Q about hitting failure on 5x5 type programs

[KingGheedora]

So I've been doing StrongLift's 5x5 and I started with mostly light weights on all the exercises and I've just started having trouble with OH press. Squats are starting to get sort of heavier too.

Up till now I've been adding 5lbs to each exercise each time I do them, but how fast can I expect to increase weight on each after starting to hit failure? After failing the last rep of the last set on OH press last week, I did the same weight again this time finishing all reps. I picture myself increasing pretty slowly on OH Press.

Do you increase slowly as well with squats and DL's?

 

[SlitheryDee]

OH press is the weakest movement with the slowest progress for most people I think. Increasing weight in it has really started feeling like a grind to me. All the movements eventually get like that, but you hit the ceiling on the OH press much earlier. As a general rule, I would think that once you start failing on any exercise, be ready for it to happen more and more frequently. You'll repeat the same weight for more and more workouts until you need a soft deload, then you'll need a hard deload. The strength increases will feel really few and far between once you start having to deload.

I've found that my strength in the squat is almost increasing faster than I'm adding weight, if that makes any sense. For instance, I've been adding 10lbs per workout to my squat and sometimes one workout will feel easier than the last one. I also attribute this to the gradual improvement of my form and flexibility as I reacquaint myself with the squat. I'm not doing DLs in any sort of 5x5 structure, but I would guess that it would be similar or maybe slightly faster than the squat as far as rate of strength increase is concerned.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Overhead press is really temperamental when it comes to increasing 5 pounds each time. When it starts to stall, I usually tell people to go for 6-7 reps (typically on a 3x5) and then move up in weight. Squats may feel heavier, but often times you can continue to push through those. Honestly though, if you start to have significant trouble, you may have to repeat certain weights, but you can continue to move forward.