PUB overhead press weenie

nancy324

nancy324

Cathlete
I can't do overhead presses on PUB. No, really. Something in my arms goes into failure, and I don't think it's my triceps, because I'm fine on the kickbacks.

Is there a shoulder muscle involved in the overhead press? Maybe my shoulders are fatigued from the shoulder work that precedes the tricep section and some aspect of shoulder is involved in the overhead press. That's the only thing I can think of. I can't understand how Cathe and crew are able to do these. Is everyone else able to do them?

-Nancy
 
I wish I could help you, Nancy. I mean, they're tough, but I do them. There doesn't seem to be any odd muscle failure in my shoulder. Maybe you could substitute something. Dips? French press?
 
I can do them - in fact for me, they seem too easy. Not because I have super triceps or anything - they just don't seem to give me enough of a workout. Part of it, I think, is because right now I don't have the right mix of weights for me. I always substitute dips off the bench.
 
Mogambo and Shannon,
Are you doing them in sequence? I mean, are you doing the workout as filmed?

(Liane, do you realize how large your avatar is?)
-Nancy
 
Nancy,
Have you tried lowering the amount of weight you use? I drop down quite a bit for overhead presses. Make certain, too, that your arms aren't back too far, as that can muck things up, biomechanically. Your hands should be visible without turning your head to the side - about four or five inches in front of your shoulders, when you're pressing, rather than right next to your shoulders. (does that make sense?) Try that with about 5 - 8 pounds and see if it helps.
 
There is some shoulder involvement, but it's more in range of motion than in strength (though I think there would be some isometric shoulder strength used). If you don't have good tricep/shoulder flexibility, it could be a limiting factor.

I go heavier than Cathe and crew on these, but I do prefer other tricep exercises (lying tricep extentions) that I can do with more support.
 
Holy Crap! I had no idea how big that avatar was. I have remoooooved it, will resize the image or maybe pick a different one and put it back later. Sorry about that, folks.

Yes, Nancy, I do the workout as produced.

I use 12, 17 and 20 lbs for the three weights for overhead triceps press and 4,5 and 8 for the kickbacks.

I always do the full pyramid, but the overhead presses with 10 reps on the way down really challenge me, so I know I'm still Ok with the weights I'm using.

I don't get DOMS in the triceps from PUB though. For that, I have to do GS Triceps. Now, that turns them into jello.
 
Nancy - Is it your front or mid deltoid? I have a hard time with presses, but it's only in my right shoulder and only occasionally - it's like it cramps up or something. It's frustrating because my triceps are really strong but my shoulder cramps up before I can get that burn in there. I usually just try to pause and stretch it out, sometimes that doesn't work though - then I just move to kick backs or lying tricep presses.
 
I don't know, Curly. I just go into failure, but I'm not sure what's failing. Since I'm always pressed for time anyway, and the kickbacks work so well, I'm just leaving out the presses. I do very well with most tricep exercises, so I know my triceps aren't weak. My fav are the lying tricep presses, where you hold your elbows still as if you're balancing teacups. They work SOOOO well! And the cross-body kickbacks because you can feel them working with very little weight.
 
Nancy, Are you able to do any of them? For some reason the over head presses in PUB are tough for me too. I can use 20 lbs no problem in GS triceps and I actually need to buy 25 lb weights so I can move up. But in PUB my weights are 10, 12 and 15 lbs. I'm very close to losing my form from 15 down to 12. I'm OK again when I do the final 10 lb set, although they are tough. So, for me I think it must be how these exercies are sequenced.

Additionaly, I struggle with the chest presses because of the cramping I get in my hands and I'm only using 12, 15 and 20 lbs for them.

Because of that there is a small dread factor with that workout.
 
Why not change the order of the exercises? The kickbacks will preexhaust the muscle, so that may be why you are weaker at the oh extensions. By doing the oh extensions first, your triceps will be fresher and stronger. Also put a big of a break between sets.

