Ya know? As a teenager , people like Alex , Sean , GVS give me so much hope for the lifetime natty community. Thank you for setting the way for us and please do NOT stop! Love you AD.
I Am happy I discovered Alex early on in my lifting life. He is definitely one of the main influences on me not hopping on juice bc I couldn't get the results I want. He also encourages Even in this video different was on how to train, If not i would still be stick trying to do 3x5 amd be upset that I wasn't able to hit normal intermediate numbers on that approach.
@Kugelfrosch yeah I tried getting into some of his content but he posts anime-ish content which just doesn't go by me. But some of his videos are really informative.
SO TRUE about how not one thing works, it ALL works. Im 45 yrs old and been lifting since 14. I've literally done EVERYTHING over these years. I have achieved some decent lifts and have good size at 6'2" and 265 LBS. Lots of people ask me if Im on anything so its very clear that I lift. I've lifted rocks, logs, chains, Iron pieces, tires, and whatever the hell was lying around. I've done thousands upon thousands of push ups, dips, pull ups. I've lifted weights in the gym with every possible program imaginable, High reps, low reps, heavy, light, singles, triples 20 reps, German high volume 10x10, Powerlifting big 3 lifts only, Strongman training. I've bulked, I've cut haha. If some one asked me what I've done to get big and strong and maintain the size and strength all these years even into my mid 40's I couldn't really tell you. All I can say is that I wont be outworked and I just went fucking HARD at everything I was doing. I was relentless. No gym fuck it I'll walk into a gravel pit and find rocks to press, I'll walk into the woods and flip logs and do chin ups from branches all damn day. Working in the oil fields with no gym around.....fuck it I'm curling chains and lifting semi truck tires over my head, you understand. No matter what, no matter when with anything at my disposal. When you are truly hungry you'll eat anything!.
@@nmanisbig Nah im no beast, just a hard working guy with no quit. When I first started there literally was no youtube and no internet. I had Joe Weiders Muscle and Fitness magazine as my only guide and source of knowledge. There I was a total newb 15 yr old kid trying to follow Ronnie Coleman and all the other pro bodybuilders routines etc. I definitely spent a lot of time spinning my wheels trying to train like a pro bodybuilder for many years as a teenager. Its only been the last 10-15 yrs that actual real info and content has been put out by natural guys on the smart way to train and eat etc.
Appreciate the rawness of some of these points, you really spoke from the heart and it showed. The point about Louie particularly resonated with me; even as a bodybuilder, I somehow always managed to get something from his Q&As, and you helped me understand why: despite being the Pope of Equipped PL, he somehow also was one of the least dogmatic voice in the sport. He believed in his methods and was adamant that they were best, but if something came up to prove him wrong he was always willing to give it a try and integrate this new variable in Westside training. This mix of confidence and open-mindedness is a trait that every single lifter needs, natural or otherwise.
I appreciate you NH, that was the intention. Keeping it as raw as possible and letting the passion consume me, I'm happy this was well received. Love what you wrote here about Louie, he was open minded, went beyond typical Powerlifting, crazy confident, and always evolved until the very end. Every lifter can learn from his messages, whether a bodybuilder, natty, etc.
A sudden lack of open-mindedness is the first and most nefarious sign that an influencer has sold out. Dogma of any kind basically only appears once people are trying to sell products. Because the dogma says "do / buy THIS, and definitely avoid THAT".
This has got to be the coolest thing ever. I was the one that gave Basement Bodybuilding the idea and he shouted me out in that video. Since then all my favorite natty TH-camrs have made a video based off this idea. This is such a great community man 👍🏽
This is wisdom. Talking about chasing goals you don't really care about is serious. I've done it before and ended up hating my training and feeling miserable.
You know it bro.. one of the worst loops to be in. The sooner we train for ourselves and set REAL goals, the better everything will be. Mindset, gains, enjoyment, etc.
Much love brotha, cheers for these amazing topics and having the courage to express your honest criticisms of the common dogma!! The natty fitness community is much better with you around. Enjoy.
Bro, discovering your channel has been more than a breath of fresh air. I haven't stepped foot in the gym, or even gotten on the floor to do a push-up in 4 years. The level of our of shape I am in is actually really sad. Especially because for the decade before the last 4 years I was a certified gym rat. I'm not even sure how your channel came across my radar since I don't look up fitness stuff anymore, but you have seriously inspired me to get back into it. I'm obviously starting from basically zero now, minus hopefully some muscle memory and a lot of knowledge, but getting on the floor to do a set of push-ups was not something I could even do. Last night I for the first time my entire life had to do sissy push-ups. But at least I did them. And that's more than I've done in 4 years. Thank you, man. Seriously. I feel better about myself than I have in a long time after doing the light work I did last night, and I'm about to do some more calisthenics here in a minute. And I seriously have you to thank for this.
I can understand you brother ,I also stopped working out for a whole year. I regret it, lost all of my progress but now I'm stronger than before took me 1.5-2 yr to get here but I'm happy that I didn't lose hope and didn't stopped working out . Keep working hard 🔥💪
Definitely wish I knew: 1. The best program is one you can stick to 2. Higher stability movements can benefit hypertrophy more (seated OHP blew up my delts way more than the years I spent focusing on standing variations) 3. Compound movements are not enough for arm development 4. Stimulus to fatigue 5. Coaching is valuable, wish I started sooner
Hey Alex, really relate to the part of getting pushed into powerlifting when the goal at first was to just look like a jacked anime character. You and NH really made me realise this and now my training has been better than ever the past few months. Much love 🙏
The body builder that I've learned the most from is John Meadows. Nothing but an endless supply of useful information on his channel, and a super nice, humble guy. RIP JM. 🙂
Man, 10 years ago there was almost zero natty channels on TH-cam that talked about lifting for size. There were a few natty strict powerlifting focused channels but not much of anything else. Glad to see guys like you, GVS, Natural Hypertrophy, Basement Bodybuilding, Bald Omni Man, etc growing an audience. I’ve been around PED use in the gym or friends that use PEDs and it’s something I’ve just never been interested in and I’ve felt the “peer pressure” for sure. There’s a TH-cam natty renaissance coming and I’m glad. People and content I can actually relate to
This feels like such a genuine release, it's so nice to hear how you feel on these topics and being able to have your insight on being in this space is remarkable. Been watching since 2016 and the charecter development, mind and body has been insane. Proud of you bro
If it makes you feel better, I have learned a LOT from you. Like you literally changed my life, I was down and so damn depressed without even a fragment of a goal. But you gave me something to focus on and to think about, learning all of the principles and the whys an whens of strength training. I was really blessed to find your channel and your content in general.
17:20 So relatable man. I wasted a lot of time in high school training like a strength athlete because that's what everyone in my gym class did. What I didn't know was the guys I was listening to were training for football. So yeah, who you get advice from matters. Thankfully my dad who was a bodybuilder gave me the right advice and saved me a lot of time, but it can be tough if you don't have someone to show you the ropes.
Fantastic thoughts in this video, Alex. Very inspiring to see how you've evolved/progressed over the years. Also - 34:37 makes me think of someone struggling to trim the edge of an exceptionally thick and yoked lawn.
