Why Is My Overhead Press So Weak Reddit

Your OHP Isn't Weak, Your Approach Is Wrong

The answer to 'why is my overhead press so weak reddit' is that you're treating it like a bench press, but it only uses about 50% of the muscle mass and has zero external stability. Your overhead press (OHP) isn't stalling because your shoulders are weak; it's stalling because it's the most honest lift you can do, and small mistakes that other lifts forgive will crush your OHP progress. It's the one lift where a clean 135 lb press commands more respect in a serious gym than a sloppy 315 lb bench press. The frustration you're feeling is real. Your squat and deadlift are climbing, your bench is moving, but your OHP feels glued to the same weight for months. You add 5 pounds, and the bar doesn't even leave your shoulders. Here’s the truth: progress on the OHP is measured in 2.5-pound increments, not the 10-pound jumps you make elsewhere. It's a full-body lift disguised as a shoulder exercise. Power must transfer from the floor, through your braced core and tight upper back, before it even gets to your shoulders and triceps. Any weakness in that chain kills the lift instantly. The secret isn't to just 'try harder.' It's to train smarter by working with submaximal weights, specifically around 75-85% of your true 1-rep max, to build volume and perfect the technique that actually moves the needle.

The "Stability Leak" That's Stealing 20 Pounds From Your Press

Your OHP is weak because of something I call a 'stability leak.' Imagine a fire hose with a tiny hole in it. Even with massive water pressure, the stream at the end is weak. Your body is that hose. The force for your press starts at your feet planted on the floor. It travels up your braced legs, through squeezed glutes, into a rock-solid core, transfers to a tight upper back that acts as a launching pad, and finally gets expressed through your shoulders and triceps. A stability leak is any part of that chain that isn't 100% rigid. Are your glutes loose? Leak. Is your core soft? Leak. Is your upper back rounded? Big leak. This is the single biggest mistake lifters make: they think the OHP is a shoulder and arm movement. It's not. It's a 'stand as tall and tight as possible while holding a heavy weight' movement. The bench press is forgiving because the bench provides external stability. You can have sloppy form and still muscle the weight up. With the OHP, *you* are the bench. A 10% leak in stability doesn't reduce your press by 10%; it can be the difference between successfully pressing 115 pounds and failing 120 pounds completely. Fixing these leaks by bracing properly is the fastest way to add 15-20 pounds to your press without your shoulders getting any stronger.

Tired of guessing? Track it.

Mofilo tracks food, workouts, and your purpose. Download today.

The 8-Week Protocol to Un-Stall Your Overhead Press

Stop trying to add 5 pounds to the bar every week. That approach works for a few months at best. To break a serious plateau, you need a structured approach that builds your base with volume and strengthens the entire kinetic chain. Follow this 8-week plan exactly. Do not add more. Do not deviate. This is your OHP day, once per week.

Step 1: Find Your Real Training Max (Not Your Ego Max)

First, we need a realistic number to base your training on. Your 'ego max' is the weight you hit once, six months ago, with terrible form. Your 'Training Max' (TM) is a number you can hit consistently for reps. Warm up and find your 5-rep max (5RM) on the standing barbell OHP. This should be a weight you can press 5 times with perfect form, but absolutely could not get a 6th rep. Now, take that number and multiply it by 90%. This is your new Training Max.

• Example: Your best set of 5 reps is 100 lbs.
• Calculation: 100 lbs x 0.90 = 90 lbs.
• Your Training Max is 90 lbs. All percentages for the next 4 weeks will be based on this 90 lb number, not 100 lbs.

Step 2: The 3x5+ Foundation (The Progress Driver)

Your main lift each week will be three sets of five reps. The first two sets are exactly 5 reps. The third and final set is a '+' set, which means you do As Many Reps As Possible (AMRAP) with good form. This AMRAP set is how we measure progress.

• Week 1: 3 sets x 5+ reps @ 75% of your TM (e.g., 90 lbs x 0.75 = 67.5 lbs, round to 65 lbs)
• Week 2: 3 sets x 5+ reps @ 80% of your TM (e.g., 90 lbs x 0.80 = 72.5 lbs, round to 70 lbs)
• Week 3: 3 sets x 5+ reps @ 85% of your TM (e.g., 90 lbs x 0.85 = 76.5 lbs, round to 75 lbs)
• Week 4 (Deload): 3 sets x 5 reps @ 60% of your TM (No AMRAP set)

After 4 weeks, if you successfully completed all reps and your AMRAP sets were strong (ideally 8+ reps on week 1), add 5 pounds to your Training Max and repeat the cycle.

