Overhead press to bodyweight ratio

Wailin · 02-10-2019 11:09pm #1

The overhead press is my weakest routine by a long way. What is a decent ratio between bodyweight and barbell weight for the press? I weigh 86kg, mid 40's and my max OH press so far is 65kg (strict form, no pushing with the legs). Is reaching a 1x bodyweight OH press a realistic goal and what is the best way to go about it? A 5x5 routine with linear weight increase every session?

Mellor · 03-10-2019 5:55am

People are always saying it's their "weakest" lift. But most of the time, it exactly in line with their other lifts. Just lower.
OHP is not as strong a movement as the other big lifts, that doesn't mean it's weakest for you.

Of course it could be, you need to look at it relative to other lifts.
What do you bench press (bar to chest) and deadlift?

1xBW is a good target. I'd recommend linear progression 5x5 until you plateau. Reset and repeat.
I was pressing the most weight, when I was pressing more often. Twice a week 5x, then +2.5kg x 3 a la Madcow

Wailin · 03-10-2019 2:03pm

Deadlift 175kg
Squat 155kg
Bench 115kg

Of course, with the smaller muscles recruited for the OH press, it's always going to be lighter weight. But I think I read somewhere that it should be 70% of your bench. In my case that should be 80kg or thereabouts so it's way off.

Mellor · 03-10-2019 3:05pm

70% would be pretty high.
60% would be more typical imo. You aren’t far off that.

How many sets of OHP per week, how many bench?

Wailin · 03-10-2019 6:01pm

Mellor wrote: »

How many sets of OHP per week, how many bench?

As per stronglifts 5x5 up until about 6 wks ago. I stopped that program because the squats 3x per week was starting to give me grief with tendonitis in the hip flexors.

Now I basically do chest/triceps with shoulders in the same workout. Sometimes going from high reps less weight to lower reps heavy weight.

DublinGuy40 · 03-10-2019 6:44pm

ha can anyone overhead press an 85kg guy??? pm me

JJayoo · 03-10-2019 10:03pm

DublinGuy40 wrote: »

ha can anyone overhead press an 85kg guy??? pm me

Trying to lift a person overhead is really awkward, think my Facebook pic is me pressing my friend overhead but then we tried to do it at his wedding and kept dropping him, was pretty drunk

DublinGuy40 · 03-10-2019 10:47pm

IMPRESSIVE

Mellor · 04-10-2019 2:58am

Wailin wrote: »

As per stronglifts 5x5 up until about 6 wks ago. I stopped that program because the squats 3x per week was starting to give me grief with tendonitis in the hip flexors.

Now I basically do chest/triceps with shoulders in the same workout. Sometimes going from high reps less weight to lower reps heavy weight.

If you want to press more, you need to press more.

Trying pressing twice a week, or as much as you bench.
Try one arm pressing too.

JJayoo wrote: »

Trying to lift a person overhead is really awkward, think my Facebook pic is me pressing my friend overhead but then we tried to do it at his wedding and kept dropping him, was pretty drunk

You're kinda distorting the curve on press though. What are you up to with 1 arm OHP?
Do you think a half BW one arm press is easier or harder than a BW press?

JJayoo · 04-10-2019 3:28am

If you can get the technique down then 1 arm will always be easier, thou I haven't done anything over 30 kg in well over a year

Mellor · 04-10-2019 3:31am

I did 30kg yesterday. I am the Jayroo now.

Dtp1979 · 04-10-2019 9:28am

Careful lads....https://touch.boards.ie/thread/post/111422660

Wailin · 04-10-2019 9:31am

Lol!!

the baby bull elephant · 04-10-2019 10:40am

Wailin wrote: »

The overhead press is my weakest routine by a long way. What is a decent ratio between bodyweight and barbell weight for the press? I weigh 86kg, mid 40's and my max OH press so far is 65kg (strict form, no pushing with the legs). Is reaching a 1x bodyweight OH press a realistic goal and what is the best way to go about it? A 5x5 routine with linear weight increase every session?

I'm not a massive fan of linear progression in general once you're out of the early novice stage and have found it to be particularly inefficient for OHP given how small the increases are. I've had more success with linear periodisation.

Bodyweight OHP is a good goal to shoot for particularly if you're not a SHW. It's a tough one though and can take a lot of work. Although interestingly at one stage I went from a 1RM of 70 to pressing it for 5 without training OHP specifically for a while. While obviously doing it with some frequency will help the most, I feel it's a lift that gets a lot of benefit from bench etc. Anything that works your triceps will help it. Z press is also a great assistance exercise for it.

If you want to get the most out of the lift I'd look at Brian Alsruhe's videos on it. I probably sound like a broken record on here about him but his cues on OHP specifically really helped me. He's a strongman competitor so OHP is a main lift for him and even if they're allowed use leg drive his best strict press was 140kg I think.

Wailin · 04-10-2019 1:31pm

the baby bull elephant wrote: »

I'm not a massive fan of linear progression in general once you're out of the early novice stage and have found it to be particularly inefficient for OHP given how small the increases are. I've had more success with linear periodisation.

Bodyweight OHP is a good goal to shoot for particularly if you're not a SHW. It's a tough one though and can take a lot of work. Although interestingly at one stage I went from a 1RM of 70 to pressing it for 5 without training OHP specifically for a while. While obviously doing it with some frequency will help the most, I feel it's a lift that gets a lot of benefit from bench etc. Anything that works your triceps will help it. Z press is also a great assistance exercise for it.

If you want to get the most out of the lift I'd look at Brian Alsruhe's videos on it. I probably sound like a broken record on here about him but his cues on OHP specifically really helped me. He's a strongman competitor so OHP is a main lift for him and even if they're allowed use leg drive his best strict press was 140kg I think.

Cheers for the advice. What's SHW btw?

Hitting bodyweight OHP is another 20kg on top of my current max and, to be honest, I don't think it's doable in my case at least. It will take too much time and effort, so other lifts will suffer. I'd be very happy with 75kg which is a bit more attainable.

the baby bull elephant · 04-10-2019 2:15pm

Wailin wrote: »

Cheers for the advice. What's SHW btw?

Hitting bodyweight OHP is another 20kg on top of my current max and, to be honest, I don't think it's doable in my case at least. It will take too much time and effort, so other lifts will suffer. I'd be very happy with 75kg which is a bit more attainable.

Super heavyweight so 120kg+, bodyweight ratios don't really scale that well.

When I say it's a good goal I should have said long term goal. It's obtainable for most people but generally requires a few years of solid training if you're not making it the absolute focus of your training.

Overhead press to bodyweight ratio

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