My 5 are: 1. Fuel your body (Sleep is non negotiable and bulking =/= fat) 2. Progressive Overload above pump and soreness (Not following a program) 3. Consistency and Effort beats perfection 4. No movement is inherently dangerous 5. Form changes are acceptable (no need to reduce the weight if your squat hinges a bit more)
I train hard as hell and eat a shit ton, but I can't really sleep that much cause I'm in school. 4-5 hours of sleep at most. Doesn't matter cause I'm built different. It is negotiable
You know what Alex, you are the only fitness youtube personality that is still doing the insane amount of work after all these years and you constantly provide value and share knowledge with us. Thank you so much man, we are lucky to have you.
I think out of the whole fitness community, you're the most genuine and helpful person out there. You genuinely want to help people with no bullshit. Not only helping us be better lifters, but better people also.
Love my man Alex, he got a rare quality which most people lack of especially fitness influencers, the willingness to admit he is wrong in the past and learn valuation lesson from it.
What you said about consistency is so true🔥 I tried to do PPL split but I always ended up stopping for long periods because I didn't recover enough. Then I switched to upper lower split and now I've been doing that since May consistently and it's the most consistent I've ever been in my training in my life and I'm seeing the benefits of that consistency
I'm guessing that's typical now that I think about it actually. I'm really pushing trap bar dead right now and maxing out weekly so don't want to hit my back without a rest day in between
@@stephen8996 I do upper lower too, my split looks like this - U L R U L W R W = upper weak points/recovered muscles. Everyone's different but my biceps and forearms recover really quick and generally do some alteration of an exercise that I've done during the week.
AWESOME VIDEO! I've been following you Alex since you were benching 275 and preaching conventional 5x5 minimalist training. It's amazing to see how you've evolved over the years and I am so thankful for your channel. I love the meta understanding of how we move through paradigms while lifting just like anything else in life. Sometimes you've got to drink the Kool-Aid for a bit in order to transcend community trends and develop your own unique style. Today I've got a focus on full body general strength while also incorporating plenty of yoga and cardio. I would never have developed such a love for fitness if not for your channel. Thank you!
This was an awesome, long segment! Definitely one of your Magnum Opus. Thank you for being one of the experienced lifters who share your lessons, so the young guns who follow you (like me!) can learn from the mistake of our Sensei's so we can develop ourselves without the same setbacks. I believe this is how humanity grows and evolves - learning from our predecessors, both their successes (thanks for showing us what is possible with your lifts!) and their mistakes/failures (covered in this video). Keep up the great content Alex!
Been lifting six years, starting with 5x5s and then upper lower splits. What I’ve learned by now as an intermediate lifter in my 50s is that slowly but surely is the way. Injury is the chief deterrent that can slow you down. Don’t give up and keep changing your approach as you persevere on the same basic lifts: which are: OH press Bench press Squats or leg press Sumo or dead lifts Rows Pull ups Bicep Curls Trap shrugs Lateral raises. Glute thrusts
its mind blowing to me that your channel hasnt exploded. i love the advice you give in every video i come across. no misleading clickbaiting, no stupid gimmicks, just straight advice no bs. guys like you and sean nalewanyj are a breath of fresh air in this industry
When I learned about the conjugate system and concurrent periodization from you something clicked. I ducking HATED doing conventional deads, low bar squat and wide grip bench week in, week out. Now I love my training getting strong asf on trap bar dead’s, anterior delt press, pull-ups, Larsen press, z press, rdl, trap bar rdl… the list goes on! My self worth was attached to whether I could bump 5lbs on my bench and it led to overuse injury and lack of passion. Now I’m setting PRs and having more fun than ever with the gym. I’m truly thankful for your content Alex. Your content has saved me from quitting lifting and I couldn’t be more grateful.
I’m a character artist for a profession. This helped me understand biomechanics and lifting angles/ muscle fiber function and angles, and in turn, I’ve stayed injury free after 10 years of lifting. Good stuff.
Everything does work. 1.Got 26 inch legs by mostly low bar squatting. 2.Powerlifting bench makes it a decline and builds the lower packs. U have to be flat to build ur upper packs. 3.Triceps don't get built by just benching. I grew from 16.5 to 17 inch arms in just 2 and a half month just by adding close grip bench 6 sets per week. 4.Overhand and neutral grips on ur compound pulls will not fatigue your biceps more than ur Brachialis. So u absolutely need to do isolation for ur biceps. And if u really want big biceps loosen ur wrists allowing them to hang. Ur forearms will be mostly out of the curl putting more emphasis on the biceps.
OG follower of your channel. You have a come a long way, and the wisdom and experience in hypertrophy and aesthetics is very apparent in this video. You have overcome all the haters to be one of the best TH-cam fitness channels, and have tremendously improved in many aspects not only fitness, you’re more confident in yourself and not trying to fake anything. Also, I can tell you are a good dude. A little bromancing here, but I don’t leave much comments on here, but this video deserved it. Keep it up brother!
Great video Alex! Are you still planning on making a whole video on the chest expander? I just bought one in hopes to fix my traps, rhomboids, and rear delt weakness and I love it so far but I’m sure I could use a few tips
Hey man thanks for the donation, I will be doing a complete video on the Chest Expander (hopefully this month) where I discuss all the benefits, showcase the best exercises/possible routines, and buying options. Stay tuned!
While you're trying out your expander, experiment with some rows with a more upper back bias (pull toward your chest / sternum rather than lower). OHP, upright row and pullups / pulldowns all hit your upper back in a fantastic way. So many good exercises to try out - I'm sure you'll find something that works (and especially something you enjoy). 💪💪💪
respect for you grew 10x. last time i watched you it was "this is the best, if you don't do it you're stupid". the maturity and open mindedness is showing
You never disappoint bro, great list and great points. Always appreciate how you keep things real but always keep the body, the mind, and the spirit connected. The best lifter works hard, gets smarter, and loves the game: we benefit from your knowledge and passion, keep it up bro, I hope to talk to you again soon. University has been taking up most of my time lately
I feel like the progressive overload and Strength = Size mentality is fine but the minimalist approach of just doing the big 3 is an issue. Adding more presses variations, horizontal and vertical pulls, direct arm work, abs, calf raises and other isolations lifts with quality volume and making small improvements over time is what I enjoy and give me the best results, that happy medium of not super high volume pump training but also not minimalist powerlifting training.
This was such a raw an honest approach to how natural bodybuilding psychology should be, especially the topic on ego lifting. I spent so much time trying to get to respectable numbers that I stopped controlling the weight and started focusing on just getting from point A-B.
Hey Alex, thanks a lot for such insightful content. I am going Bear mode and am doing the exercises you suggested in your old vids. like cheat shrugs, cheat rows, rack pulls above the knee etc where we are supposed to load heavy weight with perfect form. After seeing this vid. where you are talking about ego lifting, I am a bit confused. Should I perform these exercises with lower wait to avoid ego lifting or do I just continue with heavy wait? Thanks a lot
You always deliver this content that resonates at a soul level. You are able to put a level of emotion into your content that others can’t. The only reason I started lifting is because of your channel.
