Press and Bench Press Programming - Getting and Staying Unstuck 

Incredibly generous from all of you folks at SS to provide all this valuable info for free. +1

0:11 - Intro 0:57 - Fundamental concepts 5:33 - Principles/adapting/recovering 9:40 - Signs of fatigue and not recovering 11:40 - Not enough stress 14:12 - Press Programming from novice to advanced 21:58 - Frequency for press 24:00 - Different Intermediate programming for press 28:34 - Everything works until it doesn’t 29:49 - Alternating chin programming with press 30:09 - Warming up 32:30 - Setting up a weight range 38:11 - Adding pin press 39:37 - How often do you add weight/reps? 40:38 - Practice heavy singles 41:52 - Volume or intensity first? 43:26 - Changing frequency 45:18 - Each lift progresses individually 47:00 - Shoulder pain 50:14 - Using Resistance bands 53:38 - Elbow pain 54:32 - Practice more heavy singles 57:46 - Switching novice females to triples 1:01:23 - It depends

I've been using your programming from your article "intermediate programming for the upper body lifts" based on my coach's recommendation for a couple of months now and have seen great results. 5x5 strict press day 1 followed by 7x1 heavy singles on day 2. My heavy singles started at 170 and I am up to 195 right now. It's allowed me to hit lots of PRs and controlling the heavier weight is a lot easier.

You guys are amazing. Putting so much knowledge out there for free. Amazing human beings. Thank you so much. God bless you guys

Only 10 mins I have all my questions answered regarding the press. I got stuck multiple times during the last 8 months. Each time I thought it was recovery problem. I worked quite tightly with my Food intake, deload, sleep... But now it all makes a lot sense. Many thanks coach! :D

Thanks, Nick. Super helpful. Answered every single press programming question I had

Great vid. Thanks for bringing this to RU-vid! Tons of great info.

Great stuff. I am just running out the LP. This filled in the blanks for me on how to really focus on the press and bench.

A video of great value. I wish you could make a one concerning the lower body movements (squats and DLs)

Once again, the best info on the internet in regards to strength training.

Awesome video, many thanks for your generosity in sharing! My press has been stuck for so long, I'm now fired up to try your suggestions

Can we get the same for the Squat and Deadlift?

Dear Nick, thanks so much for your effort!!! Great great Video! Never got better Press advice!!! Merry Christmas from Germany

Thanks for the in depth and really interesting talk about the press. Your lessons learned are pretty consistent with my own recent experience and thought I'd share it here on the chance it interests others. I started my novice linear progression about 3 years ago. I'm 50 now and still learning how my body adjusts to various approaches for my lifts. I've done the linear progression three times over the past three years after taking time off to recover from various non-weight lifting related injuries/procedures. For the most part throughout that time, I've alternated my pressing and bench pressing days. However, a couple of months ago I decided that I really wanted to be able to press my own body weight for one rep. In pursuit of that goal, I increased the frequency of my presses by adding a "light" press day on my regular bench press days. My light press days are three sets of 5 at about 10% less weight than my sets of five on my heavy press days. My heavy press days also included 1 rep maxes prior to my work sets of five. When I set my press/body weight goal, I figured it would take me months to attain the goal if I managed it at all, because as you point out in your talk, I found my press progressed slowly and tends to hit sticking points quite regularly. However, with this change in pressing frequency my 1 RM presses increased between 2 to 4 lbs every 4th day (the heavy press day), and I ended up hitting my goal of pressing in excess of my body weight within 4 weeks time. I did not expect to see that sort of improvement so quickly, and I'm certain that it's 100% attributable to increasing the frequency of my pressing days.

Thanks coach. This was incredibly helpful stuff that I needed to hear.

Very useful steps for someone who's just finished a post lockdown LP. Thanks for sharing

This is amazing, thank you.

Thanks for your knowledge brother

Thanks Delgadillo! You saved me!

This is gold

Good stuff guys

I'm currently pressing 1.5 times per week, 2 sessions heavy and 1 light every two weeks. My work sets are 1 heavy Triple followed by 3 sets of 5 at a 25lb deload, moving up 2.5lb per heavy session. The light day is %80 of the last heavy top triple for 3x5. I have been doing well with this as an intermediate lifter with some recovery issues from having a Hashimoto's diagnosis and a very stressful job and home life. I should be pressing a top triple of 200 followed by 3 sets of 5 at 175 by the end of the month.

