Sometimes, I find the strength just isn't there... Sounds like that's what happened. If you lifted it before then I wouldn't worry - just do what you can at 50 and the strength will come back.

Warm ups - actually, generally I can lift more without warm ups! Or a lot, anyway - the initial power is strong. But you're likely to hurt yourself doing that.

I am the same with lifting heavy dumbbells so I don't have anything useful to suggest there!

First thing I have to say is: keep on keeping on. OHP is hard. Everyone struggles with it to some degree!

You will always have a harder time with DBs than a straigth bar. You can't compensate for one side's weaknesses with the other side when using DBs. BUT! Getting used to doing it with DBs (at a lower weight) will transfer over to the barbell version, so that could be a tool to add at the end of your workouts to work on whatever weakness might be getting you down.

You don't need to learn to clean the bar or the DBs, although it is not a bad skill to have. For the DBs what you want to do to get them up is to retract your shoulder blades so you are tight, band down a bit so they are resting just above knee level, then extend your hips, keep the arm close to the body and shrug your arm up. Practice it with 1 arm at a time at first, and eventually you'll be able to "drop" under the weight and hold it at shoulder level from there Alternatively, you can sit down on a bench, put the DBs on your thighs and "kick" them up into position. Then either stand up or perform the exercise seated.

Warming up is important, but just make sure to keep the reps low and go for feel rather than volume. If that means going for a broomstick then that's fine, too. Make sure you get enough rest before your first working set, as well.

On some days you'll be weaker as well. It happens. Don't beat yourself up over it. Keep on trying. If you can't add weight, add reps. Eventually you'll make progress, and then you'll be happy you didn't quit

Hope that helps!

dsg2000 wrote: »

Canadianlbs - thanks for the tips, I find form very difficult too, I find myself starting with my elbows more tucked in and then on the first rep sliding my hands further out for more leverage, not too sure whether that's acceptable or not, but I'll try starting with the elbows out further next time.

for me it's crazy how much difference even half an inch on each side makes in my press. the closer my hands, the more pec and front delt it feels like i use, so i really try to keep myself honest and at least go for a modest width. half a thumb-knuckle's length wider than my ideal width, and it's a totally different feeling and the bar just won't move.

afaik the ideal grip should be whatever lets you keep vertical forearms (parallel to the walls NEXT to you, not parallel to the walls in front or behind) when you have your triceps touching your lats. people say things like 'squeeze an orange in your armpits' but i like to think of 'just make sure no-one can sneak up behind you and tickle you' that tension engages your lats and upper back. and once you've got them engaged you can sort of play around with the tiny micro-angles to find the one that really feels like that shelf has kicked in.

my other comment (elbows in front of bar) was about how you look from the side. in other words, from side to side i want my forearms parallel to the walls beside me. but from back to front, i want my elbows just a little bit closer to the wall in front of me than the bar is. i struggle with this a little, because in my head there's this false perception that it clashes with that 'straight wrists' thing. half the time, when i start to think about 'straight wrists' i'll actually do the straightening by pulling my elbows back under the bar. i think that's where i lose it, although i've never thought about it this carefully before.

The only thing I could suggest is when about in your session are you doing OH Press? I find if I've already done alot of arm work then my OHP is a real struggle. i'm only lifting 20kg(40lb 3x10) found 25kg (55lb) after doing alot of benching was too hard (we don't have a 22.5kg barbell) You could always drop the weight back and increase reps until you can do it.

Ugh, OHP is the hardest! I've finally got mine to 68lb (for 3 reps) but it has been really slow progress. My tips? Do OHP first exercise in your workout. Clench your glutes. Add a push press if you will otherwise fail so you can get your reps.

I've quit the 5 x 5 with OHP as I'm not following stronglifts anymore (didn't suit my body). I was doing 3 sets of 5, but still didn't progress. Seeing better progress with 5 x 3 - same total reps but the stamina lessened. Still hard!!

Maybe this is a good place to ask... On several youtube videos, they talk about punching the barbell into the air.
I can't seem to do that. I think I'm part sloth.
Is being part sloth a disadvantage for picking up heavier weights?

Vetticus_3 wrote: »

Maybe this is a good place to ask... On several youtube videos, they talk about punching the barbell into the air.
I can't seem to do that. I think I'm part sloth.
Is being part sloth a disadvantage for picking up heavier weights?

Can you do it at a lower weight? The whole principle behind that advice is that explosive reps build more power = more strength (or something along those lines), so even if the weight is moving slow because it is heavy, you want the intent to be to move it as fast as possible. Something about the fast twitch fibers firing and giving you more bang for your buck.

I don't remember the whole sciency thing behind it, but it makes a lot of sense, IMO.

dsg2000 wrote: »
A lot of this just feels so weird to me - I'm a runner and I'm very used to pushing myself in running workouts, so I know what I can do and what I can't and when I should just push through things when doing cardio stuff, but pushing myself in weights feels completely different - it's like either I can do something or I can't. There's very little gradual build-up of discomfort, so I find it... strange.

interesting perspective. i think there's something like that in lifting too, but it takes getting used to because the rhythms are different. it's about pacing your energy over a given set, and then getting to know when you've recovered enough to get through all of the next one. you do develop a feel for it after a while.