27:27 Yep 100%, I did my own version of this but I'd agree with this entirely. My main movements for Bench when I was competing were the CGBP and Feet Up Bench, but I really could have use a lot more variety and in particular harder variations which weren't as demanding on my joints and nervous system. As well as that combining periods of strictly BB work throughout the year, rather than just hammering away at getting stronger year round. Great points Alex.
Great list Alex! Other than that, I'd say to give yourself time to rest between sets. I use to do the 1 1/2 min rest periods between sets and when I upped it to even just 3min, what a difference! Yeah, your training will go a little longer, but it'll feel that much better! Too many people on PEDs screwing over others saying their way is optimal/the best, when sure, for people on PEDs, but the normal joe/jane, not even close!
You have some very fair points and I agree with much of what you have to say. For me personally, I like the aesthetics and having a good, balanced physique. I equally love performance though- I want to be the strongest, fastest and most durable man I can be. I feel like even though you’re frustrated with the time you feel like you wasted, it’s because of that that you ended up being the kind of balanced lifter I can ALWAYS learn so much from and whose content I voraciously covet. Keep up the great work as always brother!
Agree with the first one, Everything works. The reason why there are myriads of programs and stuffs that makes lifting complicated in the mainstream is because of advertising and business but in the end no matter what training style you're in, everything works. Man are built to work and it doesn't really care if it's a barbell or a rock, or a log, or a big bucket of water as long as there's elements of it that increase strength and conditioning it all works. Bodybuilding really isn't about barbells and benches, but it's everything. Great video❤
A lot of truth. I especially relate to the powerlifting bubble and a shift in goals from what I wanted. End of the day, all I want is to be able to help around the house or friends with moving more easily while looking good
The first thing that you said, I completely agree. I learned to incorporate weight lifting as a person that loves calisthenics. Sure some exercises might be more optimal than others, but if you're consistent then it will work.
People always critiqued my elbow positioning during triceps exercises, because I didn't tuck them into my sides as much as possible. That position just doesn't line up well for me, my upper arm is actually angled inwards towards my body if I tuck them in that far so I got a lot of elbow pain until I let my elbows fall to their natural position during my lifts. The perfect technique is a good starting point for beginners, but you will have to adjust it depending on your body
Hey Alex. I am so glad that one day I stumbled upon one of your videos and ended up discovering the ''underground'' natty scene. Love your videos and I really appreciate what you have done for the natural lifting comunity including the podcasts with other successful natties. There hasn't been a single channel that would affect my life the way yours did.Thanks for what you're doing. Love from Czech republic.
_"Stop trying to impress others who will not be there for you in the long-term."_ Great quote Alex, especially in this day and age where we can lose so much time playing these status games...
Bro i wish you didnt have any regrets because tbh you did what every good natural trainer with a brilliant physique did, you explored all avenues of training and learnt what works for you and your goals, while along the way you gave millions of people free quality information and inspiration for all the real naturals around the world with your no nonsense real life approach. I have always bounced between calisthenics and body building and still when you went through your powerlifting content run, i was able to take something away and utilise it with in my own training (fair play i started off powerlifting, where i tore my rotary cuff and never benched again but i started when all there was was powerlifting "if you're serious bruh" or backyard garage buffing and "weight lifting") Keep doing you bro, and take everything as experience rather than believing you wasted time and i cant wait to see where you get to within the next 5 years 💪🏿
Love the list, man, and I also enjoyed how far in depth you went with each point. Even for a seasoned fitness consumer, such as myself, I found a lot of wisdom in listening to your breakdown. Really appreciate people like you! Hopefully, with the help of you and others, we can shift this industry 💪🤓
Loved this video Alex, thank you for making so much top quality content, you've helped me improve my training over the past years. My number 1 thing I wish I knew earlier was how important a calorie surplus is to growth. I started lifting 3yrs ago and unfortunately found athlean X's content. I was 64kg and 175cm at 15-16yrs old. I then proceeded to train consistently while not eating enough, causing me to lose weight (down to a shredded 60kg) and compromise my gains throughout the whole covid lockdowns. I also developed orthorexia and viewed food as good and bad. This past year and a half has seen me gain 16kg and completely change physically and mentally. I look and feel better, my performance is better, bulking is amazing
The less ego lifting is what i've been trying lately. Dropped the weight by half on most of my exercises and focus on control/slow speed/contraction pause for 3-5 seconds/ and super slow stretchy negatives and man............ I'm getting super sore in places that I had challenges getting sore going heavy before ( biceps/back usually). Loving the light weight super controlled Phil Heath style.
What a character progression youve had... this is my favourite video from you. Just the right timing because i was considering maybe quitting (i struggle with staying consitent with things, or i go FULL in which ive been doing the last 3 years in the gym or i dont do it at all)
Great videos this Info needs to be keep repeating over and over again , cause to many channels like athlean x kill your gains and confuse the shit out of people , when all that matters is consistency over long term ,cheers!
About the powerlifting point: I am really glad you changed your perspective and shifted towards BB again. I had been following you for quite a while, but at some point decided to unsubscribe because you kept focusing so heavily on powerlifting to get big, which did not appeal to me at all. This also related to an earlier point you made, that mostly everything works for building muscle. I feel like some are too dogmatic about their approach to getting bigger/stronger, when in reality there are many ways that lead to Rome. BB/calisthenics/etc., whichever style allows you to progress consistently and most efficiently, for you! Consistent effort, taking the best from all approaches and not being afraid too try something new are what I have learned rather recently about lifting (after +/- 5 years of lifting, during mostly of which I have been following you). Once I noticed you changed your approach I resubbed and for the better, as I can now continue learning from you. Keep at it man! 🏆
I remember when I first came across alpha destiny. Several years later, he still delivering the most real, passionate content. This is what keeps my interest in your channel. Don’t Stop Alpha Destiny!!
Thanks to Alex I no longer focus on Squat, Deadlift, Bench. I focus on trapbar deadlifts, deep belt squats, DB bench press. Keeps my joints and back feeling a thousand times better and can use those movements to train like a bodybuilder with high volume. I stick to more natural movement patterns than the dogmatic lifts I spent 10 years chasing numbers on.
Really love your videos. One of the only ones who tells it how it is. I think I may have fallen into the same trap and this video has highlighted that for me.
It can be disheartening to know that bs online is at a peak high, but it also means the counter-movement like you and many others are too. Thanks for focusing on the positives, lets keep it rolling
I have so many things to thank you for. Thank you for introducing me to bodybuilding. Thank you for letting me know that I can choose the type of training i want and not worry about the most optimal or the best. Thank you for being the reason i bought a home gym. Thank you for being you and educating the entire natural community and motivating us to to work hard every single day. I am happy to have started this journey a few months ago and dedicating myself to this for years. Love from Montrea!
29:05 and onward is some very real truth I’ve learned in my late 20’s. Fantasizing about the weight I lifted in my early 20’s is useless because of the form I used at the risk of my joints and muscular imbalance.
I remember watching your videos about two years ago when I was a lost teenager struggling between which information was right and which was wrong. I’m glad I found your channel and even though I don’t watch you videos anymore, I just wanted to say thank you.