Awesome video

Great video

Four people bought a 12 week template.

Thanks, very helpful! Time to order another if Rippetoe’s books

Outstanding

Thx for this

Nick, do you happen to have any space for online coaching?!!

Really helpful

Thanks for this Nick, really useful further clarification on programming to compliment the books. Please do more of these videos. Would like to hear more about modifying the HLM programme for someone too old for Texas method.

this is interesting, different from the back off method for older adults. my guess your training motor units and going back to the back off later may work

Thank you for this, the books could be a lot clearer about what to do when you start missing reps.

I am not progressing on the bench and press at all been stuck for 2 years any advice?

Thanks

This video is pure fucking gold thanks mate

I press around 135 for a few reps when I first started training. Thought it was weak but I hear it's not bad

I'm 63, BW 235, my pr in squat is 5x390, my DL5x405, My Bench 3x5@230, my Press is 162.5 x 5,4,3,3.. I now do because of severe spinal stenosis in L4-5..I Squat 3x5@350-365, DL between 380-405, Bench increasing 2.5lb every week 3x5reps and Press as well I'm concerned about going back to heavy squat and deadlift Any feedback?

So, the compressed Texas Method for the upper body lasts about a month and then we should start looking at more advanced programming? Would adding more volume via stuff like dips and incline bench (because we can't really just add more bench/press) not help another month or so before we fo over to advanced programming?

For the love of all things holy please do a deadlift video

In your compressed Texas Method.. do you weekly alternate volume benching and volume pressing? Asked a different way, do you always do volume press on Monday and volume bench on Wednesday or would that alternate the next week. Thank you for this video, and in advance for your answer

Would love to see more FB streams here on RU-vid!

When I found ss 2 years ago my press started out weak. I got 160 for one rep. I'm at 220 now though

Great video! But I feel like weighted chin ups programming is kind of left out by ss. Like what are we supposed to do after we cant do more weight for 3x5? Or how often should we do them?

What is “not enough stress”?

Shoulders hurting during press - switch to single arm dumbbell press.

Didn't quite get the pin press bit. On the 4 day split we replace 5x5 strict press with pin press?

Oh my God there is Starting Strength Coach who started this video that is actually talking directly to me. I'm in my 50's I got to 85lb on the press I tried doing 3 reps at 5 sets and I couldn't do that last July. I just got depressed that I gave up lifting weights all together. I bought micro plates last July and I haven't used them yet. Soon I plan to start Starting Strength all over again. There is a website that has all lift averages for both genders and age groups. For the press I think the average is 90 lbs. I hate! hate! hate! videos from Matt Reynolds that they only mention 3 figures on the lifts he never talks to his listeners who just start out lifting are lifting under 150 lbs. God we older lifters need more videos like this for beginners. I think I'll just micro load and make 1 lbs to 1/2 lbs jumps on the press. He is still talking to younger lifters with micro plating than older lifters on his suggested his suggested weights on the micro plates. Because 90 lbs is the max in my age group I almost sure. I rather linear progress slower pace with micro plates. Ripp hates the Texas Method for intermediate lifters because he said it's hard. Light Medium and Heavy day would be better for older lifters.

Hello. Thank you for the video. I noticed one thing- you are always talking about systemic stress. Doesn't localized stress matter at all? Anterior Delt., Coracobrachialis, Clavicular head of the chest etc.

48:00 Shoulder issues: I know everyone hates the Smith Machine... but after a SHOULDER injury, when coming back to the gym it was still hurting, so as Rip says, the answer is NOT to stop using it, it is to KEEP using it and advance as you can, always with the mentality of adding five pounds more as, WHEN YOU CAN... So I started with the Smith because the bar was too heavy and difficult to control as it went up, I thought about tit and knelt don't undo the bar in that machine, with my CLOSED knees directly below the bar as you would a normal press, I started WITH THE BAR, just so as to move the shoulder, then I added slowly five pounds at a time, with the trick being to hold the bar as you would the press 2.0, similarly I moved my hips a bit forward as I lowered the bar and use that momentum to start the move up, abs hard and ass-cheeks tightened, shoulders back as and upper back tight as you would normal press. This was a surprised on how well it worked for me, I went to the normal bar in less then a month and a half... now pressing 135 for sets of three; even though that shoulder issue is still THERE, and I have to be cautious as it makes weird noises every so often, I am planning to add the next five pounds in another week and see what happens. Good luck and hope it helps.

