Press assistance decision time: machine or dumbbell

[OZ-USF-UFGator]

45 years old. Male. Body weight 198. Press 170 x 4 max. Time to add an assistance on non press days.

Option A. Standing dumbbell press. This works stabilizers well but I can dumbbell press around 15% less weight for equivalent Bb weight

Option B. Seated machine press. No stabilizer trained but I can lift 15% more weight than BB at same reps.

Which will give me more bang for buck to get to 205 x 1?


Thank you.

[Adam Franklin]

I would recommend more pressing volume, if you are not already pressing multiple times a week. For accessory work, I would personally choose close grip (press grip) incline bench or pin presses from the forehead.

Of the two options you provided, gun to my head, I would go with DB press. I say this because, in a machine press, you are not required to balance the weight, so I don't think it will have much carry over to your standing OHP.

[Meshuggah]

What has been working well for me is a lighter day of one arm KettleBell Presses (Mondays) and a heavy day of Barbell Presses (Thursdays)
Single arm work is very worthwhile.

[Serack]

Andy Baker posted an excellent article that addresses your underlying issue just last week.

How to Build a Bigger Overhead Press (7-step Blueprint) ? Andy Baker

[skid]

For my pressing I do a twice a week approach with one day dedicated to standing pressing, and one day split between incline presses and pin presses from eye level. Set your bench to its steepest incline (70 degrees or so). The incline presses simulate the starting position of the press but force you to press very strictly so it helps improve your drive from the bottom. The pin presses from eye level will be weaker because that is the transition point where most people fail the lift so that exercise helps strengthen that part of the lift.

Forget the machines and dumbbells.

[perman]

Unless you're struggling to recover, I'd just add more pressing at a different intensity than you normally do to induce a different adaptation. People always talk about increasing frequency and volume if you struggle to improve something, and press is perhaps the hardest main movement to improve, and also probably the easiest to recover from. Doing something like 8s, 3s or singles when you're already doing tons of 5s should help.

Of course I say this after I've tried RPE-based training for the last months which seems to help with handling higher frequencies. Sub-maximal training seems to go hand-in-hand with some element of DUP and high frequency. If every press workout is a grind, adding another grindy day might be too much, but for a weak-ass presser like me, I've never discovered an MRV for the press.

[Igor]

As much as everyone tries to give you their best advice I'd be way easier to give it in the broader context of the program you run (especially your other upper body movements). I tend to favor increasing Press frequency but I can't be sure if it's a good advice not knowing how is your Pressing and other lifts programmed currently.

Out of the choices you have mentioned obviously dumbells are superior. TBH if stability is a non-issue for you in the Barbell Press and all that limits you is your shoulders and triceps strength then you could even do seated DB Press.