Only watched it now, but the message you give is incredibly powerful and beautiful. Gives me hope for the future of natural lifters tbh. Even in my gym i talked to youngsters gymbros, following guys like you giving great advices. It brings me joy to see that! The main thing i wish i knew is to get on a bodybuilding program and stick with it. I lost time chasing goals that weren't mine for too long, like many other here...
what i learned in 22 years of on and off training as a natural: 1. do you constantly feel an urgency to train? 2. how much do you eat? 3. do you actually train all your main muscles? 4. do you to try to get better over time?
Yes I agree about the things I wish I knew but back when we started it there was no TH-cam The other thing you had was magazines it was a lot of trial and error we learned a lot in our own but paid the price sometimes
Yo Alex, there are people who have an absolutely insane response to PED's, but when they have to stop, they just implode. They loose muscle faster than either one of us can build it. If it is real muscle, built with proper methods and with a fiery passion, the muscle will stay with you for much longer, and it will give you a much bigger sence of accomplishment knowing you did not give up your health in exchange for the results, but rather exchanged your time and effort. Stay strong brother, you are a true motivation for the community. And I appreciate you giving other channels a voice on your podcast episodes.
One thing I strongly disagree with though (based on my own unique situation) is your point on stimulus to fatique ratio (sfr). I am still building my base of strength and hypertrophy, but I have a manual labour job, and have been training martial arts 5 to 6 days per week for years now. As of late, I have been getting more results from just overloading more, and not being too afraid of overtraining. I have built a great work capacity, strong tendons and great recovery from years of doing this, but my actual muscles are behind on the rest. Ofcourse, overloading should never be done in expense of proper technique, you always need to control your movements to atleast a decent extent and tempo and form should be consistent. Sorry for the big wall of text ;-)
One thing I learned that the answer is often in the middle and its never black and white. Whenever something gets proved or debunked people take it to the opposite extremes. For example when it was proven that bro splits with doing million exercises and endless volume arent the optimal way to train but people took it to other opposite extreme with extreme minimalism. Variety of exercises and nonminimalism doesnt mean you train like a bro. Or that size equals strength and then people think they need to train like powerlifter when in reality there is benefit from both lighter/higher rep sets as well as few heavy "strength" sets and even if your goal is to get stronger that doesnt mean that all your focus has to be squats/deadlifts.
Damn, this is some quality content. Love that after all these years you have valuable lessons to teach about goals and expectations. Keep it up, man, been watching for years and won’t stop anytime soon!
When I started I wanted to become big & strong (also thought it was the same) and I feel the same was now. Giving Basement Bodybuilding's approach a try was fun but one time I was training legs and the rack was taken so I did conventional deadlifts after months without doing them and I knew that I have to get back to strength training. I just love maxing out on the big 3 and think that powerbuilding is the right thing for me. Arms and back are also my strongest body parts so focussing more on chest and legs is a good thing for me
I’ve been a follower for about 3 years now and over this last year I’ve definitely been able to see your perspective on bodybuilding change. I feel like the approaches you took and the lifts you started doing reflect that you’ve been more open to trying more “normalized” training in a sense. For example, instead of doing all the crazy overloads like slingshot pin press with chains (just saying a random variation here, that was probably an exaggeration) or banded z press, you’re sticking to more basic lifts like seated shoulder presses and Larsen presses. That’s not to say accommodated resistance is bad, but it’s definitely not something you’d normally see in the bodybuilding world. Your training was more powerlifting biased, which makes sense because if you’re strong you’re usually big. It’s what you’ve preached for years. I was definitely influenced by some of your older full body and upper body workouts. I used to binge your playlist, I looked into the conjugate method, hell there was a period where some of my TH-cam channel had things like swiss bar pin presses and rack pulls above the knee. But as a skinny guy who is literally 10 lbs away from even having a 1000 lb total, I’ve drifted away from that stuff. All I need is the basics and it’s refreshing to see you doing what you’re doing now.
Dude I love this commentary! Definitely, the longer I train the more simple my ideologies become.. especially for Bodybuilding. All those variations you mentioned are good when approached correctly, but it's true that there was a very strong strength bias that confused a lot of people. It's crazy how much our training can change over the years.
Hey Alex..for someone like me who only followed your channel for natty training advice years ago..it was really holding my bodybuilding gains back and I could never understand that there was a difference between our goals back then. All I wanted was to get big. Thank you for addressing this. One of the best segments you've ever done💯
Ya know? As a teenager , people like Alex , Sean , GVS give me so much hope for the lifetime natty community. Thank you for setting the way for us and please do NOT stop! Love you AD.
I Am happy I discovered Alex early on in my lifting life. He is definitely one of the main influences on me not hopping on juice bc I couldn't get the results I want. He also encourages Even in this video different was on how to train, If not i would still be stick trying to do 3x5 amd be upset that I wasn't able to hit normal intermediate numbers on that approach.
Damn you found the best guys on yt at a young age I’m so jealous . Good shit
@@salmark9080 and I'm very grateful for it!
@Kugelfrosch yeah I tried getting into some of his content but he posts anime-ish content which just doesn't go by me. But some of his videos are really informative.
Mike O'hearn is huge inspo too!
SO TRUE about how not one thing works, it ALL works. Im 45 yrs old and been lifting since 14. I've literally done EVERYTHING over these years. I have achieved some decent lifts and have good size at 6'2" and 265 LBS. Lots of people ask me if Im on anything so its very clear that I lift. I've lifted rocks, logs, chains, Iron pieces, tires, and whatever the hell was lying around. I've done thousands upon thousands of push ups, dips, pull ups. I've lifted weights in the gym with every possible program imaginable, High reps, low reps, heavy, light, singles, triples 20 reps, German high volume 10x10, Powerlifting big 3 lifts only, Strongman training. I've bulked, I've cut haha. If some one asked me what I've done to get big and strong and maintain the size and strength all these years even into my mid 40's I couldn't really tell you. All I can say is that I wont be outworked and I just went fucking HARD at everything I was doing. I was relentless. No gym fuck it I'll walk into a gravel pit and find rocks to press, I'll walk into the woods and flip logs and do chin ups from branches all damn day. Working in the oil fields with no gym around.....fuck it I'm curling chains and lifting semi truck tires over my head, you understand. No matter what, no matter when with anything at my disposal. When you are truly hungry you'll eat anything!.
Real motivation!!!!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥💯
jeremy you're a beast
Your level of devotion and determination is absolutely beautiful, you are an absolute beast mate
exactly! greg plit legacy! not literally though...
@@nmanisbig Nah im no beast, just a hard working guy with no quit. When I first started there literally was no youtube and no internet. I had Joe Weiders Muscle and Fitness magazine as my only guide and source of knowledge. There I was a total newb 15 yr old kid trying to follow Ronnie Coleman and all the other pro bodybuilders routines etc. I definitely spent a lot of time spinning my wheels trying to train like a pro bodybuilder for many years as a teenager. Its only been the last 10-15 yrs that actual real info and content has been put out by natural guys on the smart way to train and eat etc.
