More overhead press strength

67nova

Member
I'd like to know how to press more on barbell overhead presses.

Been doing a shoulder/trap routine of 4/6-8 overhead presses
4/8-10 smith upright rows
3/12-15 lateral raises
3/15-20 reverse cable flys
3/6-8 b/b shrugs
3/8-10 reverse b/b shrugs or regular d/b shrugs
then 3 sets of 3 ab exercises
Seems i cant increase my press no matter what i do??If anything im getting weaker at them.
 
It may sound trivial but the answer will be in the routine itself. I recommend Jim Wendler 5/3/1 training and focus on the big 4, squat, deadlift, flat bench, and military press, the assisting work can still follow a mass building approach but the core of the routine will be purely strength building
 
Like mentioned, if you want to increase STRENGTH in a lift, you have to have controlled overloading and proper supplemental lift periodization. 5/3/1 is a good start for beginners in strength training, buy the book and read up in it. Another approach would be West Side, but that requires a bit more knowledge of the movements and planes...so yeah 5/3/1 should help you increase those numbers, that and a caloric surplus.
 
As said in the last two posts...Wendlers 5/3/1

Proper form trumps everything so if your form sucks then obviously you won't be able to push maximum weight. Don't be half repping them. Don't bounce it off your upper chest. Don't turn it into a push press (unless you're doing a push press, obviously)

Don't restrict your lifts to a specific rep range for every single workout over and over as you have specified on your routine. The only shoulder assistance lifts I've done in the past few months has been standing dumbell presses, weighted dips, and maybe some lateral raises on my deload weeks, all varying from 5 reps, or up to 20 reps. Keeping it simple and sticking to a program has helped me more than anything. Work on your triceps as well to increase your bench and overhead press. Dips, JM press, close grip bench, tate press, push downs ect
 
i would change it to:
5-10 of 1-5 reps overhead press/push press
5 sets of 10 of DB overhead press
5 sets of 10 of french press
50 reps total of facepulls

or do what others are saying. get on a proven program. whatever you do please drop the upright rows. those will destroy your shoulders.
 
asooneyeonig said:
i would change it to:
5-10 of 1-5 reps overhead press/push press
5 sets of 10 of DB overhead press
5 sets of 10 of french press
50 reps total of facepulls

or do what others are saying. get on a proven program. whatever you do please drop the upright rows. those will destroy your shoulders.
Click to expand...

And Scapula.
 
Inject with Test and watch the magic ;) I kid I kid.

5/3/1 is a good starting place, as mentioned above. But really do drop the upright rows, horrible exercise.
 
Start working towards dips for reps with 100+ lbs slung around your waist. Bill Starr wrote a fairly informative essay about increasing OHP strength and advocated heavy dips as the best assistance exercise for that movement. It makes sense to me - if you're trying to lock out near maximal weight, your triceps are going to need some new stress to do it, and for most heavy dips will do the trick.
 
My overhead press has gone up about 50 lbs since spring. Most, but not all of those gains came on 5-3-1. This lift had been a stubborn one for me, now its one of my best lifts in terms of gains. This is what I have been doing:

5-3-1 sets
2-3 lighter sets of 10, BBB style. I don't do 5 BBB sets because for this lift because I have a lot of accessory sets that I like to do on this day. For a while I was doing a few sets of dumbbell presses, but lately I have been just doing a couple extra sets of shoulder presses and liking it.
4 sets of bodyweight pullups, I stop about 2 reps short of failure on all sets except last. Last set I go to failure about every other workout.
4 sets of weighted dips, I stay in the 8 rep range for these
3 sets pull aparts, 12 reps light weight
3 sets facepulls, 12 reps light weight
 
As with any movement, training the elements within the same plane are your best bet. Dips, pullups (multiple grips), shrugs, etc. Doing push-press can help your triceps adapt to extra weight at the top of the movement, but they should be implemented as a supplemental lift to OHP.
 
Bill Starr in his book recommended heavy weighted dips and incline bench since they both involve pressing at a higher angle.
 
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