I have come to a point where I am not making any more progress on my clean and press. For the last three or for months, I have been making steady progress, adding more weight, sets or reps on most workouts. Now, I am stalled out and four sessions straight, I am stuck at the same weight/set/reps.
I use 5x5 for most lifts, including this one. My current program has me doing this excercise one or two times a week, and it is the first lift of the day.
It has been a while since I have done any power cleans, push presses or military presses on thier own. I hit failure on my fourth or fifth set, always on the pressing portion. I still have a few cleans left in me, but I’m flat done with anymore pressing.
I don’t feel overtraining is a factor.
I’d like to bust through this hump. Maybe it is time to change my set/rep scheme, but I’d rather not do that yet. I’m thinking the best way to train through this is to perform my cleans seperate from my presses for a while. If I do this, would I be better off doing push presses, or standing overhead presses?
Thank you in advance for any input.
Louie Simmons addressed this in an article that I read. It went something to the effect of:
“If asked to train an Oly lifter, I’d use the conjugated method of training. I’d have the lifter use 50-60% of 1RM for 2-3 reps, (sets, I don’t remember) to correct and perfect form, and use a max effort day later in week.” Something to that effect.
Anyhow, just the same as his powerlifting plans, complete with a week or two to employ the hypertrophy work. I’ve enjoyed using powercleans and clean-and-press to round out my training, and find a need to drop the weight for several sessions, correct form, and use higher rep schemes, and then tackle it over again. I got myself up to 195 on that lift when I first started out in 2003, then had to leave for Iraq.
Consequently, I didn’t have shit for a gym there and that training went all to hell. Good luck. If you find something different that works, let me know! I could use it.
Assuming you mean military press and not push press…If someone can press what they can power clean, they either are a great presser or have a poor power clean. I have power cleaned 235, but there is no way I can press it.
Maybe you should start doing power clean and push presses.
it would depend on where the sticking point in the press is. If you stick close to the top, work your tri’s. If you stick close to the bottom work your shoulders and traps if you push press. If you do jerk, then you need to evaluate your form.