# 10 weeks into stronglifts- struggling with overhead press



## jamesmacc (Jun 17, 2014)

thats me 10 weeks in and feeling good, 3 times a week with some alternative accessories ( dips,chin ups, declined sit ups, hanging leg raises and also shoulder shrugs)

squats is at 100kg and i manged a PB 1 rep max 2 weeks ago of 130kg, this was my 12 week goal as its just over 1.5 times my body weight

bench is 57.5 kg

row- 67.5 kg

deadlift- 110kg

overhead press im struggling at 55kg, I failed on a set last week on rep 3 of set 4, took 5 mins rest and then managed it, same happened last night, got to set 3 rep 3 and just couldn't get it over my head, lost form and decided to bail on it. If i fail again stronglifts should suggest a 10% deload i think?

any tips on breathing for over head press, im standing feet shoulder apart, arms shoulder apart and keeping my elbows tucked to my sides.

i do mon-wed-fri and also doing 1 day a week on saturdays in the gym with some local lads doing various muscle groups each time to learn different exercises. last week was shoulders and back, I pushed hard and my upper body was on fire afterwards, felt great.

Any tips would be great, im eating in a calorie deficit as i gained a bit of body fat around my stomach and have a lads holiday coming up.

all in all im feeling good and have noticed some gains


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## JuggernautJake (Nov 6, 2013)

stalling on the overhead? get use to it... probably the most "stally" of all the lifts

my advice would be to micro plate that bitch... go up in 1.25s or less

also just overhead press more

also refine your technique...I still make adjustments everyday in the gym to squeeze a few more kgs out...don't flare your elbows out! most common error by far


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## FlunkyTurtle (Aug 5, 2013)

jamesmacc said:


> thats me 10 weeks in and feeling good, 3 times a week with some alternative accessories ( dips,chin ups, declined sit ups, hanging leg raises and also shoulder shrugs)
> 
> squats is at 100kg and i manged a PB 1 rep max 2 weeks ago of 130kg, this was my 12 week goal as its just over 1.5 times my body weight
> 
> ...


Not the answer to your question but if your squat is 130, and bench is 57 i'd sort that out first.

I squat 120, bench 90 and deadlift 170


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## jamesmacc (Jun 17, 2014)

FlunkyTurtle said:


> Not the answer to your question but if your squat is 130, and bench is 57 i'd sort that out first.
> 
> I squat 120, bench 90 and deadlift 170


130 was just a one rep max i tried , my working weight is 100. Biggest i can manage on bench is 5x5 at 60 kg. Maybe its time to ditch stronglifts and focus on my weak points


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## a.notherguy (Nov 17, 2008)

just deload on the OHP (it is always gonna stall before the other lifts and as everyone is weaker at OHP than bench, squat and deads).

as your bench increases, so will your OHP,


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## Rpatz (Mar 1, 2015)

Stagger your foot stance a bit too helps.

Do you breath into your stomach, tense it up, while making a big chest and push through each one? Also try breathing at the top, big chest and bounce it straight back up.

Ohp is the hardest on stronglifts, I oddly found the jump from 57.5 to 60 a killer for a long time, meanwhile my bench was up at 80, Squat 110 (injured leg or I know it would have been higher)

deload it 3 times after failing 3 times in a row then switch to 3x5 to continue weight increases


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## jamesmacc (Jun 17, 2014)

Rpatz said:


> Stagger your foot stance a bit too helps.
> 
> Do you breath into your stomach, tense it up, while making a big chest and push through each one? Also try breathing at the top, big chest and bounce it straight back up.
> 
> ...


I was breathing in at the top and then starting to breath out just about head height and blow out hard through my lips like i do on squats , not sure if thats correct?


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## Fissure (Sep 14, 2014)

jamesmacc said:


> thats me 10 weeks in and feeling good, 3 times a week with some alternative accessories ( dips,chin ups, declined sit ups, hanging leg raises and also shoulder shrugs)
> 
> squats is at 100kg and i manged a PB 1 rep max 2 weeks ago of 130kg, this was my 12 week goal as its just over 1.5 times my body weight
> 
> ...


I know your pain!

I'm on stronglifts to, and the overhead press has me to!

Stuck on 67.5kg with it l, while squatting 190, benching 112.5 and deadlifting 205.

I've decided to drop the weight down and change rep range for a while to see if that can helps...think its just going to take time for us both.


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## Prince Adam (Mar 17, 2012)

Fissure said:


> I know your pain!
> 
> I'm on stronglifts to, and the overhead press has me to!
> 
> ...


Impressive squats on the program dude!


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## jamesmacc (Jun 17, 2014)

Fissure said:


> I know your pain!
> 
> I'm on stronglifts to, and the overhead press has me to!
> 
> ...


Jeeso man that's some heavy lifts, did you follow the entire thing i,e up 2.5 kg every time. im finding the squats challanging but the bench is not really pushing me to my max, i'm tempted to add 5 kg on per time rather than 2.5 until i'm struggling , feel Embarrassed that i can squat 135 kg but only bench a meesly 60. how many months have you been on stronglifts, do you plan to move to madcow after you have hit your max squat like they suggest


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## Fissure (Sep 14, 2014)

jamesmacc said:


> Jeeso man that's some heavy lifts, did you follow the entire thing i,e up 2.5 kg every time. im finding the squats challanging but the bench is not really pushing me to my max, i'm tempted to add 5 kg on per time rather than 2.5 until i'm struggling , feel Embarrassed that i can squat 135 kg but only bench a meesly 60. how many months have you been on stronglifts, do you plan to move to madcow after you have hit your max squat like they suggest


Been on it for 7 months. Stick to the program like it says, even if you feel like you can add on 5kg instead of 2.5. The small increments set me up for later on in the program.

Well I'm sticking on stronglifts until I can't progress no more, and at the moment could be 200plus in the squat.

Just gotta keep working hard


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## Fissure (Sep 14, 2014)

Prince Adam said:


> Impressive squats on the program dude!


Thanks, hoping to hit the big 200 for all my sets in the not so long future.

The onwards and upwards!


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## jamesmacc (Jun 17, 2014)

Fissure said:


> Been on it for 7 months. Stick to the program like it says, even if you feel like you can add on 5kg instead of 2.5. The small increments set me up for later on in the program.
> 
> Well I'm sticking on stronglifts until I can't progress no more, and at the moment could be 200plus in the squat.
> 
> Just gotta keep working hard


christ man you eating like a beast? im off to falkirk next week so ill get to go to a decent gym for once, usually train from home


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## Fissure (Sep 14, 2014)

jamesmacc said:


> christ man you eating like a beast? im off to falkirk next week so ill get to go to a decent gym for once, usually train from home


sure am! gotta love the food aspect....

nothing wrong with training at home, thats all i do...cage with olypmic barbell and weights and thats me good to go


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## Rpatz (Mar 1, 2015)

I breath in to stomach at the top, hold it in for the most of the rep bouncing off my upper chest and up, so about the same as I do


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