Push Press Question

[Paul Sousa]

I am training for strongman and want to build my push press. How important is the strict press to build a strong push press? I am running 5/3/1 currenty and am considering dropping the press as a main lift and focusing on the push press. I was thinking of working to a heavy set of 5 on my 5s week, a heavy triple on 3s week, and a heavy single on the 5/3/1 week. Then do a couple higher rep sets of strict press. Any thoughts on this?

[Tharnett]

I think it is still pretty important as it hits different heads of the shoulder

I "warm up" to my push presses with strict military. I bench twice a week so I only overhead press once a week and do a week of heavy 5s followed by heavy 3s and the last week a few heavy singles (I still go by feel though and might try a heavy 1-3 on my week of 5s...)

For example:
Week 1 work to a heavy 5 reps in 10kg increments with strict military press. When it gets hard I add 10kg and start over with push presses.

Week 2 same just for triples

Week 3 test heavy singles for both

week 4 start over

I have seen my overhead press go way up doing it this way.

[Paul Sousa]

Cool, I was doing something similar with 5/3/1. I would do my strict press sets based on 5/3/1 and then do push presses right after. I'd work to a heavy triple on week 1, heavy double week 2, and a new 1rm on week 3.

You don't feel that starting with strict press takes away from what you can do on push press? I can't say I've noticed it impacting my push press, but I also haven't done push pressed first to really compare.

[Tharnett]

Cool, I was doing something similar with 5/3/1. I would do my strict press sets based on 5/3/1 and then do push presses right after. I'd work to a heavy triple on week 1, heavy double week 2, and a new 1rm on week 3.

You don't feel that starting with strict press takes away from what you can do on push press? I can't say I've noticed it impacting my push press, but I also haven't done push pressed first to really compare.


not at all in fact I think I have better push press results with the long "warm up". And of course it lets me get some strict work in

Your work capacity might need to be brought up if you are feeling bagged from military press. Not to sound like a bragging internet tough guy (haha) but I start the military and push press always after squatting.

[Paul Sousa]

not at all in fact I think I have better push press results with the long "warm up". And of course it lets me get some strict work in

Your work capacity might need to be brought up if you are feeling bagged from military press. Not to sound like a bragging internet tough guy (haha) but I start the military and push press always after squatting.

That's funny, I actually have been doing the opposite and have been doing strict press, then push press, then squats. I can't say for sure that strict pressing first takes away from push pressing since I haven't tried it the other way around. I always looked at it the same way, strict press was like a warm up for push press. I didn't know if there would be any benefit to putting more focus on the push press though. Sounds like the way I've been doing it is fine though. Thanks!