Overhead Press will not go up

[NikolaeVarius]

Hey. I've been working on the SS workout for about a month and a half and have been getting great results. However, the overhead press workout simply will not get stronger.

Current stats are

Squat- 265- 3x5
Bench- 170- 3x5
Deadlift- 270 3x5
Rows- 150 3x5
OHP- 120 3x5.

I've been stuck at 120 for 3 weeks now. Every other exercise gets appreciable gains but as soon as I add weight to my OHP, its a full sieze up and I simply cannot add weight to it.

Is there anything I could do to help this.

 

[Lamont Burns]

OHP was/is the bane of my existence as well. Are you stating you can't complete 1x5x125 or 1 rep of 125? If you can do 3x5 at 120 I know you can do a rep of 125.

So, I would try out maybe 3x3 by 125 or if you can 5x3x125. A scheme even more based around Strength.

I always found when I did SS a couple times that while the program worked great, OHP fell out of the program guidelines before everything else, hence an alteration(for me at least) was necessary to keep on it for all other lifts.

Or as I learned the hard way, strengthen your rotator cuff.

 

[Lamont Burns]

I forgot to add, using push presses can aid in helping the body adapt to the new weight you want to OHP. Just be careful on form imo.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

When I say a full seize up, I can do about 2.5 before my muscles just give up. I can do 115 with some level of difficulty 3x5, and 120 struggling on the last rep on each set. But at 125 I can only manage 2.5 before failure. I can do about 2 reps of 135 but that is only if I really really REALLY push myself and probably hurt my back.

It's annoying to see all my weights go up so well and OHP is just completely stuck.

 

[Lamont Burns]

Might want to deload and go back up then on OHP while doing the rest as written... or eat moaaaaarrrr!!

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Might want to deload and go back up then on OHP while doing the rest as written... or eat moaaaaarrrr!!

Eating is truthfully the last thing I need to be doing. The amount of protein and food I consume a day is pretty high.

Well, not that much, but I'm 5' 11" 230 pounds. About 21% BF or so.

 

[purbeast0]

is it possible that your triceps are giving out and not your shoulders?

 

[dealmaster00]

Have you done a soft deload? If not, you need to do this ASAP.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

is it possible that your triceps are giving out and not your shoulders?

Doesn't matter - something's giving out. I'm sure some accessory work for triceps and deltoids wouldn't hurt, but a deload is more likely to push him through (or volume variation).

 

[Jeffg010]

deload deload deload that is what I had to do.

 

[Insomniator]

How can you bench 170 but squat 265?!

I've never been able to get my squat much higher than my bench which apparently means I'm retarded.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

How can you bench 170 but squat 265?!

I've never been able to get my squat much higher than my bench which apparently means I'm retarded.

I was already a big guy before I started an actual workout regiment and I've played tons of sports ranging from soccer to football and rugby. I'm still working on my bench weight because even though everyone says I look like I can bench 250, its still pretty weak.

Squats came pretty naturally and easily. I started at 215 and it's been a smooth ride up from there.

As for the overhead press, it's extremely annoying that I have to deload from an already low weight. What does a soft deload mean?

 

[wheresmybacon]

My OHP technique was screwed for a long, long time, and I didn't even know it. As a result, I was hopelessly stalled at working sets of 135. I'm not sure if that's your case or not, but you may want to watch some of these clips of coach Rippetoe and see if your form aligns with what's correct.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=rippetoe+overhead+press&aq=6

 

[brikis98]

Overhead press is often the first lift to stall when doing SS. A few things that might help:

1. Check your form. Post a video here for critique.

2. Find fractional plates. A 5lb jump is a much bigger percentage on the OH press than say, on a squat or deadlift. Sometimes, a smaller jump - 1-3lbs - can help push through a plateau. If your gym doesn't have fractional plates you can buy your own (such as these or these) or use washers with 2" holes as a much cheaper alternative (such as these or these).

3. Deload. If you are unable to get through the 3x5 for ~3 workouts in a row, drop the weight 10-20% and work your way back up.

 

[keyed]

How can you bench 170 but squat 265?!

I've never been able to get my squat much higher than my bench which apparently means I'm retarded.

People on SS should quickly be able to squat more that their bench. You increase weights for every session, but you bench only every other session.

I'm also on SS and got to 260 squat, 195 bench, 155 OHP, 325 DL before I had to cut for a vacation.

I got stuck on OHP at 140, deloaded, and was able to continue to 155.

 

[dealmaster00]

OP -- see brikis98's post for a description of a soft deload (I usually do 10% when soft deloading). Do this before trying fractional plates. Also don't be afraid to review form videos or post them online, this is a valuable tool for both safety and increasing how much you can lift.