Appreciate the rawness of some of these points, you really spoke from the heart and it showed. The point about Louie particularly resonated with me; even as a bodybuilder, I somehow always managed to get something from his Q&As, and you helped me understand why: despite being the Pope of Equipped PL, he somehow also was one of the least dogmatic voice in the sport. He believed in his methods and was adamant that they were best, but if something came up to prove him wrong he was always willing to give it a try and integrate this new variable in Westside training. This mix of confidence and open-mindedness is a trait that every single lifter needs, natural or otherwise.
I appreciate you NH, that was the intention. Keeping it as raw as possible and letting the passion consume me, I'm happy this was well received. Love what you wrote here about Louie, he was open minded, went beyond typical Powerlifting, crazy confident, and always evolved until the very end. Every lifter can learn from his messages, whether a bodybuilder, natty, etc.
just make sure not to post hen tie again ok
@@burritodog3634 ahhhh yes Hens being tied.
A sudden lack of open-mindedness is the first and most nefarious sign that an influencer has sold out.
Dogma of any kind basically only appears once people are trying to sell products. Because the dogma says "do / buy THIS, and definitely avoid THAT".
elo juchub
Your passion for lifting is what makes this channel great!
Thank you brother, I'm happy it shines through!
@@AlexLeonidas HERO
Yooo mosesgainz
Both you and Alphadestiny are legends tbh
Oh man you went hard in this vid. Great takes. 100% agree.
Much love Geoffrey, you 100 tips mofo!! Feels great to express these thoughts and I love that everyone is chiming in.
This has got to be the coolest thing ever. I was the one that gave Basement Bodybuilding the idea and he shouted me out in that video. Since then all my favorite natty TH-camrs have made a video based off this idea. This is such a great community man 👍🏽
Amazing man!!!!!
@Bieszo solid idea man 🤝
Chad
This is wisdom.
Talking about chasing goals you don't really care about is serious. I've done it before and ended up hating my training and feeling miserable.
You know it bro.. one of the worst loops to be in. The sooner we train for ourselves and set REAL goals, the better everything will be. Mindset, gains, enjoyment, etc.
@@AlexLeonidas 💯
Same here bro. I trained like an athlete for a year thinking it would get me jacked. Absolute waste of time.
@@HerculesFit did you gain other useful things during that year? I'm leaning more towards athletism at the moment, having more flexibility etc.
Damn this list looks intriguing! Gonna tune in now, looking forward to it brotha.
Much love brotha, cheers for these amazing topics and having the courage to express your honest criticisms of the common dogma!! The natty fitness community is much better with you around. Enjoy.
Bro, discovering your channel has been more than a breath of fresh air. I haven't stepped foot in the gym, or even gotten on the floor to do a push-up in 4 years. The level of our of shape I am in is actually really sad. Especially because for the decade before the last 4 years I was a certified gym rat. I'm not even sure how your channel came across my radar since I don't look up fitness stuff anymore, but you have seriously inspired me to get back into it. I'm obviously starting from basically zero now, minus hopefully some muscle memory and a lot of knowledge, but getting on the floor to do a set of push-ups was not something I could even do. Last night I for the first time my entire life had to do sissy push-ups. But at least I did them. And that's more than I've done in 4 years. Thank you, man. Seriously. I feel better about myself than I have in a long time after doing the light work I did last night, and I'm about to do some more calisthenics here in a minute. And I seriously have you to thank for this.
You've got that muscle memory too bro. 💪🏽
I can understand you brother ,I also stopped working out for a whole year. I regret it, lost all of my progress but now I'm stronger than before took me 1.5-2 yr to get here but I'm happy that I didn't lose hope and didn't stopped working out .
Keep working hard 🔥💪
Definitely wish I knew:
1. The best program is one you can stick to
2. Higher stability movements can benefit hypertrophy more (seated OHP blew up my delts way more than the years I spent focusing on standing variations)
3. Compound movements are not enough for arm development
4. Stimulus to fatigue
5. Coaching is valuable, wish I started sooner
Coaching?
@@robbenvanpersie1562 hiring a coach to guide you at any level makes progress significantly faster if you haven't hired one before
@@Aliistrength yes. Want to do the same
Hey Alex, really relate to the part of getting pushed into powerlifting when the goal at first was to just look like a jacked anime character. You and NH really made me realise this and now my training has been better than ever the past few months. Much love 🙏
Hell yeah man!! We all know what we REALLY want 💪
fr
same. i care more about physique than strength tbh.
The body builder that I've learned the most from is John Meadows. Nothing but an endless supply of useful information on his channel, and a super nice, humble guy. RIP JM. 🙂
Man, 10 years ago there was almost zero natty channels on TH-cam that talked about lifting for size. There were a few natty strict powerlifting focused channels but not much of anything else. Glad to see guys like you, GVS, Natural Hypertrophy, Basement Bodybuilding, Bald Omni Man, etc growing an audience.
I’ve been around PED use in the gym or friends that use PEDs and it’s something I’ve just never been interested in and I’ve felt the “peer pressure” for sure. There’s a TH-cam natty renaissance coming and I’m glad. People and content I can actually relate to
Sean Nalewanyj was around then?
This feels like such a genuine release, it's so nice to hear how you feel on these topics and being able to have your insight on being in this space is remarkable. Been watching since 2016 and the charecter development, mind and body has been insane. Proud of you bro
Much love OG, my messages are straight from the heart!
Full on straight up, this may be one of the best lifting videos that I have EVER seen on TH-cam
facts
If it makes you feel better, I have learned a LOT from you.
Like you literally changed my life, I was down and so damn depressed without even a fragment of a goal. But you gave me something to focus on and to think about, learning all of the principles and the whys an whens of strength training.
I was really blessed to find your channel and your content in general.
17:20 So relatable man.
I wasted a lot of time in high school training like a strength athlete because that's what everyone in my gym class did. What I didn't know was the guys I was listening to were training for football. So yeah, who you get advice from matters. Thankfully my dad who was a bodybuilder gave me the right advice and saved me a lot of time, but it can be tough if you don't have someone to show you the ropes.
Fantastic thoughts in this video, Alex. Very inspiring to see how you've evolved/progressed over the years. Also - 34:37 makes me think of someone struggling to trim the edge of an exceptionally thick and yoked lawn.
Have watched every single video of yours and I’m loving how honest and raw you are in this one. much respect to you always Alex
Much respect Kuss, I really let my thoughts out on this one and I'm happy you appreciate it!
I’ve been watching your channel since I was 15, I’m now 21. Thank you for the passion and gravity you always put into these discussions.
My 5 are:
1. Fuel your body (Sleep is non negotiable and bulking =/= fat)
2. Progressive Overload above pump and soreness (Not following a program)
3. Consistency and Effort beats perfection
4. No movement is inherently dangerous
5. Form changes are acceptable (no need to reduce the weight if your squat hinges a bit more)
Non negotiable
I train hard as hell and eat a shit ton, but I can't really sleep that much cause I'm in school. 4-5 hours of sleep at most. Doesn't matter cause I'm built different. It is negotiable
@@iHandleNasdaq ppl who say you need 8hrs sleep are lazy, even arnie says you only need 6..
@@ransm_fts there are countless studies on the importance of sleep. 6 hours isn’t enough for the vast majority of people.
