If I just train overhead press, will my bench go up somewhat as a result?

If I just train overhead press, will my bench go up somewhat as a result?

I just want to focus on OHP and don't want to be doing bench too as they are similar motions, I want to keep all of my press power for OHP

Will my bench suffer in the meantime if I do this for a few months? Will it stay the same roughly, even go up?

Anyone have any experience doing this?

I assume it won't tank my bench as they are similar motions and OHP is much harder (imo) but personally have no experience solely doing OHP.

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  1. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Bench has better carry over to ohp than the other way around. There will be some small increase in your bench from OHP but not that much.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      I'm looking to increase OHP though. Your reply is encouraging though as I don't mind if it stays somehwere the same / goes up marginally

      Why not do ohp first and then bench?

      My pressing is my weakest point and fatigues quickly, if I go from OHP to bench I'll be pushing frick all on the bench so it seems pointless. Pluss I want to try OHP 3 times a week, I've been stuck on 55kg for 6 months, I need lmao1plate to happen.

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        You can press three times a week, but I'd recommend doing a heavier db or barbell bench or floor press before a light db or bb ohp. Just the tricep and front delt overload will help your overhead

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          Thanks bro, seems like solid advice.

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        >if I go from OHP to bench I'll be pushing frick all on the bench so it seems pointless.
        It isn't frequency is important even if you just train with 60-70% for 2-3 sets of bench after OHP, it does help

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        Just do a few sets of pec deck. Your tired front delts & triceps won't matter & you'll maintain all your chest mass with only a few sets a week.

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        If you want to get strong AF on OHP, try heavy singles and doubles.

        Warm up quickly, then max out at 100% ORM. Finish with back off sets at 85% to 90%.

        That'd how I hit 135 lb OHP for reps at 162lb bodyweight (5'9")

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      How is it possible that I can OHP 90KG and am stuck with a 110 kg bench?

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        Do you push press or have shit form? Do you still the bench at the bottom or mid/top?
        Many things can explain it

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          Strict pressing. I guess ohp form is fine, only have a homegym so I film myself and compare it to tutorials for form checking.
          No I dont pause my bench on my chest. Not sure if I have to recheck form on bench or do some other programming. I did 531 for a while and continue with it for the other 3 big lifts. For bench i switched to 65% 3*8 70% 3*6 75% 3*4 3days/week and adding 2.5 kg each week. You got any idea what could be wrong?

          • 2 years ago
            Anonymous

            Where do you stall on bench when you fail? If it's around chest or a few inches off chest, do more paused bench, feet up bench, and spoto presses. You may have shit leg drive too

            • 2 years ago
              Anonymous

              Will try that thanks

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                Np man. Helped me, now I fail midrange. Incline bench and ohp is helping that.

          • 2 years ago
            Anonymous

            Most of the time when someone has a shit bench it's because of lack of muscle mass
            Follow a traditional brosplit with tons of pec, delt, tricep and back work and you will get stronger

          • 2 years ago
            Anonymous

            post your press and bench

  2. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Why not do ohp first and then bench?

  3. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Why not just follow your OHPs with Incline bench you don't need to limit yourself with one press, and incline bench will probably help with the bench and OHP

  4. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    I’m a newbie, just a disclaimer.
    There was some CrossFit jamboree at my gym and for two weeks they were using all the racks every time I went to the gym, so I had to use dumbbells for both OHP and bench. When I went back to barbells, I was able to push through plateaus on both lifts.
    Maybe someone more experienced could explain if this is coincidence or if there’s a reason for it, but it helped me.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      I solely do dB bench and it has no carryover to my OHP personally

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      Dumbell lifts are harder than their barbell equivalents because you have to stabilize each dumbell individually which recruits a significant amount more musculature. Dumbell OHP, for example, is a pretty good way to break through plateaus because certain stabilizing muscles are forced to develop which will then lend extra stability and strength in the barbell lift.

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        Setting up >35kg dumbbells is so shitty though

  5. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    i believe the only carryover from OHP to bench is hypertrophy related
    nuckols reports that he got his OHP from 90 kg to about 120-130 kg? but his bench stayed at ~200 kg, because that was just from improving his OHP skill

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      not even kidding he literally looks like a fat frick college student who drinks beer constantly and goes to the gym about once every few weeks unironically

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        Checked
        He IS a fat frick
        Powerlifters are a fricking disgrace

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        satanic trips of truth. Also, I didn't look very hard but couldn't find him overhead pressing 120kg

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        Make him cut down to respectable bf% and he'll lose much of his strength.

