solve it Kyle.
 
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