@@coppertopp2268 🤣🤣 rip piana
You know what Alex, you are the only fitness youtube personality that is still doing the insane amount of work after all these years and you constantly provide value and share knowledge with us. Thank you so much man, we are lucky to have you.
I think out of the whole fitness community, you're the most genuine and helpful person out there. You genuinely want to help people with no bullshit. Not only helping us be better lifters, but better people also.
Love my man Alex, he got a rare quality which most people lack of especially fitness influencers, the willingness to admit he is wrong in the past and learn valuation lesson from it.
Love this. I remember when Candito was like “I need to curl”, that’s when had my oh shiiii moment, never looked back to PL.
What you said about consistency is so true🔥 I tried to do PPL split but I always ended up stopping for long periods because I didn't recover enough. Then I switched to upper lower split and now I've been doing that since May consistently and it's the most consistent I've ever been in my training in my life and I'm seeing the benefits of that consistency
what's your typical week like? I was thinking u, rest, lower, rest, u, rest, lower, rest
I'm guessing that's typical now that I think about it actually. I'm really pushing trap bar dead right now and maxing out weekly so don't want to hit my back without a rest day in between
@@stephen8996 I do upper lower too, my split looks like this - U L R U L W R
W = upper weak points/recovered muscles.
Everyone's different but my biceps and forearms recover really quick and generally do some alteration of an exercise that I've done during the week.
Man, very powerful messages especially on point 3 and biomechanics. Solid solid points
AWESOME VIDEO! I've been following you Alex since you were benching 275 and preaching conventional 5x5 minimalist training. It's amazing to see how you've evolved over the years and I am so thankful for your channel. I love the meta understanding of how we move through paradigms while lifting just like anything else in life. Sometimes you've got to drink the Kool-Aid for a bit in order to transcend community trends and develop your own unique style. Today I've got a focus on full body general strength while also incorporating plenty of yoga and cardio. I would never have developed such a love for fitness if not for your channel. Thank you!
Golden nuggets of info as always, Alex! Loving the content lately.
This was an awesome, long segment! Definitely one of your Magnum Opus. Thank you for being one of the experienced lifters who share your lessons, so the young guns who follow you (like me!) can learn from the mistake of our Sensei's so we can develop ourselves without the same setbacks. I believe this is how humanity grows and evolves - learning from our predecessors, both their successes (thanks for showing us what is possible with your lifts!) and their mistakes/failures (covered in this video). Keep up the great content Alex!
Thank you as always brother!!!
the character development that alex had in all this years is insane,been following since 2019
I love that the natural community is uniting! We gotta keep doing this style of videos to bring each other up
Definitely need to do more videos like this and page others, the expanding discussions are too good!!
I was thinking the same thing
Been lifting six years, starting with 5x5s and then upper lower splits.
What I’ve learned by now as an intermediate lifter in my 50s is that slowly but surely is the way. Injury is the chief deterrent that can slow you down. Don’t give up and keep changing your approach as you persevere on the same basic lifts: which are:
OH press
Bench press
Squats or leg press
Sumo or dead lifts
Rows
Pull ups
Bicep Curls
Trap shrugs
Lateral raises.
Glute thrusts
Man, you're such a great communicator. Really thankful for your channel as a life time natty. You've inspired me for a long time now.
its mind blowing to me that your channel hasnt exploded. i love the advice you give in every video i come across. no misleading clickbaiting, no stupid gimmicks, just straight advice no bs. guys like you and sean nalewanyj are a breath of fresh air in this industry
That is precisely why it hasn't exploded, my content is too real for most. But thank you brother, this means a lot.
Really cool how all the good natural channels are making this video. Real tight knit community.
When I learned about the conjugate system and concurrent periodization from you something clicked. I ducking HATED doing conventional deads, low bar squat and wide grip bench week in, week out.
Now I love my training getting strong asf on trap bar dead’s, anterior delt press, pull-ups, Larsen press, z press, rdl, trap bar rdl… the list goes on!
My self worth was attached to whether I could bump 5lbs on my bench and it led to overuse injury and lack of passion. Now I’m setting PRs and having more fun than ever with the gym.
I’m truly thankful for your content Alex. Your content has saved me from quitting lifting and I couldn’t be more grateful.
I’m a character artist for a profession. This helped me understand biomechanics and lifting angles/ muscle fiber function and angles, and in turn, I’ve stayed injury free after 10 years of lifting. Good stuff.
Wonderful to hear, Ben!!
Liking a movement is a good reason to keep it around. Enjoying going to the gym is a big part of enabling consistency. 💪
Everything does work.
1.Got 26 inch legs by mostly low bar squatting.
2.Powerlifting bench makes it a decline and builds the lower packs. U have to be flat to build ur upper packs.
3.Triceps don't get built by just benching. I grew from 16.5 to 17 inch arms in just 2 and a half month just by adding close grip bench 6 sets per week.
4.Overhand and neutral grips on ur compound pulls will not fatigue your biceps more than ur Brachialis. So u absolutely need to do isolation for ur biceps. And if u really want big biceps loosen ur wrists allowing them to hang. Ur forearms will be mostly out of the curl putting more emphasis on the biceps.
OG follower of your channel. You have a come a long way, and the wisdom and experience in hypertrophy and aesthetics is very apparent in this video. You have overcome all the haters to be one of the best TH-cam fitness channels, and have tremendously improved in many aspects not only fitness, you’re more confident in yourself and not trying to fake anything. Also, I can tell you are a good dude. A little bromancing here, but I don’t leave much comments on here, but this video deserved it. Keep it up brother!
Thank you Zach, this means a lot!!
Realest fitness/bodybuilding/powerlifting talk right here!
As a beginner I am so fkn glad I found you early.
Thank you for introducing us to the conjugate lifting system and thanks for your inspiration keep going dude
Great video Alex! Are you still planning on making a whole video on the chest expander? I just bought one in hopes to fix my traps, rhomboids, and rear delt weakness and I love it so far but I’m sure I could use a few tips
Hey man thanks for the donation, I will be doing a complete video on the Chest Expander (hopefully this month) where I discuss all the benefits, showcase the best exercises/possible routines, and buying options. Stay tuned!
While you're trying out your expander, experiment with some rows with a more upper back bias (pull toward your chest / sternum rather than lower). OHP, upright row and pullups / pulldowns all hit your upper back in a fantastic way. So many good exercises to try out - I'm sure you'll find something that works (and especially something you enjoy).
💪💪💪
@@nmnate thanks bro appreciate it❤️
This was the most authentic video you've made
respect for you grew 10x. last time i watched you it was "this is the best, if you don't do it you're stupid". the maturity and open mindedness is showing
Amazing, I'm going to make sure to learn from this. Thank you ♥
You never disappoint bro, great list and great points. Always appreciate how you keep things real but always keep the body, the mind, and the spirit connected.
The best lifter works hard, gets smarter, and loves the game: we benefit from your knowledge and passion, keep it up bro, I hope to talk to you again soon.
University has been taking up most of my time lately
I appreciate you Karel and look forward to chatting it up again. Everything is interconnected!