I change things in PUB and PLB all the time (like I replace kickbacks with lying triceps extensions, which I think give me more bang for my buck. Kickbacks are fine as a "finishing" move, IMO, but if I'm only doing two triceps moves, I want to get as much out of them as I can.)
 
How would you feel about alternating kickbacks with dips? To kick the dips up a knotch, put your feet up on another bench and do them slower. My 2 cents.
Just Do It! :)
 
i don't know the answer to the question about not being able to do over head presses... but i am sitting here wondering if you have a different pub than i do.... i can't for the life of me remember doing overhead presses in PUB?????? shoulders if the 3 part... sitting flies, standing out to the side flies.. and standing front raises... no overhead presses?????


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cute work out clothes are good for AT LEAST an additional 10-15 calories burned!
 
OH!!!!! The triceps presses, I thought you meant shoulder presses. My bad. I found that with these I still do drop down from what I do with the kickbacks. Also, form is critical with these - sit up nice and straight, make sure your shoulder blades are pressed down, and keep your wrists straight (don't move them, which I have to stay very focused on). The trick, I found, is to really concentrate on keeping the ball of the dumbbell steady and focus on pushing it straight up toward the ceiling, and not getting any forward direction going, keeping the upper arms as still as possible. As soon as you start to bring it forward the slightest, everything changes and the exercise does become much more difficult to execute. Also, make sure you don't let your shoulders or upper arms float back. Be aware of how low you drop the weight behind your head. If you don't have the range, don't drop the weight as far. I suggest going home and just trying to do that one motion with like a three or five pound weight - not part of your workout, just whenever - until you can comfortably get the body mechanics down. Once you feel it "right" you'll know it and you'll be able to do it, but the mechanics really matter on this one.
 
>i don't know the answer to the question about not being able
>to do over head presses... but i am sitting here wondering if
>you have a different pub than i do.... i can't for the life of
>me remember doing overhead presses in PUB??????

She meant tricep overhead extensions.
 
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH that makes sense... well.... pertaining to PUB! i mean... i could see how she would be asking about overhead presses! just didn't get the pub reference!


-------------
cute work out clothes are good for AT LEAST an additional 10-15 calories burned!
 
Nancy -
sorry for the delayed response. Yes, I do them exactly as filmed. But then, the bench presses (chest) still kill me. I'm working on that!

I've done the overhead presses before (that is, pre-Cathe). I never really got too much out of them then, either. Weird, I know.
 
Nancy-

You aren't the only one! My whole left shoulder doesn't work right for some reason.
 
Nancy:

as others have said, prioritize the exercises that are most difficult for you, so you can master them before the muscle group gets too tired. Then afterthe tricep overhead extensiuons, you can get your fill of kickbacks and/or French presses for triceps.

Also, play around with different holds of the dumbell. If I remember correctly, in PUB Cathe holds the dumbell horizontally between two hands, one at each end of the weight. Try also holding the dumbell vertically, with both hands overlapping eachother at the top of the weight.

I find sometimes that as I tire with one position, I can push further by changing my grip position.

Cathe says also to visualize the muscle you want to strengthen as you are working it. I find this helpful, it helps me to target and isolate that muscle group more effectively. Maybe visualization might help?

If your shoulders are tiring early, it suggests also that you may need to correct your form. This really shouldn't involve shoulders much at all, if at all. If shoulders are being brought into pplay this maybe because you are moving your whole upper torso forwards and backwards as you lift the weight up and down. What should happen is that you keep your torso pretty rigid, so that you are lifting the weight just with the triceps. I don't say this to insult you, just something to think about.

You might also benefit from reversing the order of the exerciseswhen you do PUB, i.e. do chest, then triceps, then back, then shoulders, etc. And play around with the order to suit your abilities and strength gain needs. Another time you could do triceps first, while your muscles are fresh.

Hope some of this might help,

Clare
 
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