Alex one thing I’ve noticed about your training, is that you have MASTERED the art of knowing when you will hit failure and staying 1 rep away from it. Your grinders are crazy
Thank you Michael and I'm happy you mentioned this!! That's correct, I can gauge it with about 90-95% accuracy. I would have to credit the Max Effort method for that, I know my limits and have developed the ability to strain. This process took yearsssss though.
You are literally a human strength training encyclopedia. Thank you so much for the knowledge you constantly share with us. "Knowledge in youth, is wisdom in age".
Hey Alex can you do a full week training vlog? The entire training session (mostly) uncut, everything included from entering your home gym to warmups, stretching, setting up gear and taking breaks, basically the complete full picture. I think it could give great perspective on the true raw reality of things and gives a super clear & complete overview that's relatively rare to see on TH-cam in its entirety (e.g training duration timewise). I'd be interested personally (also considering how your training methods & exercises have evolved over the years). (Alternatively you could also do the same idea as above but with cuts in between while making mentions of the time on the clock so as to still get a clear impression of time duration (although i do still see value in completely uncut and i think it would be unique)) You could just set up a camera somewhere w complete gym overview (or multiple if youre feeling ambitious, for different angles) and let it roll for however long your complete trainings take. Or for all i know you could even stream it and read chat during set breaks e.g. (if it won't ideally impede your normal training regiment focus time & exercise selection)
The reason this guy keeps on progressing because of all the adaptations from different approaches in fitness (strength ,hyperthrophy, explosive movements, static response, specific, non specific etc) he understands fatigue to reward ratio, he knows different movements with the best strength curve to address his weakness..I have no doubt if he takes powerlifting seriously he can def break national records
I normally don’t like QA’s. But this one was solid. Good questions. And each answer has some depth. They could’ve been short segments too. So nicely done.
Lookin great Alex, you have come a long way. I have also noticed I maintain back strength when cutting, while at the pushing movements I become noticeably weaker.
Definitely interested in a new novice program! Also, I assume you still stand behind the naturally enhanced program, correct? Do you plan on updating that book in anytime in the future?
Elbow popping during triceps exercises : • Bench press : during eccentric, if I go further than 90 degree angle, there is popping • Triceps rope pushdown : during eccentric, if I go up further than 90 degree, there is popping • Dips : when I go down, if I go below 90 degree angle, there is popping There is pain after the workout but not during. Warming up with light triceps rope pushdowns helps a little but isn’t enough. How can I solve this ?
I don't know if you read comments from old videos, but, thank you for showing me the chest expander. They taught me how to grind really hard my triceps movements and even my close grip bench, that last portion of the range of motion with the chest expander is magical.
following your novice program right now! it is the first program that i ever followed in 30 years of training! Because of its appeal in so many ways. Yes , to me it is a gem! Thank you Alex!
Alex , if you have the space would you consider to get a functional trainer , or some attachments, rings and the rest of your equipment are just enough. For your training goals . Im building my home gym and wants some opinions about cable machines.
Alex, my go-to rows at the moment are Meadows Row (flared elbow for thickness) and 1-arm Landmine row (elbow close to target lats), am I missing on gains? Are these 2 a viable rowing options?
Hey bro, im an intermediate and just started a new job which has me working 6 days a week 10 hours a day... I can only fit int 4 45 minute workouts a week in my schedule. How would you go about doing that? Im coming from a ppl split where i would smash all of the accessories and ive always been trying to be as optimal as possible, as i am not a big fan of minimalism. but it seems minimalism is the way to go for me now... question is: how can i optimise minimalism? compound fullbody workouts and ignore accessories? dont wanna lose all my gains, idk ive been overanalysing all of this too which doesnt help... thank u bro keep up the awesome work
omg I really love the fun way u making your videos) Keep it up man best wishes form Ukraine! I'm also trying to make some home workout guides here so your videos are huge inspiration for me
Alex, what do you think of the Super Squats program? More precisely the Squat aspect of the program. I’ve been trying it out and have seen tremendous quad gains. I have also noticed that it helped me pinpoint my weakness during squatting. Thanks!
Hey Alex can you give some approximate conversions between good morning rep work and deadlift 1RM? You convinced me to do good mornings and they’ve revolutionized my leg training. Keep up the great content
Man his endurance is on a completely different level, I've been trying to match him but I'm so far away. Amazing what serious long term training can do.
@nicholas ingratta there's no harm in being able to exert yourself for extremely long periods of time, if anything it's a sign that your body is absolutely working to its best capacity.
Hey Alex, this one doesn't have to go into the next video. Might not benefit a lot of people but Can you recommend a minimum length of rope for rope pull based workouts? I want to buy one but don't have a lot of disposable income (teenager in school and all). I don't wanna buy one too short and have it be a waste of money, but I also don't want to overspend on one longer than I'll ever need to use. I plan on using it for both strength and GPP like work with somewhat longer set durations if that helps. Also, are thicker ropes (1" - 2" diameter) worth the money over just a thinner one (like maybe jump rope level thick) with gloves? I'd really like to know what I could get away with before make the investment. Especially in my country.