I feel like the progressive overload and Strength = Size mentality is fine but the minimalist approach of just doing the big 3 is an issue. Adding more presses variations, horizontal and vertical pulls, direct arm work, abs, calf raises and other isolations lifts with quality volume and making small improvements over time is what I enjoy and give me the best results, that happy medium of not super high volume pump training but also not minimalist powerlifting training.
Preach bro!
This was such a raw an honest approach to how natural bodybuilding psychology should be, especially the topic on ego lifting. I spent so much time trying to get to respectable numbers that I stopped controlling the weight and started focusing on just getting from point A-B.
Hey Alex, thanks a lot for such insightful content. I am going Bear mode and am doing the exercises you suggested in your old vids. like cheat shrugs, cheat rows, rack pulls above the knee etc where we are supposed to load heavy weight with perfect form. After seeing this vid. where you are talking about ego lifting, I am a bit confused. Should I perform these exercises with lower wait to avoid ego lifting or do I just continue with heavy wait?
Thanks a lot
You always deliver this content that resonates at a soul level. You are able to put a level of emotion into your content that others can’t. The only reason I started lifting is because of your channel.
27:27 Yep 100%, I did my own version of this but I'd agree with this entirely. My main movements for Bench when I was competing were the CGBP and Feet Up Bench, but I really could have use a lot more variety and in particular harder variations which weren't as demanding on my joints and nervous system. As well as that combining periods of strictly BB work throughout the year, rather than just hammering away at getting stronger year round. Great points Alex.
Well put as usual Faz and many should check out your video th-cam.com/video/104aOI7e1NU/w-d-xo.html
@@AlexLeonidas appreciate you Alex 👑
Great list Alex! Other than that, I'd say to give yourself time to rest between sets. I use to do the 1 1/2 min rest periods between sets and when I upped it to even just 3min, what a difference! Yeah, your training will go a little longer, but it'll feel that much better! Too many people on PEDs screwing over others saying their way is optimal/the best, when sure, for people on PEDs, but the normal joe/jane, not even close!
The thing u said about powerlifting is amazing. can't attach more. thanks
You have some very fair points and I agree with much of what you have to say. For me personally, I like the aesthetics and having a good, balanced physique. I equally love performance though- I want to be the strongest, fastest and most durable man I can be. I feel like even though you’re frustrated with the time you feel like you wasted, it’s because of that that you ended up being the kind of balanced lifter I can ALWAYS learn so much from and whose content I voraciously covet.
Keep up the great work as always brother!
Agree with the first one, Everything works. The reason why there are myriads of programs and stuffs that makes lifting complicated in the mainstream is because of advertising and business but in the end no matter what training style you're in, everything works. Man are built to work and it doesn't really care if it's a barbell or a rock, or a log, or a big bucket of water as long as there's elements of it that increase strength and conditioning it all works. Bodybuilding really isn't about barbells and benches, but it's everything. Great video❤
You, GVS and Bald Omni Man are the only fitness youtubers I still watch
They the only ones worth watching
I also like Basement Bodybuilding and Natural Hypertrophy a lot.
Gravity training and protein-man are good too
@@mlikoipura Gravity training rarely posts
I'm impressed how much you matured and improved with time Alex. Your channel helped me a lot to become a better lifter
A lot of truth. I especially relate to the powerlifting bubble and a shift in goals from what I wanted. End of the day, all I want is to be able to help around the house or friends with moving more easily while looking good
again proving why you are one of the best in the business
The first thing that you said, I completely agree. I learned to incorporate weight lifting as a person that loves calisthenics. Sure some exercises might be more optimal than others, but if you're consistent then it will work.
People always critiqued my elbow positioning during triceps exercises, because I didn't tuck them into my sides as much as possible. That position just doesn't line up well for me, my upper arm is actually angled inwards towards my body if I tuck them in that far so I got a lot of elbow pain until I let my elbows fall to their natural position during my lifts.
The perfect technique is a good starting point for beginners, but you will have to adjust it depending on your body
Hey Alex. I am so glad that one day I stumbled upon one of your videos and ended up discovering the ''underground'' natty scene. Love your videos and I really appreciate what you have done for the natural lifting comunity including the podcasts with other successful natties. There hasn't been a single channel that would affect my life the way yours did.Thanks for what you're doing. Love from Czech republic.
_"Stop trying to impress others who will not be there for you in the long-term."_
Great quote Alex, especially in this day and age where we can lose so much time playing these status games...
This is real advice over here. I’m so grateful for this channel.
🔥 info brotha. 45 yrs old, father of 5 and grandfather. LIFETIME NATTY IN THE HOUSE👊🏽💪🏽.
Bro i wish you didnt have any regrets because tbh you did what every good natural trainer with a brilliant physique did, you explored all avenues of training and learnt what works for you and your goals, while along the way you gave millions of people free quality information and inspiration for all the real naturals around the world with your no nonsense real life approach.
I have always bounced between calisthenics and body building and still when you went through your powerlifting content run, i was able to take something away and utilise it with in my own training (fair play i started off powerlifting, where i tore my rotary cuff and never benched again but i started when all there was was powerlifting "if you're serious bruh" or backyard garage buffing and "weight lifting")
Keep doing you bro, and take everything as experience rather than believing you wasted time and i cant wait to see where you get to within the next 5 years 💪🏿
Love the list, man, and I also enjoyed how far in depth you went with each point. Even for a seasoned fitness consumer, such as myself, I found a lot of wisdom in listening to your breakdown. Really appreciate people like you! Hopefully, with the help of you and others, we can shift this industry 💪🤓
Loved this video Alex, thank you for making so much top quality content, you've helped me improve my training over the past years.
My number 1 thing I wish I knew earlier was how important a calorie surplus is to growth. I started lifting 3yrs ago and unfortunately found athlean X's content. I was 64kg and 175cm at 15-16yrs old. I then proceeded to train consistently while not eating enough, causing me to lose weight (down to a shredded 60kg) and compromise my gains throughout the whole covid lockdowns. I also developed orthorexia and viewed food as good and bad. This past year and a half has seen me gain 16kg and completely change physically and mentally. I look and feel better, my performance is better, bulking is amazing
Have been watching you since 2016! Learned a lot from you!
Thank You!
I appreciate you super OG!!!
The less ego lifting is what i've been trying lately. Dropped the weight by half on most of my exercises and focus on control/slow speed/contraction pause for 3-5 seconds/ and super slow stretchy negatives and man............ I'm getting super sore in places that I had challenges getting sore going heavy before ( biceps/back usually). Loving the light weight super controlled Phil Heath style.
What a character progression youve had... this is my favourite video from you. Just the right timing because i was considering maybe quitting (i struggle with staying consitent with things, or i go FULL in which ive been doing the last 3 years in the gym or i dont do it at all)
Great videos this Info needs to be keep repeating over and over again , cause to many channels like athlean x kill your gains and confuse the shit out of people , when all that matters is consistency over long term ,cheers!
About the powerlifting point: I am really glad you changed your perspective and shifted towards BB again. I had been following you for quite a while, but at some point decided to unsubscribe because you kept focusing so heavily on powerlifting to get big, which did not appeal to me at all.
