Hi Jow Forums, I started lifting less than a year ago, and for a while now have been doing the Stronglifts 5x5 program (found it via the STICKY). My progress in all exercises has been satisfactory, apart from the Overhead Press. I'm up to 125lbs Squat, 100lbs Bench Press and Barbell Row, 175lbs Deadlift, and though I know it's nothing impressive yet, at least I can increase every time. With the Overhead Press it's another story, for weeks now I can't get above 75lbs, sometimes failing even at that. I guess it comes down to never having trained the respective muscles compared to the rest of my body.
Should I stick to lifting the same weight, same excercise until eventually I'm able to increase? Anything I can add to the program to help? The 5x5 guy is a bit autistic about sticking to his routine and to be honest I don't have experience to decide what to add/change.
the "5x5 guy" has plenty of bad advice that you shouldn't take to heart, the program is ok though and doesn't need changing. Overhead press is going to stall, theres no way you can keep adding 5lbs each time like with the other exercises but rather than deloading constantly just keep doing the same weight until you get 5x5 then move up
Tyler Thompson
Thanks, I'll stick to that for now. Can you remember any of the bad advice that dude gives? I don't wanna risk injury...
Aiden James
you'll get there bud. the muscles used by ohp are smaller than the muscles used for the other main compounds. eventually you'll need to switch from 5x5 to 3x5 when you start stalling anyways, so it may be time to do just that. You may just need to eat more.
Colton Hughes
>you'll need to switch from 5x5 to 3x5 when you start stalling is this good stalling advice in general? asking for a friend
Josiah Gonzalez
Try ending your last OHP set with a dropset (about half the weight) until failure every time you do it. It helped me. It's a pain tho 'cause you need another barbell ready for the dropset otherwise you loose a lot of time taking plates off yours
well that's what the program says to do. If you stall, try 3x5, then 3x3. I remember doing 5x5 when I started and stalled on ohp first too. that's just how it goes. There's a bunch of other advice as to how to break plateaus like using microweights and shit like that. I only recommended the above because I followed the stronglifts routine when I was a noob and I remember it worked for me. keep in mind once you go to 3x5 or 3x3 you're not going to be able to just jump back to hitting 5x5 with higher weights.
Henry Perez
I wouldn't unless you're really struggling. You need to be doing more volume not less.
Juan Barnes
>tfw I bench more than I Squat and OHP more than I deadlift
Matthew Lewis
LOL what. How is this possible. Show picture of your pencil legs pls.
Brandon Parker
Are you a paraplegic?
Michael Ortiz
I'm a retard who still managed to hit lmao 1pl8 ohp, are you really supposed to fucking bounce like the beginning of this video?
Dylan Gutierrez
>the muscles used by ohp are smaller than the muscles used for the other main compounds
Yeah that makes sense. I was taken aback from how harder it is to do it compared to all others.
Well considering my OHP is still at babby weights I think I can switch them fast enough. Will try that.
I've seen a few videos on technique, I'm sure I'm doing it properly by now. I'm just weak I guess.
That sounds really weird. Maybe I had a good headstart at the legs since I cycle a lot.
John Murphy
Go for lots of OHP volume for a few weeks then start going for strength >100lbs~45kg >125lbs~56kg >175lbs~79kg >75lbs~34kg Although I think you're doing something wrong entirely. Those stats are abysmal. Looking at these I think you're a Skelly and not eating enough or you're not training hard enough because you're to scared to do so. Post height and weight so we know more.
Owen Reyes
Good luck bud, you'll make it.
Parker Morgan
How much do you weigh? Have you been eating at a surplus? All your lifts are low for over half a year of lifting. Even if you started off extremely weak that doesn't sound right. You're probably not eating right because SL 5x5 should work.