Hey alex I'm trying to increase my volume but i don't have time for doing more than 3 sets per exercise I'm doing cluster sets for some isolation exercises & higher reps do you think that is an effective way to increase volume for the goal of building muscle thank you for answering my questions
I can't depress my shoulder blades down & back in fluid motion when I go up in Pull-Ups no matter how hard I try bruv(thus not engaging my back properly at all).. Any solution for this @Alex..??
Alex! When the literature suggest 10-20 sets a week per bodypart might be optimal for hypertrophy, how specific is this? For example: 10-20 sets for each anterior-, lateral- and rear delts OR 10-20 sets for 'delts'? 10-20 sets for rhomboids, traps, teres, etc. and lats OR 10-20 sets for 'back'? Also, do I count my flat and incline pressing towards front delts too? and my upperback biased pull-ups towards lats? I know there are multiple ways of counting volume, I did actually watch dr. Mike's video on this topic. My question however remains: How do I have to count if I want to be in that 'optimal' 10-20 range?
Hey Alex, I just got some olympic rings and have two questions. 1. What’s your opinion on the body weight leg curl and elevated bridges with rings? Do you think these would be comparable to banded good mornings for example? 2. Is there any hypertrophic benefit to doing RTO ring push ups and dips? Love the content, keep at it!
Hey Alex, as always really great points in the video! I was wondering what do you think about EMOM Training in the context of strenght building. Ill give you an example. Lets say I can do 5-6 handstand push ups against the wall. If I do 3sets x 5 with 3min rest between sets ill have in total 15reps performed and the last reps wont be as clean cos of the higher intensity. Now if I lets say do half of the reps with higher sets x lower reps for ex: 10sets x 2reps with 1min rest ( EMOM) I will have performed 20reps in 10min with cleaner form. Until what number of reps do you thing I can milk this method??
Hey Alex, I'm currently running your novice program. I'm constantly getting sore in my adductors even though I'm squatting three times a week. What do I need to do to stop getting DOMS? Also, is it ok to run your novice program with 8-10 reps? Thanks.
Hey Alex! I've been following your recommendation of 3 week waves, adding volume each week before rotating movements. I was just wondering, is it better to add volume for the main lifts, or the accessory lifts? Or both? Love the channel. Regards from NB, Canada
Hi Alex, I usually work long hour, and when I get back home my brain is just done. I still can workout, but I feel less energy than before (My physical being is fine, but the mindset is just not there). Do you have any tips ? Currently I workout 6 times a week. About 1 hour each sessio . I do regular barbell training, kettlebell and regular bodyweight exercises. Thank you
Hi Alex, thanks a lot for the info you put out there: I have a question on your answer regarding good mornings. You said that as an hypertrophic exercise, deadlifts (or any hip hinge variation) are far for optimal specifically considering the STF ratio. However I remember in one of your previous video that you explained that your back grew by doing only rack pulls and weighted pull ups. I am a bit lost on it since I just started incorporating more hip hinge variation for the overloading effect but don’t want to completely impair my recovery (I am on a PPL+FB, so 4x/week). What would you recommend?
Alex thanks for the Q&A, lots of great info! and by the way I hopped on your NE program, started it in September this year and i can see the gains in strenght and size ways it blows my mind! I even diverted a little bit from my Calisthenics workout for the winter just for your program, I trusted You and the process and it really shows ;) thank you and I cant wait for your calisthenics plan !
Hey Alex I have a question. I have only been following your channel for about a year but I began training in 1983 and competed in drug free powerlifting from 1987-1991. I was a pretty good deadlifter in my competitive days (685 meet deadlift) but never tried to train my traps directly and never did rack pulls. I am always enjoying and learning from your channel and I began doing rack pulls above the knee to train my traps and found them very effective. Your name is regularly associated with rack pulls and sometimes in a negative connotation like possibly you overemphasized rack pulls for a while or something? Not sure but you did mention in a more recent yoke training video that some of your viewers didn’t care for your older yoke training. Can you explain what the controversy was about? I get the idea you still believe they are very effective but you either don’t do them as much anymore or you don’t talk about it much because of the controversy or you no longer believe they are as effective? Thank you and always learning from you Alex.
Hey alex , i've been stuck on 127.5kg/280LB(66kg bw) on bench for the last 4 months , my goal is to get x2 BW bench PR , I do a powerlifting plan , so no concurrent period./not maxing out every week , I do not wanna bulk cz i think it will be harder to get the x2 BW bench (i think) ,any tips/thoughts?
Follow up to the question about good mornings re leg day/back day. Would it be good to do high or even ATK rack pulls instead of deadlifts or good mornings along with rows and weighted pull ups? Then do the conventional deadlifts etc on leg day?
Good question. Yes, that would make sense from a blending standpoint. Though I'd still say conventional on the leg day isn't as good as an RDL/good morning. Especially since you already got the overloading effect from rack pulls earlier.
Hey Alex absolutely love your content. My question is if my main area of focus is handbalance 5-6 days a week. Do you believe a minimalist approach each day after my handstand practice would be good for muscle growth? So with my stretching and handstands it take about 1.5 hours. If I have 30 minutes to spare do you think a few upper body movements several times a week and several lower body movements the other days would help ? Sorry hope that makes sense tried to make it short.
