Probably the most information rich vid I’ve seen of you Alex. Really surprised to hear we run more or less the same program with the exception I don’t use concurrent (and maybe this is the kick in the back side I needed to give it a go) and I’m using three sets per movement for the most part. Question mate. Seeing as with your 2 sets for any given exercise you’re going close to failure, do you do your second set reverse pyramid/back off set style in order the keep the reps for each set somewhat consistent? Cheers, Josh
Alex is a literal beast. He pioneered all these different things, stayed bulked up for a long time then shredded down and got on a bodybuilding stage and won 2nd place. He is awesome.
@@FitOneswithVarun Guys like JJ Anderson were brutal towards him, now that guy has gone into obscurity with the BJJ stuff. Alex has continued progressing and maturing.
One of the best and most relatable podcasts I've heard in a while. Great points on volume, failure, the pump, and some of the content creation stuff too. Good stuff guys
Man, these guys really are old in TH-cam years, they make great points. It's weird hearing them talk like that but they are the first Generation of content producers to keep going this long on this platform. They've done so much for the industry and I'll watch them even if they stop. Still watching John Meadows video over here!
I'm surprised Alex said he's jealous of gaming content creators. He mentioned being a big gamer and has all the skills and audience to easily make a gaming channel. I'd definitely subscribe.
To clarify because I was confused at first too, Alex does 8 total sets of biceps and 8 total sets for triceps weekly. Each time he trains one he uses 2 exercises for 2 sets each, twice a week. Awesome convo, thank you both.
This was one of the best interviews. The points were all super interesting and relatable to me. Thanks so much for the work you both put in. I recently applied Alex' 2-set principles and it has been one of the best things I've ever down for my lifting, alongside supersets and bear mode. My pumps and soreness are down, but my lifts are going up faster with fewer aches and pains, and I enjoy my sessions that much more.
Great video! The just talking to the camera part is something I want to personally get better at. It really is a skill to talk and think at the same time. Keep up the good work!
Alex touched on a very good point: the impossible workout. That made me call bullshit on those studies on volume as well. I’ve been training for a few years, got almost 16 inch arms at ~15% bf, my lifts are somewhere in-between intermediate and advance and… i would not be able to complete those workouts, yet a bunch of beginners can. Those “failure sets” are probably 5-6 RIR at least.
I was doing 1 set to failure for a muscle once every 5 to 6 days. It definitely works, and you won’t lose anything if you do 1 or 2 sets taken to failure. However, once you hit failure you VERY quickly come to a point of diminishing returns, and you won’t receive added benefits after that, it’ll just inroad into your recovery and you’ll begin to overtrain. If you train to failure it would be recommended you don’t train 2 days in a row, even if it’s a different muscle, systemic fatigue hits harder when training to failure, you would want a day of rest in between training days if you’re doing something like a push, pull, leg split.
you were talking about how you found out about him. it's funny, for a long time I only remember the pick up artist alphadestiny, and when I got into lifting from gvs and NH they would name drop him. me not knowing his name was Alex Leonidas made me do a double take. I find that very interesting, it's a past that he's successfully moved on from, which isn't easy on the Internet
Preaching to the choir here... Seems like the training world is splitting in half, one half going towards higher and higher volumes, others gravitating more towards low(er) volumes - or at least more "sane" volumes. I’ve also seen my best gains around the 6-12 sets/week range, depending on proximity to failure. I also tried higher volumes, up to 20 sets/week and I only got more soreness and fatigue from it. Doing twice as much for - at best - the same gains is a very poor investment of time and energy. Sure, this higher volume made it practically impossible to go to failure on all sets, so if that was the missing ingredient I guess I’m doomed 😛
I'm currently loving the RP method of slowly adding or reducing sets based on pump and soreness week to week, and moving from 2Rir to failure at the end of the meso and then deloading. My shoulder volume doubled and I'm seeing growth after years of stalling.
@@Anandfulness Neither pump or swelling has any correlation with contractile tissue growth, though. So even though you’re "seeing growth" it could just be a visual effect. Are you consistently gaining reps or load from week to week, that’s the most important question.
