Strength / Weight Training

5x5 is doing well but I've hit my first plateau on OHP. My lower body is a lot stronger than my puny arms...

Also had a complete dickhead next to me today. Insisted on dropping everything.

Deadlift? Drop the weights.

Take the weights off the holders? Drop them on the floor.

Move a bench over? Oh, he'll drop that too.

Prick.

I would have called him out but he was bigger than me...

I haven’t read this but there may be some useful info

https://www.muscleforlife.com/elbow-pain/

Failure is part of it. Fail three times and the weight drops. It is annoying the first few times - usually annoys me because of the amount of effort with a fail at the end.

Oddest bit is any fails I have had, I have blasted past the original failure weight.

Don’t worry! Good luck

If your lower body is relatively stronger, use lighter weights/bit higher reps/fewer sets and work on the upper body first.

I have the same problem, I stopped training my quads (HERESY!!!!) and train upper body hard one day, with just hamstring and light quad work.

You need to stimulate the weak bit first and not use energy for the strong part if you want to bring up a weakness.

5x5 puts a lot of emphasis on squats then only 4 other movements.

BP, OHP, Rows and Deadlift.

The system, as TGR says, knows that you will fail at some point and works the failure in. I have confidence in it and will just keep plugging away.

It will make you stronger for sure, but it's not designed to bring up relative weaknesses.

If you are happy with results that's what matters. For me a general approach stopped working after a while that's all :)

Yeah, I think it's number 4 - i.e give it a rest. I know the injury was caused from an impact and so isn't RSI but it is definitely worse after exercise. Some good tips on exercises which will put less strength on it. Annoying as I was up to 92.5kg on the bench and getting close to my goal :'(

My legs are stronger because they have been supporting my fat arse for most of their life.

I've lost upper body strength since I stopped being a Roadie for a living. Surprising what pushing flight cases up ramps does for chest and arms!

Yep that would definitely build some arms!

I cycle but I don't row / drag stuff at work so my legs are growing fast but it took years to build up some arms / chest :)

I understand your pain. I’ve got close to PBs and due to injury have dropped a long way back. Persistence is the only way.

I now describe weights as like a poker game. You win some days and lose others but, in the long run, if you play the best game you will win.

Hope that makes sense.

Glad Mike Matthews helped - I rate him highly as far as advice and direction goes. He bases his theories and plans on personal experience and documented studies.

I'm definitely nearest to failure on OHP too, and I don't think I have a particularly weak (compared to untrained, not to people in here) upper body. Has always felt a fair bit harder than the other exercises.

I have read that OHP is the hardest exercise. What you may consider a minimal gain, could be huge. I find it incredibly tough compared to other exercises. Make sure your form is good and persevere. DO NOT turn it into a push press - obviously this is a different exercise and your gains are not true.

If I find the link about how hard it is, I’ll post it. But anyone who does OHP (and not a variation) will tell you that it is tough.

Best of luck

Chest flys and lateral raises? Allow you to keep elbows slightly bent and focus is well away from 'big weight' whilst still providing some targeted stimulus.

I have a tendency not to keep the elbows right under on the OHP.

People taking a video as TGR suggested and form videos on YouTube can help.

weights is definitely a win some lose some situation, linear progression is definitely not the case. its a real awkward hobby sometimes. I'm currently on the way back up with some lifts as i too a long time off over summer.

im kinda the opposite to most of you guys in that i lift weights more than cycle. cycling tends to be on basis of if i fancy it or not where the gym is more my staple. been cool having a read up about peoples progress.

I've been set back so much over the last year really. So busy with work that I keep hitting weeks when I make it along once, for a short 45 min session. Or I get a good 2 week run, then have work stuff, late night, a family thing, a football game, a gig or something else, putting me back to making it once in about 10 days. Pregnant wife as well so have been heading home instead of gym after work.

But it got to stage where it was pissing me off and a wee bit of weight gain, so have got my focus on again and been getting back to where i was at.

Was on 120kg for squats but dropped to an okay 90 for reps (5 x 10) so in a few weeks should hopefully have strength back up. Bench is a weak point, do 50 or 60 for reps but if I dont have a spotter I struggle to push beyond that.

Anyway up shot is I feel I am back on track as hate that few weeks when you are chasing it. When you're going regularly, diet is good, etc, you feel invincible, like you will never get off this train, then you do and it's shite trying to get back on.

Thumbs up! :)

In Jan I set a year target of 100kg (5x5) squats, but I got there today. Form is staying good but I think I’m going to learn front squats for a bit now before setting a new target for the year.
Started squatting 4 months ago at 50kg so pretty pleased with my progress.
Sadly my bench is still laughable!

💥 B O O M 💥! Great work buddy. Should be good to maintain that level and build up the other lifts - how’s DL & OHP going?

I haven’t done any lifting in two weeks as I’m resting my elbow - which I just know means I’m gonna be weak af when I get back into it 😓

Congrats! Front squats are the bomb, enjoy them!

DL was going well, was at 100kg about a month ago but I’ve been away so had limited time in the gym recently so been concentrating on squats. Going to deadlift more now along with the front squats.

OHP I’m stalled at 45kg. It’s a hard lift to progress.

OHP is hard. It kills me. Either deload a bit and work back up or try dropping one weight and using fractional plates to ‘ease’ yourself past 45.
I deloaded.

I reckon you'll be pleasantly surprised at an increased deadlift too if your squats have gone up. OHP can be a tricky one, I think it just needs tons of volume. Lately I've been knocking out 15+ working sets of five a week and its moving nicely right now.

OHP is one that hurts, pushing out over 10 first set, then by the last struggling to failure on 6. Ha. I think deloading a bit and focusing on volume is a good shout.

My absolutely favourite exercise is pull ups, had been off the pace for ages and it was really annoying me, but I have just concentrated on volume and I am getting back to stage where I'll be adding weight for sets of 3 x 10. Happy with that. Next step is to get back to weighted dips as well.

I find the gains with weighted pull ups are ridiculous.