To Press or Push Press?

I’ve tried doing them both on the same day, but it’s just too much for me to handle and there’s there enough room in my split for them on separate days.

I was wondering what benefits people got from them both. Like which one helped there bench press more and where it helped them in the stroke or whatever else ya’ll want to add.

A lot of people notice that getting good at push pressing doesn’t really carry over to pressing, but the opposite will carry over well. Look into that what you will.

I’ve noticed that push press has helped my press just because I get used to holding the heavier weights, but I hardly press anything so it probably depends on your strength level.

Strict press

What one do you want to improve? I would think strict would be closer to bench press if your looking to improve that. If you want to get better at putting heavy weight overhead for whatever reason like Olympic lifting then push press is better.

Strict press, definitely.

Push press has never helped me… if I do press overhead these days, it’s strict BtN press (which I remember is never an option for you) low weight/med reps on deload weeks or I’ll do jerks with slow, controlled negatives on heavy bench days if board/floor/pin pressing isn’t feeling right or isn’t an option. When I was first starting out, gains on the press directly correlated with gains on the bench, but these days, not so much.

For bench press? Neither.

I don’t like the idea to do another compound exercise for the big 3 that is not all too similar to them. So I would rather do floor presses (similar setup) + BBing stuff for delts/tris/chest/lats for bench.

Strict press is awesome. You should strict press for your strict press.

[quote]spar4tee wrote:
Strict press is awesome. You should strict press for your strict press.[/quote]

They do result in some epic grinders sometimes. I give you that.

Why is that actually? Anyone knows?

[quote]spar4tee wrote:
Strict press is awesome. You should strict press for your strict press.[/quote]

x10000000000000000

[quote]infinite_shore wrote:

[quote]spar4tee wrote:
Strict press is awesome. You should strict press for your strict press.[/quote]

They do result in some epic grinders sometimes. I give you that.

Why is that actually? Anyone knows?[/quote]

I don’t know but I agree. When I maxed on my press it took me longer than a max deadlift.

Also, a one arm barbell press is pretty awesome too.

Definitely strict press. Jim Wendler wrote this article about them and said they really helped his bench press:

Go back to push press for a month or 2 if you hit a plateau on your strict press. Do this because as Anonymous_burn said it will help you get used to heavier weights.

[quote]spar4tee wrote:
Strict press is awesome. You should strict press for your strict press.[/quote]

It is my favorite upper body lift. More so than bench press. There’s just some sort of really manly feeling about pushing weight up above the head. I can’t really explain it well.

So I think I’ll keep on doing strict pressing and maybe do push pressing if it stalls.

I still want an exercise that’ll be overhead, but hit the tris pretty hard. Any of ya’ll done well with partial OH pressing like press from the top of the head or pin presses?

i will strict till i top out with a double or a triple. then keep adding weight and start push pressing for a bit.

[quote]infinite_shore wrote:
For bench press? Neither.

I don’t like the idea to do another compound exercise for the big 3 that is not all too similar to them. So I would rather do floor presses (similar setup) + BBing stuff for delts/tris/chest/lats for bench. [/quote]

I’ve heard some other big benchers say that as well, while other guys like Coan did a lot of heavy overhead work. So I guess it all comes down to “it depends”.

I wish there was a more concise answer involved.

PP’ing never helped my strict press at all. Tho they are fun!

[quote]asooneyeonig wrote:
i will strict till i top out with a double or a triple. then keep adding weight and start push pressing for a bit.

[/quote]
I’ve been doing this lately. I love the feeling. I then de-load and go back to strict, if I’m feeling feisty.

Jumping to push press, after you’ve stalled out a bit on your strict, has worked very well for me, too. Definitely helps you get used to heavier weights, and allows you to build some good power in your shoulders.