Interesting to see you talking about two sets being better than three sets. I might try this, especially the idea of doing two exercises two sets each being much better than one for three sets.
I really like Alex, the only thing is that I think his strength standards are too high, in no way it represents the average lifter with average genetics. Maybe because he is elite genetics and that gives him some bias.
Honestly trying to argue that participants in studies dont go to actual failure based solely on the fact that you personally dont think thats possible is kinda whack. That is basically the argument of any science denier on any field of science, like flat earthers. Dont like the science? "Yeah they didnt do it right". I dont even like Mike that much but he is an exercise scientist and has been involved in that world and in research, I am sure he would have some info on how they are training in the experiments and whats happening. If we just gonna go anectodally, ive had the best gainz of my life when i started training less close to failure, strength too. Cmon Abel, youre better than that.
hope thats not what I said, at least not so black and white. just, some study setups are so absurd that if they lead to results that in the real world hardly replicate, you get a bit more skeptical, and ideally you'd like to see more details of what was done. Especially when the lead author says that he wasnt even overseeing the training sessions.
Was great chatting it up with you, Abel. I hope the viewers found our discussion valuable and relatable.
Probably the most information rich vid I’ve seen of you Alex. Really surprised to hear we run more or less the same program with the exception I don’t use concurrent (and maybe this is the kick in the back side I needed to give it a go) and I’m using three sets per movement for the most part.
Question mate. Seeing as with your 2 sets for any given exercise you’re going close to failure, do you do your second set reverse pyramid/back off set style in order the keep the reps for each set somewhat consistent?
Cheers, Josh
Alex is a literal beast. He pioneered all these different things, stayed bulked up for a long time then shredded down and got on a bodybuilding stage and won 2nd place. He is awesome.
@@FitOneswithVarunthat’s the difference between people on Reddit repeating whatever they got told online, vs going out and actually doing it.
@@FitOneswithVarun
Guys like JJ Anderson were brutal towards him, now that guy has gone into obscurity with the BJJ stuff. Alex has continued progressing and maturing.
Team 52 sets a week with 10 RIR checking in. 💪
One of the best and most relatable podcasts I've heard in a while. Great points on volume, failure, the pump, and some of the content creation stuff too. Good stuff guys
I appreciate the (mild) criticism of RP training methods and the 52 sets per week study.
Man, these guys really are old in TH-cam years, they make great points. It's weird hearing them talk like that but they are the first Generation of content producers to keep going this long on this platform.
They've done so much for the industry and I'll watch them even if they stop. Still watching John Meadows video over here!
I'm surprised Alex said he's jealous of gaming content creators. He mentioned being a big gamer and has all the skills and audience to easily make a gaming channel. I'd definitely subscribe.
He used to have one
@@RDbodybuildingreardeltreally??
Killing it as usual Abel. So much good content.
thank you brother
1:22:13 holy shit! :)
I'll film 30-60 second chunks (turning my camera off between each) and then sew them together after.
To clarify because I was confused at first too, Alex does 8 total sets of biceps and 8 total sets for triceps weekly. Each time he trains one he uses 2 exercises for 2 sets each, twice a week.
Awesome convo, thank you both.
Little confused to. Is it two exercises for chest AND shoulders in the same workout. Or is it one exercise 2 sets per muscle.
This was one of the best interviews. The points were all super interesting and relatable to me. Thanks so much for the work you both put in. I recently applied Alex' 2-set principles and it has been one of the best things I've ever down for my lifting, alongside supersets and bear mode. My pumps and soreness are down, but my lifts are going up faster with fewer aches and pains, and I enjoy my sessions that much more.
The good morning has healed my twenty year suffering with multiple herniated disc.
Great video! The just talking to the camera part is something I want to personally get better at. It really is a skill to talk and think at the same time. Keep up the good work!
Alex touched on a very good point: the impossible workout. That made me call bullshit on those studies on volume as well. I’ve been training for a few years, got almost 16 inch arms at ~15% bf, my lifts are somewhere in-between intermediate and advance and… i would not be able to complete those workouts, yet a bunch of beginners can. Those “failure sets” are probably 5-6 RIR at least.
