Yet another press thread

[Scrofula]

I'm back on linear progression after a long injury-related interruption (not weight-room related). I'm around my old working weights, and my press has hit a sticky stall.

I confess, I'm not exactly on the program. I'm training for a sport, so I do strength training twice a week. Squats and presses (3 sets of 5), alternating deadlifts (1 of 5) and PCs (5 of 3). The latter two are moving up smoothly. I'm on a small caloric surplus; rapid weight gain would harm my sport performance, so I'm taking my time. All these things are suboptimal, but I'm doing what I can.

So, I'm trying to think of what to do next about my press. It's been stuck for maybe a month at 105. The first set wasn't even difficult; I got 3 in the second set, and then did an easy set of 5 at 100lb.
Things I've tried:

• Deloading.
• Microloading.
• Increasing rest (currently at 7-8 minutes).

Things I'm considering:

• Accessory work. I did weighted chins and dips and some trunk work while I was injured, but not since I got back on linear progression. Ab work actually helped get past a lighter stall last time I was on linear progression, so maybe this should be the first thing I try.
• 5 sets of 3.
• Alternate volume and intensity days.
• More milk. (Duh. Drinking some as I type this.)
• 5/3/1, or some other more drastic change of programming.

Any other suggestions? Thanks folks.

The squat also stalled today, but I think I just rushed it trying to finish before the gym closed.

[Magnetotail]

What's your height and weight?

[misspelledgeoff]

Were you microloading 2.5# increments? Perhaps try .125#?

In my experience pressing movements are tightly tied to bodyweight. That is, it's very hard to increase pressing past a certain point without a commensurate increase in bodyweight.

Maybe try bumping the milk up to get an extra 500 Kcal--hopefully that will push you through the plateua without making you gain too much more weight.

Another thing you might consider is a minibulk program followed by a minicut program. So take 10 weeks with a larger caloric surplus and target like 1# per week weight increase. Then follow that by 2 weeks of cutting on a Lyle McD RFL or similar ketogenic diet.

[Scrofula]

I'm 5'5", 135. Checking my logs, looks like I'm gaining weight at about the pace you suggest, at least for the past three or four weeks; my press hasn't budged in that time. In fact, I got 5,4,4 at under 132lb on January 23.

I'll up the calories for a while and see if that breaks it. Looks like a bodyweight press is going to be a moving target. Ah well, wasn't going to happen in the near future anyway.

[Platus]

Get your weight up before moving onto TM or 5/3/1. Reset, make sure your form is correct, microload (even as low as 1lb per sesson), experiment with some accessory work but don't overdo it (I find that weighted ab work is the most helpful for me), and add as much milk as you can handle.

[Alex Bond]

Bench. A while ago I was strength training for olympic lifting. I obviously included the press, and did not include the bench, as you are doing. My press stalled early and often. Now, I am benching as well, and I am blowing past my old press numbers. I think the bench gives you a chance to work the triceps and some of the prime movers in the shoulders more, I'm not really sure how, but it helped me a ton.

[gzt]

What's the smallest you've been microloading?

If you change up the programming, note that a lot of people find that pressing movements respond to volume. And gaining weight. Two days per week and weighing 135# may just not be enough to drive things up with the volume you're getting in.

And are you using a belt for the press? How's your bench? And you're male, right?

[Scrofula]

Currently microloading in increments of 2.5. I guess I should use smaller jumps.

I'll add some calories and a couple of accessory exercises: ab work and a heavy pushing exercise. I prefer weighted dips to the bench for various reasons, so I might go with that unless there's strong reason not to. I don't know what my bench is, but the last time I did dips, I used 35lb for 3 sets of 5.

No, I'm not using a belt (though it looks like a good time to get one for squatting). Yes, I'm male.

The frustrating thing is that the first set of 5 is pretty easy. It makes me wonder whether what the limiting factor is.

Anyway, thanks for all the suggestions.

[Magnetotail]

How long are you resting between sets?

[Scrofula]

7-8 minutes.