Alex, about the overhead press, I'm 16 and recently at 215 I recently was able to do 225 for 5s for 4 sets on it (strict, standing) will I have any carryover to Bench? I haven't attempted an all out 1rm in a while on it.
Hi Alex, as far as minimalist neck training goes, have you seen Matthew Zlat's method? He literally just places his chin over the bar when doing weighted vertical pulls, and allows his neck flexors to take some of his weight. Wanted to hear your thoughts on this, especially since you do a bunch of weighted calisthenics already. Thanks for all the Q&A wisdom
Hey Alex, about the question on Split Squats, would you suggest to still not include them if the intended focus is developing glutes rather than quads?
Hey Alex do you think arm day can have its place or is it too Broish? Lets say I train 4 times a week (upper /lower) but I wouldnt do any isolation work of arms on one upper body day and instead I would do jsut arms the next day after one upper body day(so the arm day would be just once a week and more volume/exercises on that day and the first exercise would be treated like main exercise) while the second day would be just normally on the second upper body day which would be just one biceps/triceps exercise after main upper body compound exercises. So one day in a week would be focused on arms.
Hi Alex, in your past videos you have recommended rotating variations when progress stalls. In general, when using double progression how many workouts without progress would you go before switching out the movement. I feel like rotating the exercise as soon as you do not progress (eg. Week 1 8-8-7 Week 2 Still 8-8-7 Week 3 Switch Exercise) does not factor in possibilities such as lack of sleep, form misgrooves, slower gains as an intermediate or advanced lifter and other external factors. Hope this question makes sense and I appreciate your content.
Hey Alex, been following for over a year now. Love your growth and content brother. On a cut, would one's weighted dip increase due to loss of fat, or decrease due to loss in chest, shoulder, tricep size?
Hey Alex, big fan love your work! Theres something i havent been able to figure out for a while, I'm a pretty muscular guy, bear mode, kinda big, BUT I'm actually pretty weak when it comes to my upper body, specifically my bench and bicep work. How big i am and how strong i am don't correlate. Is there a reason for this? I know im doing something wrong
Hi Alex thank you for these Q&A's, my question is what could be the cause of lower part of scapula sticking out while in a depression(after I lost a lot of weight) could it be muscles not firing properly and if so how should I approach fixing it?
Hey Alex! What are your thoughts on running the Max Effort Method in a 3 week wave a couple times before swapping the wave? So you're still changing the lift weekly but for only 3 weeks. Then after 2-3 cycles you can change the 3 week wave with 3 new movements. So you get to hit the same lift every 3 weeks but for only 2-3 cycles.
Hey Alex. My question is how do you break past the intermediate stage? I have hit 315 bench, 425 squat and 495 deadlift, but i dont know how adapt the training aspect as im getting closer to the early advanced stage and take the gains to the next level.
Hi Alex! I'm super curious about your opinion on Jeff Nippard's recent video about minimalist training. I know you are an advocate for 10-20 sets per body part per week so I'm interested in what you think about doing 3-4 very hard sets and sometimes even 1 set per body part like Jeff laid out in his new essentials program. Congrats on 300k!
Hey Alex, do you think one could utilize 3 to 5 exercises per session but utilizing exercise rotations can be a good way to be minimalistic but without the pitfalls of overuse and plateuing? Particularly for those who do sports or other things. I do MMA
Love your content brother. I have been working on getting my pulls up. Recently hit 4x6 with just my body weight @72 kg. Should I consider adding weights to pull ups now or progress further with only my body weight?
23:00 i was wondering if I could get Ur opinion on a program I made with this whole thing in mind. It's basically push, pull with posterior chain, quads and arms, push, pull, legs and arms. Arms include biceps, forearms and only the longhead of the tricep. First push day is a calisthenics focus push session with chest, medial lateral heads of triceps. So 4 sets slow pushups, 3 sets close grip, dumbell flies (not sure if I need them), one of those pushups that resemble the JM press and some lu raises and calves. I thought of doing this type of session for less fatigue for the deads. Then the following day is 2 sets of deadlifts, preferably heavy tho I realised I've gone way too light and even got past 15 reps on the weights available, then 3 sets of frog stance rdls, then some wide grip pull-ups, pullovers, a mix between a drag curl and a Yates row. Calves and neck are sprinkled here and there in supersets as well as ham curls. Legs the day after is just sissy squats with hammer curls and ez bar curls, overhead extensions and forearm stuff The next push session has weights, dumbell press, seated dumbell ohp, incline press, ez bar JM press with lu raises and calves. The next pull has chins, chest supported rows, upright rows and another variation of pullovers with calves and nek. This doesn't have posterior chain cos of the next day The legs session I do after that has 3 sets bulg squats, only 2 sets Romanian deads and 2 sets of a variation of the box squat natural hypertrophy showed in his glute exercises but I just grab the bar underneath me. I superset it all with front dumbell curls, curls behind the back on the bench and dumbell overhead extensions with forearm stuff. Nordic curls are also done. What do u think about this type of programming to fit the deadlifts in?