Still suffering from time-zone failure, anyways I'm really hyped to listen to this one thanks abel
I was doing 1 set to failure for a muscle once every 5 to 6 days. It definitely works, and you won’t lose anything if you do 1 or 2 sets taken to failure. However, once you hit failure you VERY quickly come to a point of diminishing returns, and you won’t receive added benefits after that, it’ll just inroad into your recovery and you’ll begin to overtrain. If you train to failure it would be recommended you don’t train 2 days in a row, even if it’s a different muscle, systemic fatigue hits harder when training to failure, you would want a day of rest in between training days if you’re doing something like a push, pull, leg split.
you were talking about how you found out about him. it's funny, for a long time I only remember the pick up artist alphadestiny, and when I got into lifting from gvs and NH they would name drop him. me not knowing his name was Alex Leonidas made me do a double take. I find that very interesting, it's a past that he's successfully moved on from, which isn't easy on the Internet
Nice morning boost , thanks abel
Hyped to listen.
Great content, is there a podcast feed?
Great chat guys
Awesome episode as usual 👊🏽 did you stop updating your podcast ?
Preaching to the choir here... Seems like the training world is splitting in half, one half going towards higher and higher volumes, others gravitating more towards low(er) volumes - or at least more "sane" volumes. I’ve also seen my best gains around the 6-12 sets/week range, depending on proximity to failure. I also tried higher volumes, up to 20 sets/week and I only got more soreness and fatigue from it. Doing twice as much for - at best - the same gains is a very poor investment of time and energy. Sure, this higher volume made it practically impossible to go to failure on all sets, so if that was the missing ingredient I guess I’m doomed 😛
I'm currently loving the RP method of slowly adding or reducing sets based on pump and soreness week to week, and moving from 2Rir to failure at the end of the meso and then deloading. My shoulder volume doubled and I'm seeing growth after years of stalling.
@@Anandfulness Neither pump or swelling has any correlation with contractile tissue growth, though. So even though you’re "seeing growth" it could just be a visual effect. Are you consistently gaining reps or load from week to week, that’s the most important question.
Great video, new to you loved your thoughts and insights
Great interview
Interesting to see you talking about two sets being better than three sets. I might try this, especially the idea of doing two exercises two sets each being much better than one for three sets.
1:09:26 Find yourself a girl that looks at you the way Abel is looking at Alex, when he mentions how he discovered him.
hahahh, when you find her, make sure to keep her! :D
Little confused to. Is it two exercises for chest AND shoulders in the same workout. Or is it one exercise 2 sets per muscle.
Neck gang checking in
I really like Alex, the only thing is that I think his strength standards are too high, in no way it represents the average lifter with average genetics. Maybe because he is elite genetics and that gives him some bias.
How can you stop after 2 sets of an excercise??? After the second set I usually finally feel warmed up and you just stop then?
Im confused about the volume, for chest for instance is he doing 8 or 12 sets per week and for triceps is he doing 4 or 8 sets per week.
8 for the arms, 12 for the chest/back/shoulders
@@rajarshichakraborty8862 thanks👍
💪💪❤️❤️‼️
👍👍👍
i comment so u2b boost
Honestly trying to argue that participants in studies dont go to actual failure based solely on the fact that you personally dont think thats possible is kinda whack. That is basically the argument of any science denier on any field of science, like flat earthers. Dont like the science? "Yeah they didnt do it right". I dont even like Mike that much but he is an exercise scientist and has been involved in that world and in research, I am sure he would have some info on how they are training in the experiments and whats happening. If we just gonna go anectodally, ive had the best gainz of my life when i started training less close to failure, strength too. Cmon Abel, youre better than that.
hope thats not what I said, at least not so black and white. just, some study setups are so absurd that if they lead to results that in the real world hardly replicate, you get a bit more skeptical, and ideally you'd like to see more details of what was done. Especially when the lead author says that he wasnt even overseeing the training sessions.
Seems like a lovely guy but such a boring interviewer