Shoulders Lack Progress

[quote]rewind wrote:
I think about 80 pounds for 1RM. Hasn’t been changing for months now, really frustrating.[/quote]

… there’s your problem right there.

I’m not entirely sure, but I don’t think anyone got big shoulders with an ohp 1rm of 80 lb.

what do your other upper body lifts look like? incline/flat/CG bench, pullup/down and rows, front and lateral raise.

flat bench 150 pounds
front squats 160 pounds
deadlifts 260 pounds
rows 150 pounds

all 1 rm

Dude seriously. At this level of strength you do not need to do anything groundbreaking to improve. In my opinion if you are truly stalling (‘a few weeks’ is not that big a deal) you need to look at your training. You are only giving your shoulders two exercises, and these are followed by two pressing movements. This means your front delts and triceps are already fatigued so your performance will suffer.

Just straighten out your routine, lift hard, eat and you will progress.

Did we mention eat more?

EAT EAT EAT.

Eat.

Being respectful, but those numbers are quite low. Realistically you have some way to go before you will be satisfied. But you have a good split in my opinion, keep progressing and you’ll be fine. Eat some more definitely, focus on protein. Also, get angry before you workout, and minimise distractions during, focus just on feeling the exercise hit the target muscle(s). It will help.

Shoulders are a bitch, hard to move heavy weight on laterals etc. Some do more momentum-based laterals, me personally I like to pull with the elbows high, hold at the top (arms just before parallel to the ground) slow negative and try to push my hands out to the side but this will never allow for heavy weight.

Maybe a strength program would be a good idea (in terms of periodisation, rep ranges etc - i think your exercise selections are fine) ?

I think we kind of digress from the main issue. I’ve improved in almost every compound movement in the last few weeks with that split. Just the shoulder exercises stalled ; Thats all.
I’ve never said that my strength is great or I look for another routine or rep scheme or whatever. I simply stall on my shoulder exercises and seek advice :slight_smile:

You are not strong in any of those lifts. Look up starting strength and get all of those numbers up.

[quote]rewind wrote:
I think we kind of digress from the main issue. I’ve improved in almost every compound movement in the last few weeks with that split. Just the shoulder exercises stalled ; Thats all.
I’ve never said that my strength is great or I look for another routine or rep scheme or whatever. I simply stall on my shoulder exercises and seek advice :)[/quote]

No one is digressing.

You are small and weak overall.

Add mass and strength overall and your shoulders will “grow” and un-stall.

So, to recap: Eat more, lift more to grow more.

I agree with all the others. Just eat, lift and be patient.

But if you want to hear an alternative, give shoulders their own day. You can pair them with triceps for instance. And on this day, take a progressive-overload approach to it.

Or just do a 5/3/1 type of program. It includes OHP and you will definitly get stronger if you follow it.

It’s not uncommon to add strength (esp in the beginning stages) unproportunetly. It’s may be a form issue no one has mentioned, but it’s probably due to fatigue. Just focus on the basics.

spend a few months prioritizing ohp as your upper pressing movement.

I promise magical results.

[quote]fr0IVIan wrote:

[quote]rewind wrote:
I think about 80 pounds for 1RM. Hasn’t been changing for months now, really frustrating.[/quote]

… there’s your problem right there.

I’m not entirely sure, but I don’t think anyone got big shoulders with an ohp 1rm of 80 lb.

what do your other upper body lifts look like? incline/flat/CG bench, pullup/down and rows, front and lateral raise.[/quote]

I get compliments on mine and my current max is 85x3. :confused:

OP i think we are all also hating your split. Give shoulders their own day.

OP: There is advice here you should follow. Eat, shoulders on their own day, etc…

If all your lifts are going up except your shoulder exercises change what your doing. Do DB presses. Smith Presses. Do one of the Hammer Strength machines if you have access. For laterals switch to a machine. Do them seated. Just do something different. Once your progress stalls then go back to the original exercises.

