I was a bit of an oddball when I started training…
Instead of doing routines filled with bench presses, pec dec, curls and lat pull downs, I was over at the dusty squat rack…
I focused on squats and deadlifts and basically ignored pressing movements. Unfortunately, that included the overhead press.
It wasn’t until I came across Brooks Kubik’s work that I realized the value of overhead pressing.
From there, I learned about the Iron Game greats of past and their emphasis on locking out iron overhead.
It didn’t take long for me to put two and two together… I needed to start pressing, and fast…
Luckily I had some great advice to follow. In particular, selecting the proper rep range really made a difference…
Unlike leg and back work, pressing doesn’t lend itself to high rep work. This goes double for the overhead variety because you’re taking the pecs out of the picture. This leaves you with relatively small muscles doing the work
Even though this is the case, the average routine involves way too much work for the shoulders.
This limits the amount of weight you can put on the bar. And if you want to build monstrous pressing power and the size to go with it, you need to avoid higher rep work like Gizmo avoids water…
OK, maybe that 80’s reference is a little too absolute…
Higher rep pressing won’t kill you every now and then. But the majority of your time should be spent doing sets of 5 reps or less if you want to emphasis gains in your limit strength.
Back in the day when Olympic lifters used to be pressing specialists, all of the champs mainly did singles, doubles and triples.
They knew that to train with the heaviest weights possible, you need to keep the reps to a minimum. One look at their results, and I’d say they knew what they were talking about…
Brooks Kubik often recommended the 5/4/3/2/1 system. He is a firm believer in low volume work for the overhead press. He goes as far as saying that 7-15 reps per workout is plenty.
Even Bob Hoffman believed that 15 reps per workout is ideal.
You might think that I’m kidding; or that Brooks and Bob need have their noggin looked at…
But I’m not, and they don’t…
The key is to use maximum weights with proper form for the few reps that you do.
Give yourself time to gain experience in this movement, and you’ll be surprised at the gains you’ll make.
Stick with it for the long haul, and you’ll be putting weight overhead that most people can barley squat with…
Train Smart, Train Hard
Ray Toulany
PS: To help speed up your recovery and gains in strength and size, get your hands on the BodyDesign Nutritional System…