Carter Flores
>bench more than I squat same >OHP more than I deadlift holy fuck how
Anthony Wood
My DL is only a little more than my OHP and much less than my squat and bench. That’s because I cannot get good form and I worry about my back too much
Liam Murphy
>holy fuck how Weak grip and hip flexors . I OHP 1.5pl and DL 1.45
Leo Nelson
>Post height and weight so we know more. 5'10'' and something like 155lbs
I've been skinny most of my life true, but I've been eating better and gaining a little bit of weight since I began training. As I said it's less than a year in the gym (though I've kept active before that) and just 6 weeks into 5x5. Before that I had no clear routine and realised I was just aimlessly going between exercises. The weights are exactly what the program dictates for now. I know I can go higher in almost all of them. Actually the chest press that I do now is already ahead of schedule, it just seemed so easy. But in the OHP I completely suck, hence the thread.
Oliver Sanchez
Maybe your statement 'under a year' was misleading me to believe it was more than a few months.
I'm 5'10 too. The first time I started lifting I also stalled at the same weight as you did now with Stronglifts (for OHP). I think you need more volume.
I lift since January after pausing for a year. Went up from 63kg to 67kg now so 3kg less than you. My OHP went from struggling with a 18,5kg bar to 42kg now.
You need to do something about all your lifts and it will get better. Maybe switch from strength to hypertrophy for a while just to increase volume and then try to get stronger again
Nicholas Thomas
Yeah I guess I didn't make it clear. Most of that time I wasn't on a strict routine and in a way it seems wasted. That said, I'm sure my limits on all exercises are quite higher than what I do now as part of my 5x5, but I chose not to start at a higher weight than the recommended for beginners since I am a newbie after all.
>My OHP went from struggling with a 18,5kg bar to 42kg now.
So you started with an empty bar in January and now you are at 42 kg overall? Do you remember how long you stalled, and how you overcame it?
Justin White
holy shit, you've been lifting for a year and have stats that bad? show us your tits, baby.
Brayden Flores
SQUEEZE BUTTCHEEKS TOGETHER
add 20lbs to your ohp by following this one simple trick!
also you can steal another extra rep or two by push-pressing a bit. that helps me sometimes even if it's cheating idgaf
Dylan Harris
Ah also my reading comprehension sucks. Disregard your time before sl5x5. Six weeks is nothing, just get stronger and add volume to your ohp. For six weeks your stats are totally fine
Xavier Evans
never gonna make it
Thomas Flores
Yeah I didn't make it clear, I'm only 6 weeks into 5x5, all that time before I was wasting on machines and lifting stuff without a program. So I guess instead of improving my weak muscles I was just focusing on the already decent ones.
Jose Watson
Not that guy but I also started SL in January after a 6 month break, I was stuck at 45KG for fucking ages so I deloaded to 35 and worked my back up a few times, took me a few weeks but I'm at 52.5KG now. Take longer breaks if you need too that makes a big difference (no way can I do 5x50KG without at least 3 minutes between sets) and see if your form could be improved (meme hip thrusts help a lot).
Angel Price
When I did sl5x5 I hard stalled after five months and I only got to 35kg ohp. I was Dachau incarnate when I started that time. My bodyweight was 72kg at the end. My stats were >Squat 70kg >Deadlift 100kg >Bench 55kg >Ohp 35kg
I started of again in January this year and did 3x10 for everything for a month. Since February I do nsuns. Yes it's regarded as a meme routine. But Nsuns brings tons of volume. I do not recommend volume for legs though. Also I skip leg day a lot.
Also it is important to note even though I paused for a year and lost lots of weight to illness I lift AGAIN. Science shows that new muscle nuclei stay for a long text after stopping to lift and might even be lifelong. This means I can gain strength and muscle easier than when I once started which is a huge advantage. So all I can say is for six weeks you're of fine and once you stall switch routines and go for volume. Then when you stall again switch back to strength and repeat until you made it. And you will. I believe.
Caleb Rogers
>SQUEEZE BUTTCHEEKS TOGETHER >add 20lbs to your ohp by following this one simple trick! Doesn't work for me, it actually makes it harder for some reason.
Owen Watson
Thanks guys, and all the rest who gave advice. Maybe eventually I get enough improvement to post a progress pic.
Do starting strength instead (mehdi is a fraud and stole rips idea, made it easier and worse for broader appeal) and read practical programming (can be downloaded as a PDF). You will never have to ask questions again.