Hey Alex, my OHP is at 55kg for 5 (standing) and my progress on it has been moderate I miss reps here and there but never had any stalls. However, my bench press is at 67.5kg for 5rm, I am currently running a 5x5 program that has me benching and oh pressing twice every 8 days. I also eat in a surplus, sleep like a king, and hydrate myself, I also do assistance lifts like close grip and tricep isolations. But still, my bench keeps stalling everytime i add a measly 2.5kg on the bar. I am @86kg body weight.
How many exercises do you do per session? I'm going to transition into a silver era style full body routine soon, and I've noticed those guys often did 10 plus exercises per workout.
Hey alex, a year ago I injured my lower back deadlifting and since then I have not been able to get back to squatting without it messing my back up, deadlifts are actually therapeutic for my back nowadays. Anyways, the question is: can unilateral leg exercises replace all types of squats/leg presses? Also, what would the strength standards for walking lunges be? Oh, and is there a general squat to lunge strength ratio?
Hi Mr Alex, I have currently been pushing myself doing pull ups and lately anytime i near my limit i get spasms in the deep muscles of the neck or upper trap fibres. Do you have any experience with this or know of any remedies for this ? When these spasms happen i have trouble moving my head from side to side or looking downwards. Much appreciated if you can help !!!
Yo Alex, what's your view on 6x a week 20min workout, and also 2:1 ratio for weeks working out/resting, ive heard this gives the same results as continious training
I’ve been working out around a herniated disc for years, but recently the sciatica came back with a vengeance and I’ve only been able to train a few times a month. Despite the injury I achieved a 365 high bar squat, 300 total weighted pull up, 155 barbell curl clean, one arm pull up for reps, 405 trap dead and 265 bench without directly training it. Wanted to thank you for all you’ve provided to the global community with your channel. Can’t train as much as I want to but I’ll always tune in for new Alex content 🍻
Struggling with arm hypertrophy, but the rest of my body is growing great. Thinking of changing my five day split from Push, Pull,rest, Legs, Push, Pull, rest to Push, Pull, rest, Shoulders and arms, Legs, Chest and Back, Rest Would love to know your thoughts on this switch.
Alex one thing I’ve noticed about your training, is that you have MASTERED the art of knowing when you will hit failure and staying 1 rep away from it. Your grinders are crazy
Thank you Michael and I'm happy you mentioned this!! That's correct, I can gauge it with about 90-95% accuracy. I would have to credit the Max Effort method for that, I know my limits and have developed the ability to strain. This process took yearsssss though.
@@AlexLeonidas
You are literally a human strength training encyclopedia. Thank you so much for the knowledge you constantly share with us. "Knowledge in youth, is wisdom in age".
Thank you brother!
@@AlexLeonidas Most welcome, undoubtedly well deserved! Much respect!
These q and a’s are great cause you get so much information from even just one answer to a question, great content as usual brother!
Thank you Michael, doing my best to cover lots of details and enhance the viewing experience!
Just finished the video and you always kill it bro, and thank you as a natty you help my training so much
Bro your deadass an overachiever and I am inspired by your passion for fitness , thanks for your enthusiasm and information take care man.
My man, I appreciate you for that.
Hey Alex can you do a full week training vlog? The entire training session (mostly) uncut, everything included from entering your home gym to warmups, stretching, setting up gear and taking breaks, basically the complete full picture. I think it could give great perspective on the true raw reality of things and gives a super clear & complete overview that's relatively rare to see on TH-cam in its entirety (e.g training duration timewise). I'd be interested personally (also considering how your training methods & exercises have evolved over the years).
(Alternatively you could also do the same idea as above but with cuts in between while making mentions of the time on the clock so as to still get a clear impression of time duration (although i do still see value in completely uncut and i think it would be unique))
You could just set up a camera somewhere w complete gym overview (or multiple if youre feeling ambitious, for different angles) and let it roll for however long your complete trainings take. Or for all i know you could even stream it and read chat during set breaks e.g. (if it won't ideally impede your normal training regiment focus time & exercise selection)
yeah this would be really nice
100% interested in the new novice program, and possibly a 4 day split
4 days isnt enough
@@stopplzs 4 days is more than enough if you're training hard enough and eating right.
@@stopplzs Alex trained 2x full body a week, 4x is enough.
make ur own program dood
just go with gut feeling and u make gains
Same but 3day per week is my preferred frequency right now
The reason this guy keeps on progressing because of all the adaptations from different approaches in fitness (strength ,hyperthrophy, explosive movements, static response, specific, non specific etc) he understands fatigue to reward ratio, he knows different movements with the best strength curve to address his weakness..I have no doubt if he takes powerlifting seriously he can def break national records
Thank you for this, Ramon. That beautifully sums it up.
Really interested in a new novice program with more focus on hypertrophy ! Thanks Alex.
You are by far the most creative lifter willing to challenge old ideas great info keep it up bro!
I normally don’t like QA’s. But this one was solid. Good questions. And each answer has some depth. They could’ve been short segments too. So nicely done.
I appreciate that man, glad you enjoyed this Q&A.
Lookin great Alex, you have come a long way.
I have also noticed I maintain back strength when cutting, while at the pushing movements I become noticeably weaker.
