Just Another Log

Remember these are in lbs lol. But no man I can snatch 185 really easily. My max is definitely above 200, but since I use iron plates, I can’t go over 185. I can lower 185 so that’s why I never go higher than that.

I use snatches to really maintain my technique and strength in it. Once I’m able to get to a gym that users bumpers and platforms, time to drive it up. I would love to be able to snatch 2 reds on each side one day lol.

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So looking over my log, I’ve realized my OHP is stalling now. Don’t want to do anything drastic. I’ve been pretty much stuck at 135 for a few weeks for plenty of reps now.

@flipcollar
@T3hPwnisher
@MarkKO

What techniques have you guys used to bring up your OHP?

I currently OHP 2x a week. One day is 5x5 straight sets. The 2nd day is basically like a 531 PR set and with some downsets or one AMRAP set. I use the typical assistance like chins, rows, dips, laterals, and I do plenty of core work.

I’ve noticed my “weak area” of the OHP is basically going from rack position until the bar is about my forehead. Once I’m there my triceps are usually strong enough to finish the lift for the most part. But it’s a struggle on the heavier sets or last sets in that bottom half position.

Any insight/advice would be appreciated!

More rep work. You’ve got a 5x5 day and a 5/3/1 day, so essentially 2 days of pretty low reps. I’d make that 5x5 day into a 5x10 day. On the 5/3/1 day, for assistance work after the 5/3/1 stuff, I’d do 100-200 bodyweight dips.

Your specific weakness area sounds more like a back weakness to me. You want to be strong in the rack position and able to move solidly from there into a pressing position. I’d hammer rear delts (pull aparts between sets of everything), rows and chins.

Always seemed to work for me.

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Thanks brotha, appreciate the insight.

I’ll give the 5x10 and pull aparts a try for next few weeks and see how that goes. I do plenty of chins and rows. So before messing with those I’ll make the subtle changes. Thanks again man!

Yeah, I’m not nearly as well versed as the sadistic, moderately evil genius, but lots of volume seems to help drive mine up pretty well.

Hope it works dude. Don’t forget the dips. Assistance work seems to go a long way.

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CG BENCH PRESS / CHEST SUPPORTED ROW
135x10 / x12
195x8 / x12
195x6 / x12
195x6 / x12
195x5 / x12

DB INCLINE BENCH PRESS / DB ROW
75x12 / x20
75x12 / x20
75x12 / x20

HANDSTAND PUSH UPS / BB CURLS
x10 / x25
x10 / x25
x10 / x25
x10 / x25

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My press is far from great, but I do similar to what you do in terms of main set work (5x5, 10x3, etc). After I finish those, I have been doing dumbbell Z presses, striving for ~50 reps over two sets supersetted with one arm dumbbell waiter walks. My triceps were ass when I started overhead pressing so doing them neutral really pushed it up especially doing them high rep. I have also done an AMRAP for :30 or a minute. Helps push through and really show you what lacks in your press.

Also, like pwn said, higher rep dips and close grip help a ton as well. And the back work for sure. Doing sets of ~20 for back work helped me a lot as wel in terms of back strength and fatigue management for OHP. Really, just more volume on assistance work.

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I’m definitely in favor of sets of 10 for improving strict OHP. When I cared about my strict press, that worked better than anything else. I didn’t respond well to low reps for building strength.

This may not help your strict press, but you could also incorporate some push pressing for overload work to get you through that sticking point and be able to work the top portion of the movement more/handle more weight. Just kind of depends on your overall strength goals. I push press much more often than I strict press, unless I’m doing unilateral work.

Which leads me to one last suggestion. Unilateral dumbbell presses. These have been great for me the past few months. Do 1 arm at a time. Great for core stability, and bringing up weak points.

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Yeah for sure man. Thanks for the input. I think I definitely need to up the volume for assistance a bit. It’s one thing I haven’t really messed with yet.

I’m going to give the 5x10 a try. I think the additional volume and change to 10 reps will do me wonders like it did for the squat. I push press every 3 weeks. I feel like I don’t have as much as of a carry over from my push press to my strict press because I use plenty of leg drive. I can jerk and push press 205, but my OHP my 5RM is 155. But I do like the idea of the unilateral DB ohp. I think it would expose and help my weaknesses for sure. Thanks for your input man, I really do appreciate it!

if your strict press is a 155 5rm, that calculates to around a 180 max. I wouldn’t necessarily say that’s ‘plenty of leg drive’. That’s sort of average. The main benefit is simply handling heavier weights than what you would normally be capable of working with. Just nice to rotate in. If you’re doing it from time to time, that’s fine.

And like I said, it’s value may not necessarily be in building your strict press, but building strength in general. In the ‘real world’, we’re not constrained the way we often restrict ourselves in the gym. So getting good at the push press, to me, has value, regardless of how it directly affects my strict press numbers. For my own goals, I’m solely concerned with how much weight I can put above my head with various implements.

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Thanks for that insight man. I never thought about it in those terms. You are right though! I have the same goal in terms of my press. I honestly don’t care if it’s strict, push press, or jerk. I just want to be able to handle heavy ass weight over my head.

I think my brain has a tendency to “specialize” when I’m thinking about training instead of thinking along the lines of building strength overall and using variations of movements to keep myself well rounded.

Thanks again for the advice man, always appreciate it!

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CLEAN (Squat Clean) / BAND PULL APARTS
225x2 / x25
225x2 / x25
225x2 / x25
225x2 / x25
225x2
225x2

FRONT SQUAT / HANGING LEG RAISES
285x5 / x15
285x5 / x15
285x4 / x14
285x4 / x10
285x4 / x10

NOTES: Only had 40 minutes to workout today, so left after the main work. @TX_iron @lord_humongous I’m gunning for that 315!!!

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Dang dude! Alrighty so you’re out in front lol. But, alas, this race is not over!

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Shit dude, I’d forgotten about our little front squat race. I’m running my mouth too much with all these forum challenges I’m getting myself into lmao. I’ll see where I’m at on front squats tomorrow

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Hahaha got shit spread all over the pasture! What’s the loser gotta do in this one?

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JERK FROM RACK
185x3
195x3
205x3
215x3
185x3

OVERHEAD PRESS / CHIN-UPS
115x10 / x12
115x10 / x12
115x10 / x10
115x10 / x10
115x10 / x10

BB ROW / DIPS
185x5 / x15
185x5 / x15
185x5 / x15
185x5 / x15
185x5 / x15
185x5 / x10
185x5 / x10
185x5 / x10

BB CURLS
100 reps

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Breaking News:

I’m dropping the bench press.

I’ve thought about this for a while, but the workouts I do at the gym, is basically what I want to be able to do if I had my garage gym. It’ll be just like my brother in-laws. Bare bones. Barbell. Plates/bumpers. Pull-Ups Bar. Platform. Jump Rope. Ab Wheel. No other equipment.

It’ll all be barbell and bodyweight stuff. No DBs or KBs or anything else.

I have figured out my goal for 2018. It’s to PROVE to myself that I can commit to only using a barbell and bodyweight exercises to achieve a level of fitness I’ve never had before. People were jacked and strong centuries before the bench press was ever made.

Floor Pressing will be my new horizontal press though :slight_smile:

And as a new years resolution. I promise to keep my log name the same for all of 2018!!!

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Don’ be making promises you can’t keep now :stuck_out_tongue:

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I agree with Velvet here…

I thought this was a new T-ransformation 2018 log when I clicked on it :grin:

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