And do rear delt work.

[quote]Hallowed wrote:

[quote]fr0IVIan wrote:

[quote]rewind wrote:
I think about 80 pounds for 1RM. Hasn’t been changing for months now, really frustrating.[/quote]

… there’s your problem right there.

I’m not entirely sure, but I don’t think anyone got big shoulders with an ohp 1rm of 80 lb.

what do your other upper body lifts look like? incline/flat/CG bench, pullup/down and rows, front and lateral raise.[/quote]

I get compliments on mine and my current max is 85x3. :/[/quote]

you’re a girl, and we all know what you look like. I will withhold further comment out of fear/respect for holymac…

I will simply try a different exercise for overhead push ( dumbells or seated , idk yet ) and add a exercise for rear delts. Shall I continue doing the lateral raises ?
Thanks for the all the advice anyway ; and i’ll eat more , too

If you train them, they will come…

[quote]rewind wrote:
I will simply try a different exercise for overhead push ( dumbells or seated , idk yet ) and add a exercise for rear delts. Shall I continue doing the lateral raises ?
Thanks for the all the advice anyway ; and i’ll eat more , too[/quote]

Yes continue to do some movement for the lateral head. If you arent progressing switch the exercise. Do seated laterals. Do machine laterals, cable laterals, or very wide grip upright rows. You can also do standing db laterals but change it up. If you do them with the dumbbells starting at the side of your thighs then start the laterals with the dumbbells in front of your legs or vice versa.

If this is the only thing that stalls, than fr0IVIan’s advice is very good: prioritize OHP. I’d even say to try and lower training volume on other parts, while increasing frequency of shoulder training, without going to failure. train in the 3-5 rep range.
This assumes, of course, you eat enough, but since you progress with your other lifts, you probably are.

Read CT’s article, “the perfect rep”. Is that how you lift?

Although I didn’t know the article before, I have been lifting similar to CT’s approach. I try to lift both explosive and controlled. However I used to stop shortly between the positive and negative stage. I will work on that.

[quote]fr0IVIan wrote:
you’re a girl, and we all know what you look like. I will withhold further comment out of fear/respect for holymac…[/quote]

wifey lookin’ goooood. damn son.

my shoulders used to really suck. then i started giving them their own day. now they don’t suck as much.

i think lateral raises have added more size to my shoulders than OHP. prob though b/c i use too much tricep when i ohp. my body loves to tricep.

i’m doing 225x8-10 standing ohp fwiw

don’t push press. unless you’re a homo

[quote]HolyMacaroni wrote:

[quote]fr0IVIan wrote:
you’re a girl, and we all know what you look like. I will withhold further comment out of fear/respect for holymac…[/quote]

wifey lookin’ goooood. damn son.

my shoulders used to really suck. then i started giving them their own day. now they don’t suck as much.

i think lateral raises have added more size to my shoulders than OHP. prob though b/c i use too much tricep when i ohp. my body loves to tricep.

i’m doing 225x8-10 standing ohp fwiw

don’t push press. unless you’re a homo[/quote]

lateral raises for the win.
not that i have amazing delts. but ive found the most under developed delt muscle for anyone with a half decent program is the middle delts and regardless imo isolations are the best way to get the delts to grow.
i’ve never ohp and i never will.

my shoulder workout after hitting 6 sets of traps.

db lateral raise 3 sets
single arm rear delt raise 3 sets ( then 1 set with light weight and very good slow form)
front raises 3 sets
machine lateral raise 3 sets last set to failure

OP,

You need to read the most recent article by Jim Wendler, print it out, tape it onto your wall and worship it.

To answer your next question before you ask it, yes 5/3/1 is fine for beginners. Do not let anybody convince you otherwise. SS, of course, is another good option for you. I assume you are programming your own training. Don’t do that. BUY a proven program and follow it.

And to repeat what has already been said, EAT.