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        He doesn’t care, that’s not why he lifts and not why he claims to lift. He’s way stronger than you and everyone else here, and his website is extremely helpful.

  6. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    I stopped benching due to a pec injury and started focusing on OHP. Getting my OHP up added 20lbs to my bench pretty quick because my shoulders were weak, but after my shoulders stopped being the weakpoint OHP stopped making my bench go up.

  7. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Pretty much did this while everything was shut down during covid. Only had a squat rack and barbell so the only upper body stuff I did was pullups and OHP. Bench stayed the exact same even without doing it for a year but also gained 30 lbs.

    If I had stayed the same weight probably would have gone down. Also I may be more advanced got my OHP up to 250 lbs during that time so if you're new your bench may well go up just from gaining mass.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      Also when I started benching again felt a lot more comfortable using a closer grip bench so it was more tricep dominant.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      >250lb OHP

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        Don't be too impressed I was a fat frick. Around 260lbs at 5'9", but down to like 195 now.

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          What can you press now?

          • 2 years ago
            Anonymous

            Still can hit 2 pl8 on a good day, I would say OHP is the lift most affected by weight gain/loss because the extra mass helps you control the weight.

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        >traps not also green

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      Thanks I was looking for someone with hands on experience in this, great insight thank you, exactly what I was looking for. Did you put on much muscle mass from this or are you not sure due to the sheer amount of fat you put on? I don't mean that to sound c**ty btw, just the only way I could word it.

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        Yea definitely put on muscle, if you’re lifting heavy you’ll put on muscle, it just won’t carry over to bench.

  8. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    If your triceps are your limiting factor for bench, yes.

    If your triceps are not your limiting factor, then no.

  9. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Maybe slightly, but not much. You'll mostly be working delts and triceps with minimal Pec training. Not to mention, strength is specific. If you want your bench to go up, you should do bench and bench variants.

  10. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    >If I just train overhead press, will my bench go up somewhat as a result?
    No, unless you're completely untrained.

  11. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    No. Also in my couple years of experience trying to make conjushit work I find that if you don't do the lift, it doesn't get better. Rep work is how you get better form, bigger and stronger.

  12. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    First of all, weight, height and your program until now
    As a hardgainer, I easily achieved 1pl8 The Press™ on TM split #2

  13. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    It will stay roughly the same or if it declines it will decline a small amount and you will gain it back easily.

    >2 plate ohp presser @ 85kg

  14. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Seated OHP and weighted Pull-ups is why I look bigger and better than most of the dudes at my gym, including the guys on gear.

    Most gyms have a seated OHP machine (atleast LA fitness and GoodLife).

    Set the barbell in front. When you're setting up under the bar, try to get a slight arch in your back like a powerlifting bench.

    I do sets of 5 at 135lb. Currently 5'9" 165lb but I'm stronger on OHP than most of the guys benching 225. My bench is only 185 for 6, but idc. Aesthetics> strength.

    Make sure to do weighted pullups to balance out the OHP for a sick vtaper.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      >5'9 165
      >look bigger and better than most of the dudes at my gym
      I need to know what gym anon

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        Probably a playground behind a grade school. If some twink that small showed up to my gym I'd tell them what a barbell is.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      Not to be rude but that sounds like a bunch of bullshit.

  15. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    I need advice. Ive been stagnating at 50kgx10 for a while and whenever i bench my right shoulder hurts (specifically in the front delt but it might be due to refered pain). What do i do to fix this? Ive tried doing sessions without benching, but it doesnt seem to work that well.
    Please help, it sucks staying as a weakling and i want to improve my bench.
    Also my OHP is also mediocre (at 25kgx10) but i think im pretty sure that im not stagnating in that regard.

  16. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Dyel thread.

  17. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    just do incline bench as an accessory movement and progress it slower with higher reps. will help ohp and bench

  18. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    I keep clinching my neck during lifting motion of BB OHP's. How do i fix it?

    t. dyelgay 45lbs OHP.

  19. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Vertical pressing is much harder than horizontal pressing. The carryover from 0HP to bench is higher than bench to 0HP. No idea why that earlier Anon thought overwise. Your bench WILL go up if your 0HP does. This is a fact unless you are an elite lifter. If you are so, you may have little to no carryover.

    Anyway. If you drop bench completely but only 0HP, you will lose some neurological gains on bench, so when you return to it you may be weaker. But when you return fully into it and get into the groove, the 0HP strength gains will explode when combined with relearning your bench specificity.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      >This is a fact unless you are an elite lifter. If you are so, you may have little to no carryover.

      This is assuming if you aren't benching in this time btw.

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