Overhead Press & The Bench Press

[Meshuggah]

There are 2 schools of thought on how much the press helps the bench.
What are the thoughts from the more experienced lifters?

[Tiburon]

For six months I pressed only and stopped benching, and my bench went down. n=1

[EliGreen]

I am not extremely experienced, as I've been lifting for less than a year, but it was my experience that my bench unstalled my press. My press was stuck, but my bench moved up probably 20 pounds higher than it was at the time of the press stall, and that made my press move up about 10 pounds.

[Immortal_k]

I've always felt that the bench has helped to move my press up, I really can't say if pressing has helped increase my press, it's not really the point of the lift. Regardless, I like it and it keeps my shoulders happy.

[Michael Wolf]

I'm gonna go out on a limb here, Shugs, since I can't see how you're going to turn this one into another anti-Obama rant.

I'd always done the two together, but have not benched since Dec 1 due to a shoulder injury. I used presses (mostly barbell, but a small amount of DB and KB presses as well on lighter days) and chins as rehab, and my shoulder has been back to normal function for a while now, though still not quite ready to handle heavy loads in the bench press.

My experience without being able to bench is that, for me at least, the bench definitely drove the press up. I've had to move up more slowly and add some dedicated tricep work to keep my press moving up in absence of benching. And it's been harder.

I'll know more about the press' effect on the bench, or lack thereof, when I can resume benching again. I was just shy of 400 prior to the shoulder injury, so we'll see.

Logically, I don't think the press should help the bench much beyond a pretty early Novice, but we'll see.

[Meshuggah]

No politics, this the training section.

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

My press keeps my shoulders happier but doesn't do much for my bench. I cut out heavy pressing before raw nats and my shoulders started getting irritated. I didn't before the Arnold and my bench went up while my shoulders stayed healthier.

Press= 230lbs
BP (paused)=340

[Mosin Warrior]

Press is good for keeping the shoulders happy, but I don't think sets of 5 are the best option for that.

[Mr_Rogers]

When I was only pressing I stalled pretty quickly and my shoulders were beat up from snatching and jerking. Around Christmas I added bench in again and I've found my press has improved a bit as well as my shoulders, but I also have really done oly lifting in that time either.

Press is good for keeping the shoulders happy, but I don't think sets of 5 are the best option for that.

Could you elaborate? What do you feel is optimal?

[Raleighwood]

Why is this so complicated? It depends on where the individual trainee is weak.

Biggest thing to help my bench? Getting my incline bench stronger. Best thing to help my overhead press? Heavy one armed DB presses.