Your New Benching Program for the OHP

Hi CT!
Just wondering if your new benching program would work as well for the OHP. I find that my cranky shoulder respond better to Overhead pressing than benching. So with the end goal of increasing my bench via the OHP, will the program work this way?
Thanks!

Edit: Just saw that it is an old article from 05, its the 8 weeks to a record bench program i’m talking about.

No it will not work.

The overhead press is a different animal than the bench press (and other strength lifts). It does not progress at the same rate and I NOW believe that few people should actually train that movement for strength.

“I NOW believe that few people should actually train that movement for strength.”

I agree. The better OHP supplement exercises are bench variations.
That subject is worthy of an article from you, coach.

What about the push press coach?

It’s a great exercise, if you are structurally or functionally capable of doing it with the correct positions.

Hello CT, could you please explain further why few people should train it for strenght and why you changed your opinion?

I came to the same conclusion and now prioritize the muscle snatch and z press over military press.

Thank you for the link !

After watching that video, I want to shave my head. :wink:

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@Christian_Thibaudeau
Thanks for the vid. Very informative. I just realized how insanely I have been butchering your last name! :smile:

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You wouldn’t be the first one :slight_smile:

Coach what kind of stretching or mobility exercises would you recommend for someone who doesn’t have the ability to extend his arms fully overhead.

I’ve had this problem for years and no matter how i try I can’t get full extension. If I had to estimate I’d say I’m stuck at about a 70 degree angle like if I was doing seated barbell press the bench angle couldn’t be much higher than 75 degree incline or I wouldn’t be able to lock it out and back.

With a wide grip I’m better but due to shoulder injury there’s no way I can start at the bottom with a wide grip.

can you fully extend them when bench pressing?

Yes not a problem. It seems that I am very tight in the lats? Im guessing. Even when doing vertical pulling my arms never get to a straight up and 90 degree angle. Even if I hang from a chin up bar I can’t.

Yep seems like lats tightness. I would foam roll the lats and stretch them at the beginning and end of every workout. Don’t go crazy on the foam rolling, just 3 sets of about 20 seconds pre and post.

Yeah I figured it was the lats. Ok thanks. One last crazy question if you don’t mind. Is it possible that my range is permanently frozen from adhesions from training over 40 yrs without mobility work or stretching out my lats much?

VERY unlikely.

Ok thanks

If you can’t put something over your head, as a biological machine you are broken. Vertical pressing or pulling is more natural than their horizontal counterparts. Please for the sake of humanity don’t preach this because this will result in “OHP is bad”