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Programming the Press/Push Press
Coach,
I am an intermediate running the Bill Starr/Mad Cow 5x5 with my 3 main lifts being squat (last top set of 5 @ 280), bench press (220) and bent over row (165). Those numbers are all from a reset due to a back injury caused by getting too greedy on my dead lift PR's (I attempted to take my 350lbx5 DL to 400x3 in a matter of 2 weeks.)
Moday: 5x5 ramping sets, top set of 5 from Friday's top set of 3.
Weds: recovery/SOHPress ramping 4x5 + dead lifts
Fri: Intensity with a PR top set of 3
My main 3 lifts are rolling along fine, however I am beginning to stall on the press. The sad part is, I am stalling at a weight lower than I where plateaued on SS about 3 months ago.
At the end of SS I was at a body weight of 194 @ 5'8'' (age: 25), now I am at ~175 after cutting out GOMAD and cleaning up my diet. My Press peaked at 165 3x5, bench @ 250x2. Now I am struggling to put up 155x2 on the press.
Since my other lifts are moving up, I don't want to change too much with their programming. However, I'd like to see if there would be any advantage to changing up my Pressing on Wednesdays...
Thoughts on:
- Adding One Armed DB Clean + Press for a few sets at the end of Weds workout
- Alternate using the Push Press/Press at each weight plateau, resetting slightly each time
- Move to a higher volume pressing on weds, dropping intensity, and worry about maximal pressing strength at a later phase of my training
- Someting else?
I am guessing you are probably going to tell me to eat more and gain some body weight, however, be that it is beach/boat season I'd like to keep my BF% where it is are now. I guess this may put me in a catch 22.
Thank you for your time and guidance.
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Try adding accessory exercises
I've added chin-ups and dips when I began to stall on the press as well as adding small plates (1/2 to 1 lb plates). It's slow going but I'm gradually making progress.
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