What was YOUR pathway to pressing double 32s?

[andy0]

From beginning to end, what was your pathway to pressing the double 32s? (Or any other heavy pair).

What program/s did you follow? How strong were you when you started? How long did it take?

Pressing the 32s is my current life mission - hence my survey of this amazing sub. I'm currently on The Giant with 24s after following ROP with a single 24. Getting great results so far - it's an amazing program!

 

[nyeung]

@andy0 I pressed double 32s for the first time today, actually!

Got just one rep out, never been able to do it before.

I've been doing ROP for the last few months with a 28k. Got through my full 5 ladder sets 2 weeks ago.

When I first started I could press a single 32k four times, after finishing ROP I tested myself again and could press it nine times.

Perhaps try ROP with a single 28k as an intermediate plan?

 

[godschild71960]

@nyeung Wait so you could press a single 32 nine times and couldn’t press double 32s once?

 

[dawn16]

@godschild71960 Maybe he was pressing them both in one hand?

....I think I broke my arm just imagining it...

 

[nyeung]

@godschild71960 I could press a 32 four times one handed.
Did ROP with a 28, then re-tested with a 32 one handed and got 9 reps, then tested a double 32 press, from which I got a single rep.

Does that clarify things?

 

[godschild71960]

@nyeung Yeah that’s what I thought you had said, found it odd as I had just been reading a thread on StrongFirst where someone was saying they actually press more reps when using both hands 2x24kg than one 24kg. Link

 

[andy0]

@nyeung Dang great job. So rop with 28 more than doubled your rep count with a single 32c and unlocked the double 32. Nice job!!!

 

[nyeung]

@andy0 Yeah, I found ROP to be incredibly difficult to be honest, it really stretched me mentally.

I'm glad that I got such obvious results, but I'm not certain I'd do it again with the 32.

 

[ant0099]

@andy0 I started being able to do it, but I got into kettlebells once lock down started. Before that I used to compete in CrossFit so I was a pretty dedicated trainee. The program I was doing was Awaken by Marcus Filly who works on pressing.

That being said, if I was trying to build the strength for it now, I’d do push presses with the 32KG ROP style and a lot of dedicated pressing with 24KGs. It’s what I was following to get to 48KG press but I moved past that workout cycle not being able to get the press itself as strict as I would like. But still in 3 weeks going from 1 push press ladder to 3, 2, 1 and getting a mini push press with it was cool and I’m sure if I kept going I’d have gotten it.

You may also be interested in the Outer Limits protocol

 

[andy0]

@ant0099 Thank you that sounds like a good method. Push presses with the heavy weight strict with a lighter one.

You're strong AF!

 

[kschooley]

@andy0 Bodyweight helps with goals such as pressing heavier bells. Very doable around 180 to 200, less than that and it's a bit of a longer road. Single arm pressing has almost no carryover, unless you're pressing say the 40kg easily. The groove is entirely different. Without boring you I'd say post a videos from the front and side to see elbow position as well as lay back. For what's it's worth, I was in the original RKC groups and was a strong presser. I'm old school KB.

 

[monstershouter]

@andy0 Do you feel that pressing doubles are more challenging than a single KB?

 

[wrightj]

@monstershouter I'm nowhere near pressing 32's, but just started pressing doubles a couple weeks ago and have noticed a significant difference. It is more challenging on just about every aspect of your body and definitely liking the challenge of it.

 

[andy0]

@monstershouter I've found it wayyyyyy harder. The fact both both arms are going in unison enforces absolute strict form. It's a different pressing groove. You can't manipulate your body around the bell in the same way.

Another poster on this thread said they can do 9 reps with a single 32 but only 1 with double 32s.

Personally I can do 12 reps with a single 24, only 4 with doubles

 

[kschooley]

@andy0 People tend to initiate the single arm press by pushing the elbow to the side with a tiny lean. This is how you counter balance. With doubles you need a good high rack position to allow a lean back. With 24s it won't be much, but the heavier bells require it. The bells must stay over midfoot, so your torso must get behind that line. Strengthen the abs so you can get back under the bells.

 

[monstershouter]

@andy0 I’ve done offset presses and they felt about the same as single arm presses to me. For example doing 24 and 20 for reps feels about the same as doing 24 with a single arm for the same reps. I’m used to barbell pressing and overhead work so I wonder how that’d translate to double KB pressing compared to those who do most of their pressing with a single KB. Unfortunately I don’t have any matching KBs to test this out with.

 

[kennyseg]

@andy0 My pathway was getting to double 28s, realising that I'm a heavyweight and couldn't even do push ups, then abandoning pressing altogether and focusing on bodyweight exercise.

 

[andy0]

@kennyseg Haha, so are you saying bodyweight exercises got you there? Or you abandoned the path?

 

[kennyseg]

@andy0 yeah, abandoned. I might try to press my single 40 someday, but not a goal right now.

 

[myfindings]

@andy0 I was going to describe my path, but then realized I wasn't exactly sure I had met the goal as I usually do single arm presses. So I tested my max RMs

Single arm OHP

28Kg - 6RM

32Kg - 3RM

36Kg - 1RM

Double OHP

32Kg - 2RM - glad to know I can do it!

My Path

15 months back I wasn't able to press 16Kg w/o pain in the front shoulder. A mix of rows, arm bars, face pulls, push presses, overhead hold standing marches, and windmills eventually got me to press up to 16 w/o pain, and then onto 20 and 24.

Over the past 6 months, I've been doing KB Only Muscle Gain in particular Outer Limits has lead to significant increases.