overhead press

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gardni said:
Is it supposed to be really difficult?

I've started the stronglifts program last month as a complete beginner to properly lifting. So for those unfamiliar, you start with an empty bar and add 2.5kg each workout. doing 3x a week alternating between squat, bench press, barbell row + squat, overhead press, deadlift.

so as i say i'm about a month in, the weights start easy so they really help a novice get used to lifting the free bar, however i'm already struggling with the overhead press. today i failed one rep on one of my 5 sets. so i did something like 5 5 5 4 5. I'm only at 35kg, but as i was pushing up my arms just didn't want to do what i wanted them to and they gave up.

so a bit of perspective on that 35kg overhead press, that means today i also did 55kg squat, 70kg deadlift, on monday i did 35kg bench press, 42.5kg barbell row with no problems. should i be struggling with the overhead press already or am i just a weakling?
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Recently started training again after a long lay off and my OHP is better than my bench press. Figure that one out.

Stevie Freestein II said:
Amen brother!

I've been doing ohp from off the floor instead of from the rack and it's made me appreciate how strong the Olympic lifters must be. The old fella at our gym lifted 145kg in 1974 and I can't do 45kg. The tip he gave me is to lift quickly at the bottom part of the push when the bar is at your shoulders. Saying that the Olympic lifters use their legs and I don't.
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You kind of just pop your hips from the initial pull during the propulsion phase
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Thurston said:
Recently started training again after a long lay off and my OHP is better than my bench press. Figure that one out.


You kind of just pop your hips from the initial pull during the propulsion phase
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I've been lifting it off floor up to my knees then snatching it over to my chest, then doing 5 reps of ohp from the chest. I don't know what the technical term is but I can do it with 40kg.
 
Stevie Freestein II said:
I've been lifting it off floor up to my knees then snatching it over to my chest, then doing 5 reps of ohp from the chest. I don't know what the technical term is but I can do it with 40kg.
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hang clean (probably power clean unless you involve a front squat in there) to strict press. Snatch is what you see in Thurston's gif, floor to above your head in one move.
 
oROSSo said:
hang clean (probably power clean unless you involve a front squat in there) to strict press. Snatch is what you see in Thurston's gif, floor to above your head in one move.
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Thank you, I do it from the floor so a) I don't hog the squat rack and b) it's a bit of extra work.

I might go back to trying to lift a bit more off the rack as I did 5x5 today but 7 reps on the last set so I can add a bit of weight.
 
I just almost had a meltdown because I couldn't even do 1 rep on my overhead press tonight, after I'd just struggled with my squat too. I was just about to call it a day thinking tonight wasn't my night when I realised I'd put an extra 5kg on each end so was trying to do 55kg instead of 45kg. Took them off and got 5x5 no problem!
 
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Mick Dundee said:
I just almost had a meltdown because I couldn't even do 1 rep on my overhead press tonight, after I'd just struggled with my squat too. I was just about to call it a day thinking tonight wasn't my night when I realised I'd put an extra 5kg on each end so was trying to do 55kg instead of 45kg. Took them off and got 5x5 no problem!
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I reckon I must have miscalculated on my bench press a couple of weeks ago. I got up to 80kg but then on Monday I struggled at 75kg so my muscles have either shrank again or I miscounted the plates.
 
That 5x5 (55545) looks ok to me, the last rep of a set should be a challenge , and nobody got strong by never failing on a lift. Plenty of people who smash through PB's in 1RM strength demonstrations or in working sets - usually, have failed multiple times before.

Completing the 5x5 without failure and with a bit less duress on the muscles is a sign of progress on that workout you've put on the OP

Edit; have seen you've now progressed, perfect , aim for the same sort of challenge as you progress
 
Daydream Believer said:
How do you get past it? I've usually de-loaded & then built back up in the past but I'm currently trying switching to push-press for a few sessions to see if that helps.
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I was at the gym on Friday and did 5x5 @42.5kg. I struggled on the last two of the final 2 sets and afterwards a big friendly monster of a bloke suggested that I tried push presses. This is to help get a bit of initial speed as I was getting stuck as the bar was at roughly eye level.

Also on the interweb I read that if you add more weight on push presses they work you more on the eccentric (downward) part of the lift

Have push presses helped you at all?
How much more weight did you add please?
 
Stevie Freestein II said:
I was at the gym on Friday and did 5x5 @42.5kg. I struggled on the last two of the final 2 sets and afterwards a big friendly monster of a bloke suggested that I tried push presses. This is to help get a bit of initial speed as I was getting stuck as the bar was at roughly eye level.

Also on the interweb I read that if you add more weight on push presses they work you more on the eccentric (downward) part of the lift

Have push presses helped you at all?
How much more weight did you add please?
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After 3 sessions doing push press with the weight I was failing at on OHP I could lift it on OHP but 3rd set onwards was having to take 4½ minutes between sets. I backed off after that though as I was tapering down for a marathon.
 
Stevie Freestein II said:
Has anyone made any massive GAINZ on OHP recently?

I am up to a massive 45kg!
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In all honesty I built up a bit of a fear of it at 40. Not sure if it's the fear of failure or just worried my arms won't bother and I'll end up dropping it through the mirrors. So I've plateaued, but I think this is just what being a beginner is about and getting used to failing and pushing yourself.
 
gardni said:
In all honesty I built up a bit of a fear of it at 40. Not sure if it's the fear of failure or just worried my arms won't bother and I'll end up dropping it through the mirrors. So I've plateaued, but I think this is just what being a beginner is about and getting used to failing and pushing yourself.
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You can’t get hurt by failing it though if you can’t get it over your head?

Charmless Man said:
Not sure. I’ve been using the Viking press for shoulders recently. Got up to 70 for 3 sets of 5, not sure if there’s any way of calculating a likely equivalent with a barbell.
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Poor little @alexander being pressed overhead.
 
Stevie Freestein II said:
Have you packed in the stronglifts entirely then?

If you fail at 40kg a few times then deload back down to say 35kg and work your way back up?
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yeah thats what i need to do, i got a cold and subsequently a bad back, which knocked me off my routine for 2/3 weeks, and i've been worried that when i do it again, it'll be so heavy since i've not done it for a little while so i keep putting it off. I need to just get back on it, and stop being a gonk.
 
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