# busting through plateau with standing military press



## james_benjamin (Nov 13, 2012)

I've reached a plateau on overhead press with the barbell and so I moved onto dumbells for a bit. Now I dont seem to be getting much more weight on dumbells.. I do 5x5 adding 1.25kg each week. On the barbell I've stalled on only 50kg (15kg on each side) and cant seem to bust through it.. any advice ppl ?? also what do you think is best for increasing strength on shoulders the barbell or dumbells?


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## mal (Dec 31, 2009)

use your legs to power up more weight on the press..heavy deadlift cgbp and

weighted dips to strengthen upper back and tris...deload for a while on the press.


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

Try this: Drop the weight, forget 5x5 for that exercise for a while and periodize back up. On your next session do 2 x12 so you fail at the end of the second set, next session add a little weight and do 3x8 so you fail on the last set, then same idea but 4x6 the next session using the load you've been stuck at on 5x5, then finally back to 5x5 but a little bit heavier. Use the lighter sessions to correct any technique issues you may have, and remember to explode upwards fast, but use a slow controlled negative.


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## ducky699 (Jul 23, 2012)

try bending your legs a little and use them to help push the bar? obviously only use this when you need to though form>weight


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## Prince Adam (Mar 17, 2012)

james_benjamin said:


> I've reached a plateau on overhead press with the barbell and so I moved onto dumbells for a bit. Now I dont seem to be getting much more weight on dumbells.. I do 5x5 adding 1.25kg each week. On the barbell I've stalled on only 50kg (15kg on each side) and cant seem to bust through it.. any advice ppl ?? also what do you think is best for increasing strength on shoulders the barbell or dumbells?


Go back to barbell.

Take longer rest between sets, eat more, tighten up your stance and generate some hip drive.


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## LeBigMac (Jul 17, 2011)

Just a small point if you start to use your legs you are then changing the exercise to a push press, unless you are working for tempo on the negative I don't see how this would help improve military press as the extra push is coming for the hips not the shoulders. So the triceps will get stronger but the bottom portion of the lift (delts) not so.

You could try 5x5 week 1, 6x3 week 2, 8x1 week 3 then change the exercise. Rotate 3 exercises Military press, single arm DB press, high incline DB press. Try to keep the tempos the same so you can really see your progress.

Or as @dtlv suggested and up the reps.


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

LeBigMac said:


> Just a small point if you start to use your legs you are then changing the exercise to a push press, unless you are working for tempo on the negative* I don't see how this would help improve military press as the extra push is coming for the hips not the shoulders. So the triceps will get stronger but the bottom portion of the lift (delts) not so. *
> 
> You could try 5x5 week 1, 6x3 week 2, 8x1 week 3 then change the exercise. Rotate 3 exercises Military press, single arm DB press, high incline DB press. Try to keep the tempos the same so you can really see your progress.
> 
> Or as @dtlv suggested and up the reps.


Agreed. The push press is an excellent power exercise, and does have value, but if looking to help improve the military press I think it's better to stay strict unless you wnt to change the exercise totally.

I guess it depends where the weakness is in the movement - if it's triceps then practice some heavy press lock-outs (top half of the press range of motion only), if it's the delts then do some half presses (starting with the bar as low on the delts as comfortable and only lifting to the mid point of the rep).


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## Dave 0511 (Feb 13, 2009)

I do push press to start and then finish shoulders with strict military press...

as for the lads saying "use your legs to help the military press"

this can't really be done as in a true military press your feet/ankles/legs should be together

push press helps, push jerks help

also very low rep and heavy weight btn jerks help me.... i usually put a few sets of those in every other day when i have access to a rack (which I don't always), start at 60 for 5, 80 for 5, 90 for 3, 100 for 3, 110 for 1, 120 for 1.... cant break through the 120 platueu on those

military press is a great exercise very rarely done to good effect

squeeze your lats, your glutes, lean back slightly, drive up and push your head through


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