Nick, how much testosterone do you take per week?

Interesting that Nick goes right from "sets of 15" to a Texas split. Wouldn't moving over one set at a time be a smaller change?: 3x5 / 3x5 (LP) 4x5 / 2x5 (what lies within) 5x5 / 1x5 (Texas) So you can keep the intensity up on the volume day a bit longer.

is it Monday bench volume, and wednesday Press volume, and bench recovery?

🔥🔥🔥

Can you show me the ab split thanks for this vid great info

And buy the book and read it is very necessary to understand this as well.

9:25 Bottom 3% checking in

Stagg JR!!!

"Mid to low 3's" well apparently I'm doing everything wrong because I just hit 220lbx5 after starting again in January

Can I. Press. And. Bench. Press

the liq in the back though ;)

SS would benefit from more of this type of practical advice vs pretending every failure to add weight to the bar each workout is a result of YNDTP and can only be addressed by the trainee rereading The First Three Questions and A Clarification ad nauseum.

The Stagg in the background!

Anyone stuck on the press needs to get a set of microplates. Got my Press up from 195 to 225 in less than a year. Amazing how the body adapts physiologically to even the smallest increases in resistance.

32:20 I totally agree. Getting from 315 to 405 was not nearly as tough as getting from 405 to 500. Honestly I’m not sure I have the energy to spend 2 years getting to 600 without quitting my job, and I can’t do that so I might just maintain and train like an old man for a bit

Does this work for over 62

I'm having trouble with my breathing during my sets. Once I lose abdominal pressure, I'm toast, so I have to figure out how to breath during my set.

He said snatch

Does using face cream impact your press programming?

Computer programmer...that's me.

Thx for including girls in your talk!

Squatting in the mid 300 after 3 months? Ain't no way that's the average number in people who never trained before

22:29 "... everything only works for a certain amount of time... if you're pressing 135, ah, 135 to 155, 135 to 165 represents a large percentage of relative to any of the other lifts, so ah, so what I mean by that is that the complexity of the programming is gonna have to move along a little bit quicker, [hitting a total number of reps of let's say 15]... so the next change you're gonna do is to increase the frequency, right?, two press workouts every week..." Hey nick, if you read this... is this accurate?? I mean don't ALL the lifts have a similar range where if you reach it, that is a large percentage of how much you're EVER GOING TO LIFT?? Like, the squat, most dedicated bros can reach 225, and A LOT FEWER can reach 315, and yet a whole lot FEWER can reach 405, and an incredible SMALLER number can reach 495 [personally I have never seen anyone in person doing that, 495, though i have seen a few do 405 including myself, and I am now at 455, and increases are very hard to come by, in fact DECREASES to recover are more likely, LOL]... my point is that you say RELATIVE TO THE OTHER LIFTS and I didn't get clear what you mean by that, since all lifts have a similar range where people drop off exponentially. So I see that 135 to 155 is not a larger percentage since 0 to 135 is a larger percentage than 135 to 155... I can see that 135 to 155 are some of the last INCREASES anyone's ever gonna make, it's only 20 pounds!! and is much smaller than 0-135... seems I misunderstood something here... would you care to expound?? Related to this, in you're experience, are those last 20 pounds worth it, from 135 to 155?? If you got to have so many ducks in a row perfectly aligned just to achieve it, are they worth it, in your experience?? From cero to 135 you pretty much go lift, have decent technique and you get there; meaning that even at 155-65 a person is hardly top competition material.

sea of info for free which probably nick can earn loads of money for saying. thank you!

15:23 WOW! Shots fired

Upload all your various audio streams to Spotify so can leave RU-vid forever. Is that selfish of me, sure... what's your point?

Me ,doing 1.1lbs jumps on the press, and feeling like a little girl 👶 It works though

This guy says to add 5lbs to the press each workout, Mark says that this will absolutely lead to failure and is absolutely wrong. Who should I believe?

The real question is how's that Stagg Jr treating you.

My press goes up the easiest, I'm at about 220 now lazily training it once a week.

Do you Drink Gallon of milk every day? Milk get you strong) have you ever seen a man who was drinking milk from the bull and get very strong and big fast??

Dude make it more simple I don't want to sit through all this shit

How about some preparation !? Stoping and starting in mid sentence doesn't make for a" listenable" video.

Made this annoying mouth sound every minute or so. Zero consideration of the listener