HLM Press/Bench Week Alternates

[andrew54]

I've been running a fairly effective barebones HLM. I want to continue to make modest bench gains but really start to focus on the OHP as I generally stall out around 140lbs.

Barebones HLM Presses
Day 1: Heavy bench 3x5 (generally a 5RM, last week went for an easy 235 across)
Day 2: OHP 3x5
Day 3: Medium bench (90-95% of Day 1 + 1x8 back off) or an incline press around 195-205 recently 3x5 with back off

This brought me nowhere with the press. So I thought of alternating heavy bench and heavy press weeks and upping press volume to 5x5. So:

Heavy Press Week:
Day 1: OHP 5x5, back off 1x8
Day 2: Medium Bench (90-95%, at least the same weight as the previous medium if not slightly more (I can microload)
Day 3: Incline Press (weekly 5RM) Mostly keeping this to bridge the gap. Alternatively a 5% reduction press, heavy 2s/3s, etc

Heavy Bench: same as barebones, except OHP @ 5x5 at slightly lower load than previous heavy 5x5 (maybe 5% less). Medium bench, no incline. Possibly upping heavy bench to 5x5 over the course of a few weeks.

Thoughts? Am I gonna be spinning my wheels? Male/5'10"/218lbs

[Brent Carter]

When you stall out are you dropping reps or trying to keep to 3x5?

[andrew54]

When you stall out are you dropping reps or trying to keep to 3x5?

I dropped to 5x3 (sets x reps) and that was OK, never really broke 150. I can't imagine a lonely day of OHP to work that way for long quite honestly which is where I thought of the above.

[Brent Carter]

Before making larger changes as per your original plan, I prefer to go from 5x3 to then, 3x3 then 3x2 plus a back off at 5 for a while, and finishing with 5x1, and finally working up to one top single. This gets you the exposure to the heavier loads to be able to drive progress along. After that maybe a four day split to work on both intensity AND volume?

[andrew54]

Before making larger changes as per your original plan, I prefer to go from 5x3 to then, 3x3 then 3x2 plus a back off at 5 for a while, and finishing with 5x1, and finally working up to one top single. This gets you the exposure to the heavier loads to be able to drive progress along. After that maybe a four day split to work on both intensity AND volume?

Just to clarify, you would prefer that on the original light day until it stops working? My hesitation with that (which I started) is that it wouldn't be enough.

[Brent Carter]

Yes, and I have seen it work many a time.