I feel the sticking point is that it is just really fucking heavy.
More specifically, I am pretty sure the sticking point is off the chest and to the chin. I haven’t failed any lifts recently, but I have also never failed to press something I got past my chin that I can recall.
Has me thinking about getting more serious about incline presses, to be honest.
My idiot brain tells me that your triceps are much, much stronger than your shoulders and more “standard” pressing is likely to just make that worse. Maybe try and find a way that you can target your shoulders more? Z-presses or BtN presses spring to mind.
Deltoid isolation exercises come to my mind. All of those others are still presses so why would the triceps chill out?
Yeah, it is a bit strange in that while I think I have pretty strong shoulders, I probably do have even stronger triceps in relation. It seems that the divine creator decided that I should have zero biceps, and instead moved some of that meat over onto the opposite side.
Somehow, I think you and J are both kinda right. I am already adding some isolation stuff (I forget to write it down, but I am adding more rear delt flyes and that sort of thing), plus doing a lot more pulling to specifically target the upper back area in general. I think this will ultimately be pretty beneficial. Even after a few weeks, I am running out of DBs heavy enough to row.
The reason I thought of the inclines is that it gets closer to addressing the specific problem area…that deep part of the ROM off the upper chest…but with a bit more weight added than what I can press.
How about some explosive/power training to get more bar speed to blast through sticking points. The tendency at near max weight is slower bar speeds and we fail because we can’t get through the sticking point so for a movement with a really hard sticking point naturally might be useful to do like CAT training with every rep.
I had to look up CAT training, and all I found was how you can keep mister kitty kat off your counter tops.
I also found picutres of kitties doing biceps curls.
Isa the latter. It is used in guinea pigs to make them buff.
It’s pretty much moving weight as fast as possible while maintaining technique and tightness and so on. Often times we ain’t putting maximum intent into every rep but over time by practicing that u get faster bar speeds. That’s the gist of it anyways. For some lifts explosiveness is less important and people over do it losing positioning and such to go fast for the sake of fast but it doesn’t actually carry over mega to max weights. Useful for overhead work though
Yeah, I did figure out what CAT meant, but was actually unsure how it was suppose to be applied. So it is partly about being fast with lower weights, but also putting something more like a max effort into it at the same time. I am familiar with the former, but not really while keeping in mind the latter. Sounds like a good idea.
Took yet another day off yesterday, which is two days off in the last three. Something I basically never do. Anyway, deadlifts today and also decided to do some incline testing. I am getting into the frame of mind where I am may make Inclines a “main” lift, so better see what I can do beyond the assistance rep shitshows of the past couple of months.
Barbell Deadlift
Barbell Incline Bench Press
Only did one backoff set after the topset of deads. Felt like I was gonna fry myself, so figured I should stop.
Inclines a little better than expected. And if pain and pump is anything to go by, doing these is probably a good idea.
It’s a fresh stimulus even if it’s still the same incline press lift. Will be good. Volume work potentiates strength gains which potentiate volume work in an endless cycle of gains
What was kinda problematic with them over the past couple months is that I had been putting them in as 531 assistance. Lower weights with more reps, done after the main work. Felt hard as balls despite being light, and never really felt like it was in the grove. I am semi-confident going heavier will help me find the grove, which as you say, will help the volume work as well. It is the circle of life.
The incline at my gym is one of the steeper inclines (35 degrees or so?), so I am hoping it has at least some carryover to OHP. Even if it doesn’t, it will surely give me those big, manly man tits that all the bros rave about.
Probably helps overhead press especially if u tend to lean a bit to get more pec involvement
Some lean is inevitable near max, it seems. I am actualy trying to increase the lean a little, but it takes some practice.
Pretty used up from yesterday’s session, so kinda sleep-walked my way through a quick vertical session today.
Pull-Up
Isolateral Plate Loaded High Row
Kind of amusing to me that I am actually using pull-ups to “pre-burn” my lats for the Iso Rows, but it seems to be working. I have actually managed to figure out how to really target my lats for once and work them pretty directly.
Feeling a bit peppier today, so felt mostly ready for a squat day.
Barbell Squat
Muscle-Up
Pushed it a bit with some jokers. I feel I need more sets with doubles and triples above 80% if I want to move this forward. Even if squat is not my main focus, I think it provides the platform for the other stuff.
Bonus pushing day. Really trying to get a day in roughly each week with strict pressing, and another with push pressing.
Push Press
Standing Barbell Press Behind Neck
Things were feeling pretty good when I doubled 100, so I bumped it up a couple more times. I actually failed an attempt at 110 (ironically, it was a failure above my chin which I was just days ago saying rarely happens). I didn’t like that failure, so I pulled myself together and tried it again. Second time it went up like it was my bitch, was night and day difference. Nice to end it on that high note.
Added some BtNs, because I guess now that is gonna be a semi-regular in the rotation.
some great OH pressing, well done.
Relatively easy pulling day today.
Yates Row
Pull-Up
Barbell Corner Row
Upright Barbell Row
Dude, your push press is AWESOME. I legit get like 5-10 pounds out of my push press. I was able to do a strict press 10x10 more easily than my push press one week 
Thanks. Maybe you just don’t do it much? Good rule of thumb is push press about 20 to 30 kilogram over strict. With enough practice, anyway.
Anyway, I think you are a bit ahead of me on strict still, so there’s that.