SL5x5 - overhead press challenging...

Watch this for help

But yes - it uses the smallest muscles out of the bench, squat, and deadlift, so it will be your weakest (takes forever to get to 1 plate depending on your size).

If you find your ohp stalling it could benefit ftom added workload to the muscle groups involved. If your press is stalling and it isnt due to technique error then it is due to slowed hypertrophy. When you stall on SL5x5 I believe they say to drop the weight back when you do I would honestly modify the program slightly.

When you drop the weight back I would pull it back to about 90%(if you're press 100 for 5x5 drop back to 90) when you do you have to have a way to make that weigt harder. Easiest way is to increase reps I would do this with a final amrap on the final set like this. Using our 90 for 5x5 example above
Set 1 90x5
Set 2 90x5
Set 3 90x5
Set 4 90x5
Set 5 90x5+ here you rep out the weight guarenteeing you are getting sufficient workload done.

This will help to induce hypertrophy which is one of the main factors in upperbody pressing movements they are the most dependent on your muscle mass. Squats and deadlifts can usually get ground out by sheer force of will but with benching and pressing you will not be able to progress until you get bigger.

In addition to this make sure you are eating to fuel your gains.

Also yes it is difficult to increase the press 5 lbs each session 2.5lb plates are easy to come by.

Bad OHP is bad OHP form 99% of the time. Post form video.

common issues are incorrect grip width (thumbs at shoulders is right, or thereabouts)
or barbell not in a vertical path (should have to move your head around it a bit, most people hold it forward)
or elbows flaring.

I did SL5X5 a while back and I progressed great with all the lifts except OHP. I actually did not progress at all with it. I used an empty barbell the entire time. I've moved on from that program now though and don't even do OHP at all, lol.

Assuming form is ok, 2 things you can do to continue progressing are: 1) go to 5x3 (or 3x5) sets x reps instead of 5x5 and/or 2) use fractional plates to reduce the weight increments (you can get them in a paired 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 & 1# set).

5# increments and 5x5 sets/reps is just too much for most people doing OHPs when they get up to their max weight.

1.25 lb plates help get me past sticking points. Also watching Mark Rippetoe's form video. Also, oddly, doing OHP with bands while on a long vacation. When I came back to SL after 3 weeks of using bands and improvised weights, all of my other lifts required a deload, but OHP was stronger - went from 75 to 85 after being stuck at 75 before vacation.

jtcedinburgh wrote: »

Hi folks.

I'm a few weeks into SL5x5, and enjoying it immensely (and also seeing the benefits already). My question is whether it is normal to struggle a bit with the overhead press - in my case, I've not yet broken 30Kg with it - whilst all the other exercises seem pretty easy so far (squat etc.). Does this just suggest I just need a bit more work on my shoulders, or perhaps everyone finds the OH press difficult at first?

thanks.

Yes, it was one of the reasons I shelled out the money for fractional plates going from .25 to 1 pound allowing me to increase the weight on OHP at a far slower rate thus reducing the need to d-load as often with OHP.

This video show basically how to do it. The guy's elbows are really flared out though, which I recently learned is apparently both weaker and risks injury. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mfe32u-EbyE

The thing that I think makes bands helpful is that the lift gets harder as you go up, so when you get back to a barbell, the top part of the lift feels easier.

Note that you can stand with both feet on more of the band if you need to make it harder.