This also related to an earlier point you made, that mostly everything works for building muscle. I feel like some are too dogmatic about their approach to getting bigger/stronger, when in reality there are many ways that lead to Rome. BB/calisthenics/etc., whichever style allows you to progress consistently and most efficiently, for you! Consistent effort, taking the best from all approaches and not being afraid too try something new are what I have learned rather recently about lifting (after +/- 5 years of lifting, during mostly of which I have been following you).
Once I noticed you changed your approach I resubbed and for the better, as I can now continue learning from you. Keep at it man! 🏆
I remember when I first came across alpha destiny. Several years later, he still delivering the most real, passionate content. This is what keeps my interest in your channel. Don’t Stop Alpha Destiny!!
your flame is burning strong youngling, make sure to pass it forward!
Thanks to Alex I no longer focus on Squat, Deadlift, Bench.
I focus on trapbar deadlifts, deep belt squats, DB bench press. Keeps my joints and back feeling a thousand times better and can use those movements to train like a bodybuilder with high volume.
I stick to more natural movement patterns than the dogmatic lifts I spent 10 years chasing numbers on.
Really love your videos. One of the only ones who tells it how it is. I think I may have fallen into the same trap and this video has highlighted that for me.
17:20
It can be disheartening to know that bs online is at a peak high, but it also means the counter-movement like you and many others are too. Thanks for focusing on the positives, lets keep it rolling
Love this, i realized i hate conventional deadlifts and im going to just do stiff leg from now on
Likewise brother, haven't done conventional deadlifts in so long and not missing them!
Just do sumo
Loving this trend of videos.
This one of the best videos you’ve done. More ppl need to hear this!
This is absolute great message Alex! Just the truth !
I have so many things to thank you for. Thank you for introducing me to bodybuilding. Thank you for letting me know that I can choose the type of training i want and not worry about the most optimal or the best. Thank you for being the reason i bought a home gym. Thank you for being you and educating the entire natural community and motivating us to to work hard every single day. I am happy to have started this journey a few months ago and dedicating myself to this for years. Love from Montrea!
29:05 and onward is some very real truth I’ve learned in my late 20’s. Fantasizing about the weight I lifted in my early 20’s is useless because of the form I used at the risk of my joints and muscular imbalance.
I remember watching your videos about two years ago when I was a lost teenager struggling between which information was right and which was wrong. I’m glad I found your channel and even though I don’t watch you videos anymore, I just wanted to say thank you.
I appreciate that Santiago and thanks for stopping by. I'm glad my videos were helpful in your lifting journey.
Only watched it now, but the message you give is incredibly powerful and beautiful. Gives me hope for the future of natural lifters tbh. Even in my gym i talked to youngsters gymbros, following guys like you giving great advices. It brings me joy to see that!
The main thing i wish i knew is to get on a bodybuilding program and stick with it. I lost time chasing goals that weren't mine for too long, like many other here...
what i learned in 22 years of on and off training as a natural:
1. do you constantly feel an urgency to train?
2. how much do you eat?
3. do you actually train all your main muscles?
4. do you to try to get better over time?
That was refreshing, venting off. Good for you. At the moment i enjoy chasing numbers, but it definately is not my ultimate goal.
Yes I agree about the things I wish I knew but back when we started it there was no TH-cam The other thing you had was magazines it was a lot of trial and error we learned a lot in our own but paid the price sometimes
Yo Alex, there are people who have an absolutely insane response to PED's, but when they have to stop, they just implode. They loose muscle faster than either one of us can build it. If it is real muscle, built with proper methods and with a fiery passion, the muscle will stay with you for much longer, and it will give you a much bigger sence of accomplishment knowing you did not give up your health in exchange for the results, but rather exchanged your time and effort.
Stay strong brother, you are a true motivation for the community. And I appreciate you giving other channels a voice on your podcast episodes.
One thing I strongly disagree with though (based on my own unique situation) is your point on stimulus to fatique ratio (sfr).
I am still building my base of strength and hypertrophy, but I have a manual labour job, and have been training martial arts 5 to 6 days per week for years now. As of late, I have been getting more results from just overloading more, and not being too afraid of overtraining. I have built a great work capacity, strong tendons and great recovery from years of doing this, but my actual muscles are behind on the rest.
Ofcourse, overloading should never be done in expense of proper technique, you always need to control your movements to atleast a decent extent and tempo and form should be consistent.
Sorry for the big wall of text ;-)
One thing I learned that the answer is often in the middle and its never black and white. Whenever something gets proved or debunked people take it to the opposite extremes. For example when it was proven that bro splits with doing million exercises and endless volume arent the optimal way to train but people took it to other opposite extreme with extreme minimalism. Variety of exercises and nonminimalism doesnt mean you train like a bro. Or that size equals strength and then people think they need to train like powerlifter when in reality there is benefit from both lighter/higher rep sets as well as few heavy "strength" sets and even if your goal is to get stronger that doesnt mean that all your focus has to be squats/deadlifts.
Damn, this is some quality content. Love that after all these years you have valuable lessons to teach about goals and expectations. Keep it up, man, been watching for years and won’t stop anytime soon!
For me, periodization style PL training is what gets me to love going to the gym. Even if it’s only about numbers, it works for me.
When I started I wanted to become big & strong (also thought it was the same) and I feel the same was now. Giving Basement Bodybuilding's approach a try was fun but one time I was training legs and the rack was taken so I did conventional deadlifts after months without doing them and I knew that I have to get back to strength training. I just love maxing out on the big 3 and think that powerbuilding is the right thing for me.
Arms and back are also my strongest body parts so focussing more on chest and legs is a good thing for me
This is one of the best videos I have seen.
I’ve been a follower for about 3 years now and over this last year I’ve definitely been able to see your perspective on bodybuilding change. I feel like the approaches you took and the lifts you started doing reflect that you’ve been more open to trying more “normalized” training in a sense. For example, instead of doing all the crazy overloads like slingshot pin press with chains (just saying a random variation here, that was probably an exaggeration) or banded z press, you’re sticking to more basic lifts like seated shoulder presses and Larsen presses. That’s not to say accommodated resistance is bad, but it’s definitely not something you’d normally see in the bodybuilding world. Your training was more powerlifting biased, which makes sense because if you’re strong you’re usually big. It’s what you’ve preached for years. I was definitely influenced by some of your older full body and upper body workouts. I used to binge your playlist, I looked into the conjugate method, hell there was a period where some of my TH-cam channel had things like swiss bar pin presses and rack pulls above the knee. But as a skinny guy who is literally 10 lbs away from even having a 1000 lb total, I’ve drifted away from that stuff. All I need is the basics and it’s refreshing to see you doing what you’re doing now.
Dude I love this commentary! Definitely, the longer I train the more simple my ideologies become.. especially for Bodybuilding. All those variations you mentioned are good when approached correctly, but it's true that there was a very strong strength bias that confused a lot of people. It's crazy how much our training can change over the years.
Hey Alex..for someone like me who only followed your channel for natty training advice years ago..it was really holding my bodybuilding gains back and I could never understand that there was a difference between our goals back then. All I wanted was to get big. Thank you for addressing this. One of the best segments you've ever done💯