But at what cost. He lost all his hair
I maintain back strength when bulking but at pushing movements I become weaker in calisthenics
Been following since damn near 2015 Alex, proud of the progress you deserve it! Would 100% be interested in you developing a new novice program!
Alex, when is the calisthenics program coming out? Really looking forward to that
Thanks for answering my question, Alex! Been using a mix of your down routines and Iron Wolf burpees to hit lower body and GPP at home.
Awesome man love these vids, burpees are looking solid and grats on hitting that one arm pullup again!
Definitely interested in a new novice program! Also, I assume you still stand behind the naturally enhanced program, correct? Do you plan on updating that book in anytime in the future?
Elbow popping during triceps exercises :
• Bench press : during eccentric, if I go further than 90 degree angle, there is popping
• Triceps rope pushdown : during eccentric, if I go up further than 90 degree, there is popping
• Dips : when I go down, if I go below 90 degree angle, there is popping
There is pain after the workout but not during.
Warming up with light triceps rope pushdowns helps a little but isn’t enough.
How can I solve this ?
Love the re-brand for you Alex!!!
Congrats again for 300k bro. Love the info and your replies to all my questions.
I don't know if you read comments from old videos, but, thank you for showing me the chest expander.
They taught me how to grind really hard my triceps movements and even my close grip bench, that last portion of the range of motion with the chest expander is magical.
would love to see the novice program!
These long form q&a vids always get me stoked. So many gems!
following your novice program right now! it is the first program that i ever followed in 30 years of training! Because of its appeal in so many ways. Yes , to me it is a gem! Thank you Alex!
Alex, would you do chest flies if you're already doing the adduction on ring pushups and ring dips?
Yes please, send us a new novice program !
I think the rebranding of the name of the channel is a great move, keep it up king
Alex , if you have the space would you consider to get a functional trainer , or some attachments, rings and the rest of your equipment are just enough. For your training goals . Im building my home gym and wants some opinions about cable machines.
Hey Alex, What are your thoughts on Matt Wenning saying benching in a straighter line and having a more Triceps dominant bench is better for longevity
They did a podcast together
@@drinkinouttacups2665 I know and I've watched it before. But I'm wondering what Alex thinks since his bench is elite and he knows about longevity
The name Alex Leonidas gives ADONISSSSSSSS vibes.
He's from the Mediterranean area in heritage, so it fits even more.
Adonis is Jewish ,Alex Leonidas is Greek
The only common thing between them is the Mediterranean sea
@@ΝικοςΜπελλος-τ7π the legend though was Greek
@@ΝικοςΜπελλος-τ7π Adonis = Hebrew origins
is just a theory
@@velsria1 how do you mean
Alex, my go-to rows at the moment are Meadows Row (flared elbow for thickness) and 1-arm Landmine row (elbow close to target lats), am I missing on gains? Are these 2 a viable rowing options?
Alex, do you train Tibilialis Anterior and Serratus Anterior? If so, which exercises do you do?
Hey Alex, when can we expect your new novice program? :)
Hey bro, im an intermediate and just started a new job which has me working 6 days a week 10 hours a day...
I can only fit int 4 45 minute workouts a week in my schedule. How would you go about doing that? Im coming from a ppl split where i would smash all of the accessories and ive always been trying to be as optimal as possible, as i am not a big fan of minimalism. but it seems minimalism is the way to go for me now...
question is: how can i optimise minimalism? compound fullbody workouts and ignore accessories? dont wanna lose all my gains, idk ive been overanalysing all of this too which doesnt help... thank u bro keep up the awesome work
omg I really love the fun way u making your videos) Keep it up man best wishes form Ukraine! I'm also trying to make some home workout guides here so your videos are huge inspiration for me
Alex, what do you think of the Super Squats program? More precisely the Squat aspect of the program.
I’ve been trying it out and have seen tremendous quad gains. I have also noticed that it helped me pinpoint my weakness during squatting.
Thanks!
Hi Alex, is there a better exercise than stomach vacuums for the transverse abdominis? Love your content and the work you put out
Specifically to address flared ribs
Hey Alex can you give some approximate conversions between good morning rep work and deadlift 1RM? You convinced me to do good mornings and they’ve revolutionized my leg training. Keep up the great content
For context I’m at 185 3x10 and wondering when I‘ve got the posterior chain strength to pull 500. Thanks!
I’m using 155 for rep work and can only pull just under 4 plates so id say 225 for rep work is a safe goal
Hey Alex, I’ve been doing RDLs any standards for them for a massive hamstrings and glutes
Man Iron Wolf is madman. I don't understand how someone can do burpees for 2 hours.
Man his endurance is on a completely different level, I've been trying to match him but I'm so far away. Amazing what serious long term training can do.
Crazy how anyone would ant to unless for competiton
@nicholas ingratta there's no harm in being able to exert yourself for extremely long periods of time, if anything it's a sign that your body is absolutely working to its best capacity.
Hey Alex, this one doesn't have to go into the next video. Might not benefit a lot of people but
Can you recommend a minimum length of rope for rope pull based workouts? I want to buy one but don't have a lot of disposable income (teenager in school and all). I don't wanna buy one too short and have it be a waste of money, but I also don't want to overspend on one longer than I'll ever need to use. I plan on using it for both strength and GPP like work with somewhat longer set durations if that helps.