Step 3: Add Volume Where It Matters (The 5x10 Rule)

After your main 3x5+ work, you need to build muscle and groove the pressing pattern. Lower the weight significantly and perform 5 sets of 10 reps. This should be done with about 50-60% of your TM. The goal here is not failure; it's perfect, crisp reps. This is where the real hypertrophy happens. You can use a different OHP variation here if you like, such as a Seated Dumbbell Press or a Push Press, to give your stabilizer muscles a slightly different stimulus.

Step 4: Build Your Support Muscles (The 3 Essential Accessories)

Finally, finish your workout by strengthening the muscles that support the press. Don't do endless lateral raises. Do these three exercises twice a week.

1. Close-Grip Bench Press: 3 sets of 8-10 reps. The top half of the OHP is all triceps. A strong lockout is built here.
2. Barbell Rows: 4 sets of 6-8 reps. A thick, strong upper back gives you a solid shelf to press from. This is non-negotiable.
3. Heavy Farmer's Walks: 3 sets of 50-75 feet. This teaches you how to maintain total-body tension under load, directly fixing the 'stability leak' problem.

What Progress Actually Looks Like (Hint: It's Slow)

Get the idea of adding 10 pounds a month to your OHP out of your head. Real, sustainable progress is much slower, and understanding the timeline will keep you from getting frustrated and quitting.

• Weeks 1-2: The main work at 75% of your TM will feel surprisingly light. This is by design. Do not add weight. Your job is to execute every rep with perfect form: glutes squeezed, core braced, bar path straight. Your AMRAP set in week 1 should hit at least 8-10 reps. If it doesn't, your TM is too high.
• Month 1 (Weeks 3-4): The set at 85% in Week 3 will be the real test. This is where your form will be challenged. Getting 5-7 reps on this AMRAP set is a huge win. Week 4 is a deload. You will feel like you're wasting a workout. You're not. You're recovering so you can come back stronger for the next cycle.
• Months 2-3: This is where the magic happens. After completing the first 4-week cycle, you'll add 5 lbs to your Training Max and start over. That 5 lb increase feels manageable. Over two or three cycles (8-12 weeks), you will have added 10-15 lbs to your TM, which translates to a 15-25 lb increase in your actual 1-rep max. This is how you build a strong, respectable press that lasts.

You read this far. You're serious.

Track food, workouts, and your purpose with Mofilo. Download today.

Frequently Asked Questions

OHP Frequency: Once or Twice Per Week?

For most people, training the overhead press heavy once per week is optimal. It's very demanding on the central nervous system and shoulders. A second day can be added, but it should be a lighter, volume-focused session using dumbbells or a different variation, never another heavy 3x5 day.

The Role of Micro-Plates in OHP Progress

Micro-plates (1.25 lbs) are not optional for the OHP; they are essential. The smallest jump most gyms allow is 5 lbs (two 2.5 lb plates). A 5 lb jump on a 100 lb OHP is a 5% increase in weight, which is often too much. Micro-plates allow you to make 2.5 lb jumps, a much more manageable 2.5% increase.

Seated vs. Standing Overhead Press

The standing barbell overhead press is the true test of strength because it requires total-body stability. The seated press removes the stability demand from your core and legs, allowing you to isolate the shoulders more. Both are useful, but for building raw strength that translates everywhere, the standing press is superior.

Barbell vs. Dumbbell for Shoulder Health

Dumbbells allow for a more natural range of motion, as your hands aren't fixed in place. If you experience shoulder discomfort with a barbell, switching to dumbbell presses for a few cycles can be a great way to build strength while allowing your joints to move more freely. A neutral grip (palms facing each other) is often the most comfortable.

A Good OHP Strength Standard for a Man

Strength standards are relative, but solid goals for a male lifter are: pressing 95 lbs for reps is a good start, 135 lbs (a 45-lb plate on each side) for a single rep is an intermediate benchmark, and pressing your bodyweight overhead for a single rep is an advanced and impressive feat of strength.