Who can press more than body weight?

[Dastardly]

Put it this way - he can just about do a one-handed, handstand pushup. If pressing your whole bodyweight up, maintaining stability and doing it all one one arm doesnt equal at least once your bodyweight on a press - I don't know what does.

I would kill to have Tim "Livewire" Sheiff's physique.

Theres a kid at my gym who does seated dumbell shoulder press with close to his bodyweight in each hand.

Most guys who are decent at capoeira or breakdance can do those one hand hops/partial handstand push ups.

[willhu12]

That's a different kettle of fish than holding a flag position. However, by the same token, you'd think that anyone capable of a doing a handstand push-up should be capable of a bodyweight press, but I'd warrant that's probably not true.

No, but remember, the HSPU requires most stability and focus - I'd say they're both about as grueling as each other.

But Livewire does it on one arm, which like mentioned, is a massive kettle of fish - seeing he also has the balance issue.

[kittenSmash]

Well I'm not ssure if I can press more than BW, but I got 242 at 242 BW. Like KSC said, nothing fancy to get there, just 3X5's and kept moving the weight up for me. I was actually coming off of a layoff from heavy pressing due to elbow issues when I got it. I would say just keep pressing frequently.

[Heraclitus]

Kittensmash and KCS - how long did it take you guys to press BW then? And what was your bench press at that time out of interest?

My 3x5 bench press worksets are at 105 KG / 231 lbs now. I've been making solid consistent progress on it, and also in the rest of the lifts.

I'm alternating between 3x5 overhead press and 3x5 bench press every workout, with 3x5 weighted dips as assistance on bench press day. I've been training for about 10 months now, currently advanced novice but about to switch to intermediate programming (probably texas method).

I have been doing 2.5 KG jumps on the press until now, but I've just purchased some 0.5 KG plates so will begin microloading after I recieve them. When did you guys begin microloading, if at all?

[kittenSmash]

I started SS last July with about a 175-180 press. I did the 242 last month, so 1year. In that length of time I did have a back injury that kept me from training for a while, so if you stay healthy and avoid car accidents (haha) you could probably do it quicker.
I don't bench all that often because of a previous shoulder injury, so it's hard to compare it to my press. I'll bench regularly until it starts hurting (month or two), then I'll take a month or so off. I think I did a fairly easy 335X1 around the time of the 242 press.
Just stick to the micro loading and follow the program, it should take you pretty far.

[ZKP]

My Press Just started flowing again with a 8 sets of two/three, Max effort(2,3,or 5) Clean and press rotation. Pressing every 3rd day hard and light after bench press days(the clean and press). A tripple of 215 at a bw of 232.....close. One day, when I grow up, I will be a monster like Kittsmash......

[Briks42]

I don't know that everyone is going to reach a bodyweight press just with normal programming. I think there is definitely some genetics involved here. I think Rip said he has never pressed bodyweight. I'm not trying to be negative, and I am going to try my best to press bodyweight at some point, but I don't think its something anyone can do, even if they work hard.

[Heraclitus]

Yeah, Bill Starr said in his press article that it took him 3 years to press his bodyweight. After reading that and me being what I think is fairly close to it after 10 months of training, I had nightmares about the next 11 to 15 KG or so taking another 2 1/2 years.

I can pretty much put all my good progress down so far to consistent, injury-free training, and milk.

Kittensmash - you started SS with a press of 175-180 lbs!? Please tell me this was after some kind of previous training and not as a rank novice!

I'm finally getting a belt this week too - did you find that helped much on the OHP?

[Regin Smidur]

For gymnastics carryover to the press that I know of, a full ROM handstand push up (hands to shoulders) means about a 90% bw press, full ROM on rings equals bodyweight or more.

[Dastardly]

I have been training for a year and a half, and still do not have bodyweight BENCH press. I still hold out hope for a BW press some day though.

Its very frustrating when I see newbie kids in the gym with terrible technique and no knowledge of training press more overhead than I do with bench press without trying very hard.

Somepeople do just naturally have very strong upper bodies with broad shoulders. I notice (where I live at least) the black guys of carribean origin especially have massive shoulders and the ability to bench & press massive amounts even with very low bodyweight and little training.

Most the black guys I see training can standing press more than they can squat.

I don't know that everyone is going to reach a bodyweight press just with normal programming. I think there is definitely some genetics involved here. I think Rip said he has never pressed bodyweight. I'm not trying to be negative, and I am going to try my best to press bodyweight at some point, but I don't think its something anyone can do, even if they work hard.