Also, are thicker ropes (1" - 2" diameter) worth the money over just a thinner one (like maybe jump rope level thick) with gloves? I'd really like to know what I could get away with before make the investment. Especially in my country.
What do you think about lower traps isolation? are they important at all?
What about serratus anterior training?
Yo Alex, have you ever considered doing arm-wresling again? You got the build for it! Thanks for the content, cheers from Hungary!
Would definitely like a video on replacement for unilateral rectus femoris exercises. I despise most free-weight unilateral work
I would die for your new novice program especially if it's more weighted calisthenics focused
Hey alex I'm trying to increase my volume but i don't have time for doing more than 3 sets per exercise I'm doing cluster sets for some isolation exercises & higher reps do you think that is an effective way to increase volume for the goal of building muscle thank you for answering my questions
I can't depress my shoulder blades down & back in fluid motion when I go up in Pull-Ups no matter how hard I try bruv(thus not engaging my back properly at all).. Any solution for this @Alex..??
Alex!
When the literature suggest 10-20 sets a week per bodypart might be optimal for hypertrophy, how specific is this? For example: 10-20 sets for each anterior-, lateral- and rear delts OR 10-20 sets for 'delts'? 10-20 sets for rhomboids, traps, teres, etc. and lats OR 10-20 sets for 'back'?
Also, do I count my flat and incline pressing towards front delts too? and my upperback biased pull-ups towards lats?
I know there are multiple ways of counting volume, I did actually watch dr. Mike's video on this topic. My question however remains: How do I have to count if I want to be in that 'optimal' 10-20 range?
Hey Alex, I just got some olympic rings and have two questions.
1. What’s your opinion on the body weight leg curl and elevated bridges with rings? Do you think these would be comparable to banded good mornings for example?
2. Is there any hypertrophic benefit to doing RTO ring push ups and dips?
Love the content, keep at it!
Hey Alex, as always really great points in the video! I was wondering what do you think about EMOM Training in the context of strenght building. Ill give you an example. Lets say I can do 5-6 handstand push ups against the wall. If I do 3sets x 5 with 3min rest between sets ill have in total 15reps performed and the last reps wont be as clean cos of the higher intensity. Now if I lets say do half of the reps with higher sets x lower reps for ex: 10sets x 2reps with 1min rest ( EMOM) I will have performed 20reps in 10min with cleaner form. Until what number of reps do you thing I can milk this method??
Alex, I'm interested in the new novice program. Could you have a video on it ?
Did you ever have problems with muscle knots. If so, how did you get rid of them?
Love your content keep it up!
Alex when do you recommend starting weighted calisthenics and also would it be better to gain normal weight or get a weighted vest?
Hey Alex, I'm currently running your novice program. I'm constantly getting sore in my adductors even though I'm squatting three times a week. What do I need to do to stop getting DOMS? Also, is it ok to run your novice program with 8-10 reps? Thanks.
hi Alex do you think Is okay for a beginner to change exercise every week (even accessories) While using max effort method?
Hey Alex! I've been following your recommendation of 3 week waves, adding volume each week before rotating movements. I was just wondering, is it better to add volume for the main lifts, or the accessory lifts? Or both?
Love the channel. Regards from NB, Canada
Hi Alex, I usually work long hour, and when I get back home my brain is just done. I still can workout, but I feel less energy than before (My physical being is fine, but the mindset is just not there). Do you have any tips ? Currently I workout 6 times a week. About 1 hour each sessio . I do regular barbell training, kettlebell and regular bodyweight exercises. Thank you
Hi Alex, thanks a lot for the info you put out there: I have a question on your answer regarding good mornings. You said that as an hypertrophic exercise, deadlifts (or any hip hinge variation) are far for optimal specifically considering the STF ratio. However I remember in one of your previous video that you explained that your back grew by doing only rack pulls and weighted pull ups. I am a bit lost on it since I just started incorporating more hip hinge variation for the overloading effect but don’t want to completely impair my recovery (I am on a PPL+FB, so 4x/week). What would you recommend?
Alex thanks for the Q&A, lots of great info! and by the way I hopped on your NE program, started it in September this year and i can see the gains in strenght and size ways it blows my mind! I even diverted a little bit from my Calisthenics workout for the winter just for your program, I trusted You and the process and it really shows ;) thank you and I cant wait for your calisthenics plan !
Alex! When will your specialized calisthenics program be released? Its close to 2023 and can’t wait for it 💪🏽 cheers
yes to the new novice program! currently running the OG and results are insane 💪🏽
Hey Alex I have a question.
I have only been following your channel for about a year but I began training in 1983 and competed in drug free powerlifting from 1987-1991.
I was a pretty good deadlifter in my competitive days (685 meet deadlift) but never tried to train my traps directly and never did rack pulls.
I am always enjoying and learning from your channel and I began doing rack pulls above the knee to train my traps and found them very effective.
Your name is regularly associated with rack pulls and sometimes in a negative connotation like possibly you overemphasized rack pulls for a while or something?
Not sure but you did mention in a more recent yoke training video that some of your viewers didn’t care for your older yoke training.
Can you explain what the controversy was about?
