Yet another press thread

[SamGriffin]

Assuming your technique is decent, I'm pretty sure your problems are all in your head. If 100lbs is "easy", 105 is not going to be that bad.

I think you should:

a)get a belt and wear it
b)take as long between sets as you need (don't time yourself)
c)as you approach the bar remind yourself that you are lifting little girl weights and it is now time to manhandle them

[Scrofula]

Heh. That's entirely possible. I actually use the timer to force myself to rest at least 7-8 minutes; otherwise, I get impatient and lift before I'm fully recovered. But you're right; I should bump up the rest and have one more go at lifting the little girl weight before I try anything drastic.

[Scrofula]

Got all reps today. Don't know whether it was the Mongolian BBQ lunch, the increased rest, or the tiny amount of ab work I did a couple of days ago, but all these things are henceforth going to be part of my routine. The pre-workout wasabi pea trail mix, on the other hand, was not my greatest idea.

I wonder how far I can take these rest increases. I know the usual answer is, 'as far as necessary', but I don't want to be taking 30 minute breaks six months from now.

Anyway, damn, that was a fun workout. Thanks for the input, all.

[Shaf]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest you look at what sort of routines were regularly used to improve the press before it was dropped from Olympic lifting.

Try here: http://ditillo2.blogspot.com/

You'll see that an increased frequency is often seen when training the press. I, personally, would not make gains in the press unless I worked it at least 2x a week, often having one day for the push press, and the second for the regular press.

[hamster]

I've been getting good results by going heavy with my first work set, when I'm not tired, then deloading for my next two. Over the course of the next one or two workouts, I'm able to do the heavier weight for my final two sets.

[Shaf]

Microloading is a terrible option. If you have to microload, you're not doing things right.

As another data point, I have notices more core stability leading to better pressing (and squatting and deadlifting)

1. You are pressing ~bodyweight. That's not too bad.
2. You are extremely lightweight. That's not too good.
3. You press 1x weekly. That's not too good either.
4. You have to rest 7-8 minutes in between sets of pressing. Not good.

Based on that list:

Gain some weight.

Press more than 1x weekly.
-Heavy/Light/Med format. 3x weekly format. I've used incline bench/press/push press successfully in the past.
-Heavy/Light 2x weekly format. Push press one day, press the next.
-Heavy/Heavy - work up to a heavy set of presses, then start push pressing it 2x weekly.

Back off so you have a reasonable rest period. If you have to back off a bit on weight to make this happen, then do so and ramp up.

It's obvious you have a work capacity issue with this lift. This doesn't mean "work it less" or "make things easier". It means you need to intelligently ramp up your volume in a somewhat systematic fashion.

[Force Production]

Shaf,

Back off so you have a reasonable rest period.
How long is a "reasonable rest period", and what is the thought behind decreasing the time you rest?

Microloading is a terrible option. If you have to microload, you're not doing things right.
Why shouldn't one microload if doing linear progression?

[Scrofula]

Microloading is a terrible option. If you have to microload, you're not doing things right.

Really? This contradicts most of the conventional wisdom regarding presses. I'm pretty sure microloading is usually recommended as the way to go, including in BBT. What's wrong with it?

Press more than 1x weekly.
-Heavy/Light/Med format. 3x weekly format. I've used incline bench/press/push press successfully in the past.
-Heavy/Light 2x weekly format. Push press one day, press the next.
-Heavy/Heavy - work up to a heavy set of presses, then start push pressing it 2x weekly.

I'm already pressing 2x a week. It's my main upper body barbell exercise.

Since I got past the plateau, I'm going to pretty much stick to what I'm doing now, albeit with more food and ab work. Once things get sticky again, I'll look into some of the other recommendations in this thread.

[Shaf]

If you're working heavy, 3-4 minutes is reasonable. Maybe 5 if you're pressing 250-300 lbs. 8 minutes is reserved for extremely heavy work by extremely experienced lifters. A 135# press isn't in this category.

Microloading doesn't work well in the real world, and on top of that it instills a mindset based on failure and exception. This negative feedback loop has kept many weight trainers undersized and weak. See: The Hardgainer Roundtable. I suspect microloading psychologically weakens you with unconscious shame. You're just told yourself you're weak and need to put a quarter pound plate on the bar.

Plus, it's completely pointless to say you've got a 135.5# PR. I don't care your age, weight, experience, or whatever. Don't tell people that shit.

One of the real reasons microloading doesn't work is that your weight plates often vary enough from their stated weight to make microloading moot.

Let's say you load up the bar with 2 25s and 4 10s, then add a 1# plate on each side.

You think you'd have 137#, right? Well, if the 25s were each off by half pound, either way, and between the 4 10s you were off another half pound then it's blown your whole scenario out of the water.

Today's Chinese manufactured plates are often off their stated weights. In fact, at the old gym I trained at, we once weighed all the plates, all were York plates from circa 1965 to 1975 and they all over the place, with only a few of them, ones that has been noticably ground down on the flat side, actually being 45#.

So, if you are going to microload, you are also going to need to weigh each and every plate you use unless they are already calibrated. Have you done this?

Bumper plates, espeically the rubber or generic types, can have the same thing happen to them.

And let's get realistic about the linear progression. If you can't go from 132 to 135, then there's a breakdown in the entire program, and it's time to switch things up somehow. Maybe it's your caloric intake, or maybe it's just that your program isn't giving back anymore.

[coldfire]

If you're working heavy, 3-4 minutes is reasonable. Maybe 5 if you're pressing 250-300 lbs. 8 minutes is reserved for extremely heavy work by extremely experienced lifters.

Why?