captfit wrote:
I was having some trouble with the Overhead Press specially for the last 2 reps so for my 4th and 5th set i asked for a spot and i could complete my 5 reps easily .The Spotter just gave the initial push from the bottom position and i completed the rep from there . So now just a quick question or an opinion i'd say is it okay to lift with a light Support in OHP for a last set or two increasing weight every workout or simply repeat the same weight till i can get through all the weights comfortably myself ??
You should not use a spotter for OHP. When you are getting help to start the weight up at the bottom, you are cutting the workload of the shoulder muscles which is the whole point of this press.
In fact, the only time your spotter should ever lend assistance is to keep you from injuring yourself. The spotter should never just make the rep easier so that you can complete a set. For squats, set the safety pins so that if you can't lift the bar you can just drop down and let the bar hit the pins. For deadlifts, you can just drop the bar if you can't lift it - same for rows. For OHP, if you can't lift it, just rest the bar on your torso and rack it. In my opinion, the only time you should ever use a spotter is on the bench press so you don't crush yourself. The spotter should only act when you can't push the bar up yourself, and then the set is over.
Some tips for OHP:
Do your set as fast as you can, don't pause at the top or the bottom. "Resting" in these positions actually requires energy.
Try breathing at the top instead of the bottom (if you aren't already doing so):
Breath deep and hold the breath, tightening up your core. If you are pressing in a rack, gab the bar and take a small step back and press it. Don't take to long to set your position, it will sap your strength. Breath out as you near the top of the motion and then take a quick short breath in as you hit the top and start to come down. You should be holding your breath again before the bar gets to the top of your head. As soon as the bar touches your chest, push it back up again, touch and go. Repeat.
Starting the first rep from the rest position is actually the hardest because you won't have any stretch reflex going on. I think that once the weight gets really heavy, a little bounce to start the set is OK, as long as you are strict with your form for the rest of the set. However, you shouldn't even think about this until you are down to only doing 1x5 on the OHP instead of 5x5.
_________________
--
My strength logMini Forklift Ⓥ wrote:
'That's 200 solid ass pounds!'
Good work buddy.
vegan_rossco, the squat wizard wrote:
Some guy was staring at me the whole time like I was some kind of fucking wizard firing lightening bolts from my butt.
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
.