I get the idea you still believe they are very effective but you either don’t do them as much anymore or you don’t talk about it much because of the controversy or you no longer believe they are as effective?
Thank you and always learning from you Alex.
Hey alex , i've been stuck on 127.5kg/280LB(66kg bw) on bench for the last 4 months , my goal is to get x2 BW bench PR , I do a powerlifting plan , so no concurrent period./not maxing out every week , I do not wanna bulk cz i think it will be harder to get the x2 BW bench (i think) ,any tips/thoughts?
Follow up to the question about good mornings re leg day/back day.
Would it be good to do high or even ATK rack pulls instead of deadlifts or good mornings along with rows and weighted pull ups? Then do the conventional deadlifts etc on leg day?
Good question. Yes, that would make sense from a blending standpoint. Though I'd still say conventional on the leg day isn't as good as an RDL/good morning. Especially since you already got the overloading effect from rack pulls earlier.
Great content man. Always gain wisdom from these.
Hey Alex absolutely love your content. My question is if my main area of focus is handbalance 5-6 days a week. Do you believe a minimalist approach each day after my handstand practice would be good for muscle growth? So with my stretching and handstands it take about 1.5 hours. If I have 30 minutes to spare do you think a few upper body movements several times a week and several lower body movements the other days would help ? Sorry hope that makes sense tried to make it short.
Hey Alex when is you calisthenics program coming out?
Alex, about the overhead press, I'm 16 and recently at 215 I recently was able to do 225 for 5s for 4 sets on it (strict, standing) will I have any carryover to Bench? I haven't attempted an all out 1rm in a while on it.
You're fu**ing huge for 16 bro! 😧
@@thesmartguy3523 thank you lol I try my best!
Hi Alex, as far as minimalist neck training goes, have you seen Matthew Zlat's method? He literally just places his chin over the bar when doing weighted vertical pulls, and allows his neck flexors to take some of his weight.
Wanted to hear your thoughts on this, especially since you do a bunch of weighted calisthenics already.
Thanks for all the Q&A wisdom
Hey Alex, about the question on Split Squats, would you suggest to still not include them if the intended focus is developing glutes rather than quads?
Hey Alex do you think arm day can have its place or is it too Broish? Lets say I train 4 times a week (upper /lower) but I wouldnt do any isolation work of arms on one upper body day and instead I would do jsut arms the next day after one upper body day(so the arm day would be just once a week and more volume/exercises on that day and the first exercise would be treated like main exercise) while the second day would be just normally on the second upper body day which would be just one biceps/triceps exercise after main upper body compound exercises. So one day in a week would be focused on arms.
Funny you mention this Marko because that's EXACTLY how I've been training. You're smart for these details 💪💪💪💪
@@AlexLeonidas Wow thats amazing. This pretty much answers my question.
Hi Alex, in your past videos you have recommended rotating variations when progress stalls. In general, when using double progression how many workouts without progress would you go before switching out the movement. I feel like rotating the exercise as soon as you do not progress (eg. Week 1 8-8-7 Week 2 Still 8-8-7 Week 3 Switch Exercise) does not factor in possibilities such as lack of sleep, form misgrooves, slower gains as an intermediate or advanced lifter and other external factors. Hope this question makes sense and I appreciate your content.
What’s your opinion on replacing regular squats with box squats? How much gains (if any) would you be leaving on the table?
Hey Alex, been following for over a year now. Love your growth and content brother. On a cut, would one's weighted dip increase due to loss of fat, or decrease due to loss in chest, shoulder, tricep size?
Hey Alex! Do you have any recommendations for unilateral lat work? I've managed to build one side well, but the other is lagging far behind.
Hey Alex, big fan love your work! Theres something i havent been able to figure out for a while, I'm a pretty muscular guy, bear mode, kinda big, BUT I'm actually pretty weak when it comes to my upper body, specifically my bench and bicep work. How big i am and how strong i am don't correlate. Is there a reason for this? I know im doing something wrong
Hey Alex in your opinion can you build decent legs with a pair of dumbbells?
Hi Alex thank you for these Q&A's, my question is what could be the cause of lower part of scapula sticking out while in a depression(after I lost a lot of weight) could it be muscles not firing properly and if so how should I approach fixing it?
Hey Alex! What are your thoughts on running the Max Effort Method in a 3 week wave a couple times before swapping the wave? So you're still changing the lift weekly but for only 3 weeks. Then after 2-3 cycles you can change the 3 week wave with 3 new movements. So you get to hit the same lift every 3 weeks but for only 2-3 cycles.
Hey Alex. My question is how do you break past the intermediate stage? I have hit 315 bench, 425 squat and 495 deadlift, but i dont know how adapt the training aspect as im getting closer to the early advanced stage and take the gains to the next level.
Hi Alex! I'm super curious about your opinion on Jeff Nippard's recent video about minimalist training. I know you are an advocate for 10-20 sets per body part per week so I'm interested in what you think about doing 3-4 very hard sets and sometimes even 1 set per body part like Jeff laid out in his new essentials program. Congrats on 300k!
