Charles Poliquin takes a quick look at Overhead Pressing and suggests a 12 week program for its use. Having only recently tried a couple of sets myself, I personally can see a bit more overhead work going on. Unfortunately the low roof means that this will be seated only, but that’s still a good start.


There were a couple of ratios mentioned in the article, and after Alberto got everyone going with the Achieving Structural Balance piece, I can see a similar thing happening here. They are :

1. The ratio between seated dumbbell overhead presses and the bench press
It should be that the weight done for 8 reps on each dumbbell represents 29% of the close-grip bench press measure. In other words, a man able to close-grip bench about 220 pounds for a single would use a pair of 65’s for 8 reps in the seated dumbbell overhead presses.

2. The ratio between the behind-the-neck press and the bench press
The weight for a 1 RM behind-the-neck press from a seated position should represent 66% of the weight used for a 1 RM in the close-grip bench press. That load is lifted from a dead-stop position with the bar resting on the traps, not from a weight handed off in the lock-out position.

Time for a quick test.

Behind-the-neck press (seated) 10@20/44, 2@30/66

Disappointing, but not unsurprising. 30kg is certainly nowhere near 66% of my close-grip 1RM. As for the DBs, based on my recent barbell work they’d be closer, but still well under target. Looks like I’ve got some shoulder strengthening to do.

The stretching I’ve been doing lately – specifically for the shoulders – doesn’t seem to have helped as much as I’d hoped; perhaps a strengthening/stretching combination will produce better results. Time will tell.