Upper arm strength - female

Trundlegate
Trundlegate Posts: 52 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I started doing free weights in jan/feb and have thoroughly loved it. Loving my new muscles, the fact I am not so clumsy and I no longer get bad backs/knees etc Not sure if any body change is due to diet or lifting, but that is not the reason I am doing it any longer, I am doing it because I enjoy it.

The aim of this random waffle is to ask the best way of adding strength to my arms
I am currently doing the strong lifts program (started NROLFW which was a great intro but found it too bitty and swapped to strong lifts)
I can comfortably back squat 100kg and still adding the weights happily. Dead lift 75kg and going strong, but anything involving arms is an epic fail. I can overhead press 25kg comfortably but 27.5kg usually results in 3/4 reps for the first set and unable to even do one in the rest of the sets with no improvement.

Is there anything I can do to improve upper arm strength or do I just need to be patient and keep working it!

Any advice welcome.

Replies

  • tross0924
    tross0924 Posts: 909 Member
    Over head presses are a pain to increase. You've got 2 options really.

    Instead of jumping the weight to 27.5 kg increase the reps at 25 until you can do 8-10 and then jump the weight up to 27.5 and settle for 2 or 3 reps. then working on increasing those reps.

    Or get smaller increment plates. Go from 25 kg to 26 kg.

    Going from 25 kg to 27.5 kg is a 10% increase in 1 week. That's going to be tough for anybody to pull off. Keep at it and you'll get there. :-)
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    Your ticket suggests you're still trying to lose weight.

    Your strength gains are going to be limited until you can start eating in a surplus. That's a very respectable squat figure for someone in your position - interesting that your deadlift is lower - for most people it's higher.

    25kg to 27.5kg is quite a big jump - a lot bigger than 125kg to 127.5kg, for example.

    In the past I've made 'microweights' by sticking some old mechanics sockets into carrier bags, weighing them up to my desired weights on food scales and hung them off the bar on each end to get a smaller progression. (I made sure the loop in the handle was just over the size of the bar, so it didn't swing too much.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    OHP is very difficult for me to improve on as well and i think part of it is because i have underlying shoulder issues.

    i'm also doing srong lifts, but i also add in some supplemntal shoulder work as rehab and to help with mobility issues. i really like YTWL.

    also, push ups and pull ups are good ways to increase upper arm/shoulder strength and stability .oh yeah and there's also the incredibly awesome turkish get ups.
  • Trundlegate
    Trundlegate Posts: 52 Member
    Thanks for the advice, I think I will try much smaller increments, I have got some 0.5kg plates, so can go up in tiny bits (why didn't I think of that- doh!!)

    I did wonder if it was worth doing arm work every day. My arms don't ache after a lifting session but I guess they still need the day off?

    I have lost a fair bit of weight, but to be honest I am trying and succeeding at holding at the current weight for a month or two and then will try to lose a bit more after the summer is over. I am also quite happy with my current shape/weight so want to get used to it too!!
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    I wouldn't go for every day - you're more likely to harm than improve results - it's the rest periods after you've done a workout that your muscles are 'built'.

    I would consider a slight calorie surplus - maybe as small as upping your calories on MFP by 75 - which would equate to around a quarter pound a week in gain. Hopefully weight put on should be for the most part muscle.
  • Levee_gurl
    Levee_gurl Posts: 3
    I managed to improve my OHP by doing Bench Press.

    Also OHP is shoulder/triceps so I would try for Skull Crushers or Close Grip Bench if I was to chose another excise.
  • 212019156
    212019156 Posts: 341 Member
    The reality is, especially with females is that the OHP is just a tough one to increase. Woman just don't have the upper body mass. Micro-loading and just keeping at it are your best bets.

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