Hey Alex, do you think one could utilize 3 to 5 exercises per session but utilizing exercise rotations can be a good way to be minimalistic but without the pitfalls of overuse and plateuing? Particularly for those who do sports or other things. I do MMA
Love your content brother. I have been working on getting my pulls up. Recently hit 4x6 with just my body weight @72 kg. Should I consider adding weights to pull ups now or progress further with only my body weight?
I saw your 6 x 6 against Stuart Broad
Thoughts on power shrugs vs snatch high pulls for getting yolked?
23:00 i was wondering if I could get Ur opinion on a program I made with this whole thing in mind.
It's basically push, pull with posterior chain, quads and arms, push, pull, legs and arms. Arms include biceps, forearms and only the longhead of the tricep.
First push day is a calisthenics focus push session with chest, medial lateral heads of triceps. So 4 sets slow pushups, 3 sets close grip, dumbell flies (not sure if I need them), one of those pushups that resemble the JM press and some lu raises and calves. I thought of doing this type of session for less fatigue for the deads.
Then the following day is 2 sets of deadlifts, preferably heavy tho I realised I've gone way too light and even got past 15 reps on the weights available, then 3 sets of frog stance rdls, then some wide grip pull-ups, pullovers, a mix between a drag curl and a Yates row. Calves and neck are sprinkled here and there in supersets as well as ham curls. Legs the day after is just sissy squats with hammer curls and ez bar curls, overhead extensions and forearm stuff
The next push session has weights, dumbell press, seated dumbell ohp, incline press, ez bar JM press with lu raises and calves.
The next pull has chins, chest supported rows, upright rows and another variation of pullovers with calves and nek. This doesn't have posterior chain cos of the next day
The legs session I do after that has 3 sets bulg squats, only 2 sets Romanian deads and 2 sets of a variation of the box squat natural hypertrophy showed in his glute exercises but I just grab the bar underneath me. I superset it all with front dumbell curls, curls behind the back on the bench and dumbell overhead extensions with forearm stuff. Nordic curls are also done. What do u think about this type of programming to fit the deadlifts in?
Here here for new novice program!
Hey Alex, wondering what your thoughts on using bands and chains on barbell rows? Unique stimulus or a waste of time? Cheers from Yorkshire!
With reverse bands it might be a smart idea!
Hey Alex, my OHP is at 55kg for 5 (standing) and my progress on it has been moderate I miss reps here and there but never had any stalls. However, my bench press is at 67.5kg for 5rm, I am currently running a 5x5 program that has me benching and oh pressing twice every 8 days. I also eat in a surplus, sleep like a king, and hydrate myself, I also do assistance lifts like close grip and tricep isolations. But still, my bench keeps stalling everytime i add a measly 2.5kg on the bar. I am @86kg body weight.
If you're doing everything well is just waiting bro, you should see a breakthrough very soon
Hey Alex, what are some strength standards for lying hamstring curls for 3 sets of 10? I can't seem to find much online. Thanks!
How many exercises do you do per session? I'm going to transition into a silver era style full body routine soon, and I've noticed those guys often did 10 plus exercises per workout.
Hey alex, a year ago I injured my lower back deadlifting and since then I have not been able to get back to squatting without it messing my back up, deadlifts are actually therapeutic for my back nowadays.
Anyways, the question is: can unilateral leg exercises replace all types of squats/leg presses?
Also, what would the strength standards for walking lunges be?
Oh, and is there a general squat to lunge strength ratio?
Congrats on 300k Alex! I was wondering what your thoughts were on replacing barbell flat bench with barbell incline bench as a main movement? Cheers!
Alex, what was your squatting frequency on your way to squatting 507?
BRO THE VIDEO FREQUENCY 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🔥🔥🔥
Hey Alex do you see yourself selling programs again? Keep up the great content
What recourses would you recommend to improve your knowledge about strength training (books podcast yt)?
Hi Mr Alex, I have currently been pushing myself doing pull ups and lately anytime i near my limit i get spasms in the deep muscles of the neck or upper trap fibres. Do you have any experience with this or know of any remedies for this ? When these spasms happen i have trouble moving my head from side to side or looking downwards. Much appreciated if you can help !!!
epic leg curl setup
Yo Alex, what's your view on 6x a week 20min workout, and also 2:1 ratio for weeks working out/resting, ive heard this gives the same results as continious training
I’ve been working out around a herniated disc for years, but recently the sciatica came back with a vengeance and I’ve only been able to train a few times a month. Despite the injury I achieved a 365 high bar squat, 300 total weighted pull up, 155 barbell curl clean, one arm pull up for reps, 405 trap dead and 265 bench without directly training it. Wanted to thank you for all you’ve provided to the global community with your channel. Can’t train as much as I want to but I’ll always tune in for new Alex content 🍻
No excuses!!!!! Got some solid general strength and better legs than most people who are injury free. Cheers to always being a warrior 🍻
@@AlexLeonidas Exactly brother, ran squats and milk to build them there. I’ll be fully back in the temple of iron in time ⚔️
Struggling with arm hypertrophy, but the rest of my body is growing great. Thinking of changing my five day split from Push, Pull,rest, Legs, Push, Pull, rest to Push, Pull, rest, Shoulders and arms, Legs, Chest and Back, Rest
Would love to know your thoughts on this switch.