How "explosive" should an overhead press be? Even with a little jump/bounce, the movement to get the bar over my head is really slow.

Today I did my first work set (x5), waited about 3.5 minutes, and on the next set could not get the forth rep up. I took 10 pounds off, and next set hit all five but again the movement is really slow.

Is "slow" expected/acceptable? Am I just pushing too heavy? Form seems OK (not much to get wrong on an overhead, is there?). This is about my third week into Starting Strength and overhead has gone up 10# each session.

Thoughts?

Slow is fine. At 10 lbs/session, it might be time to just take 5 lb jumps.

Since you're doing SS, you might want to check out the vids/articles regarding the press on the website. It not only covers the how's and whys, you can get a history lesson from Tommy Suggs.

I wouldn't want jump/bounce (assuming with your legs) any more on an overhead press than I'd want to bounce the bar off my chest on a bench or half squat.  Bouncing or exploding with my legs on an OHP is in the same vein imo.

What you're referring to as far as slow goes is tempo. And slow is fine, time under tension is a good thing.  Just note that going slower than you are capable of will reduce the number of reps you are capable of doing.  I don't really follow a tempo plan with my lifting....when you're going heavy you will be taking longer at the end of your set than you are at the start (I,e, when you're grinding out that last rep), so I just push as quickly as I can and maintain form unless it's a lift that calls for a slower tempo.  

If you're failing on set 2/rep 4 of a five set, five rep set...yeah I think that's a bit heavy.  10# seems a bit steep of a progression from one week to the next but I never did SS and don't know what their progression scheme calls for.

If your failing reps three weeks in,  you are loading too aggressive. You want to make smaller
jumps in weight to avoid getting stuck/ missing reps. I went 5lb jumps, then 2.5, then down to
only pound or two each time.

If you're jumping then you're not doing an overhead press, you're doing a push-press.

Which are good, but different.

Exactly...

I'm pretty sure the push press helped me break through a year long wall in OHP.

Yup, same here. I switched to PP for a cycle or two and liked it a lot.

I think a lot of people stall on OHP often. Any way you can get it make some 1.25 lb plates and do 2.5 lb jumps instead?

Thank you, everyone, for your time. In no particular order:

* I searched the web a bit more and picked up things I missed from the book, including deload instructions if the work set is missed three times in a row and that bench/OHP may only go up 5# a session.
* Did not know about the push press! I have made my OHP less dynamic and am comfortable at the tempo I have.
* The gym recently bought a bunch of 2.5# plates, so I will start doing bench and OHP at five pound increments. When that fails I will get some 1.25# plates.

And again, thanks for all the help.

Rippetoe actually does advocate using a little knee/hip momentum to get the press going.

Yes, but I was over doing it.

Knee, or just hip? I think it's just hip for press 2.0. But I'm not going to check. You can't make me.

Think it's a little of both. But I'm not checking either. I do strict.

I remember it being just hip. No bounce.

OHP should be the first SL5x5 exercise you fail at...smallest muscle group.  I remember failing at 120 three different times and was like and deloaded several different times.

Don't lose faith...keep at it.  The other day I rep'd 135 ten times