Press Wednesday: Increasingly Capable

DB OHP (strict)
left 10 reps @ 20 kgs
right 10 reps @ 20 kgs
left 6 reps @ 35 kgs
right 8 reps @ 20 kgs
left 1 reps @ 45 kgs
right 8 reps @ 20 kgs
left 7 reps @ 50 kgs PR
right 8 reps @ 20 kgs

Swiss bar OHP
10 reps @ 15 kgs
10 reps @ 35 kgs
8 reps @ 45 kgs
3 reps @ 55 kgs TPR

Bench press (flat)
10 reps @ 20 kgs
8 reps @ 40 kgs
6 reps @ 50 kgs

Pinwheelz (4thaladeez)
10 reps @ 15 kgs
10 reps @ 15 kgs
10 reps @ 15 kgs

STARTING to involve more two-handed pressing movements, and it's really exposing how weak my right side has become. The bench press still feels like it's causing some strain when moving anything heavier than 40 kilos (not good) but my overhead press with the swiss bar was solid. No twinges or discomfort... just weaksauce numbers.

'Cept for the old left, which didn't disappoint tonight. At first I pulled out the 55 kilo DB with the intention of going for a 4th rep, but I put it back pretty quickly when I realised that I was, again, training to fail.

When I got strong enough to press the 50 just once, I stubbornly refused to try any other weight for my money set. Consequently, it took me several weeks to get to a triple of that weight, and at that point I pretty much stalled, until my coaches gave me this piece of advice - and it's advice all too often ignored by most lifters;

Always performing heavy singles, double or triples of your max will NOT build strength.

It just won't.* Dropping back a bit and working on reps, however, will build strength, and so I instead picked up the 50 and produced 2 more reps than my previous best at that weight. Next wednesday I will be picking up the 50 again, and aiming for 10 reps. Once I get to 10, it will be time to test out the 55 once more. And one day soon, when I'm repping that 55 for double digits, or near enough, it will be time to test out the 60 kilo DB.

Fuck yeah. I may even make it to the 70 before the end of this year. Strict overhead-pressing the dumbbell I could only clean at Am Nats last year will be a sweet personal victory for me.

*I'm told I should clarify something here when it comes to performing heavy triples. Three rep sets will promote a training response - and if you can increase the weight each week and still perform a heavy triple, you're progressing and progression is key (duh!), so you don't have an issue.