Can't argue with any of that!VenomousCoffee wrote:Hey guys!
Reasons I use OHP and not BP. YMMV, IMO, etc.
1) My shoulders feel so much better. I flat benched for a long time and I was constantly fighting problems with impingement and just chronic pain. That's basically gone. This is probably the top reason.
2) If you look back several decades, OHP was the measuring stick for upper body strength, not BP. Rippetoe talks about this (and others too of course). BP has taken over powerlifting of course, but I personally feel like OHP is a more 'natural' (for lack of a better word) lift for pressing strength than BP. I use strict form too (knees straight, bar from under the chin to locked out), and I think there's less bs with form than you have with BP.
3) I put on muscle very easily, especially upper torso, so I don't feel like I need the bulk you might gain from the additional weight you can handle with BP. And honestly I'm not trying to gain mass at all, so if I can increase my strength with less overall weight, all the better. (When I flew home for Xmas last week, the airport scanner wouldn't read my arms correctly and I got patted down! haha)
Edit: If you do want to build up aesthetically, OHP will build your yoke a lot faster than BP, which is key to a powerful-looking torso.
4) I haven't done any heavy BP at all this year, but this has gotten me curious about where my strength level is. If I think about it I might try a few sets before I run sometime.
5) I press in the squat rack, so it's very convenient. I can do my whole workout in about a 20 foot radius.
6) It looks cooler.
Hope this helps
Monday 12/30
Squat 315 5x5
OHP 155 5x5
PU 5x5
Grip finisher
