I started doing weighted dips back in college because all of the benches were constantly taken, the movement is no joke and the gains are too real. super underrated movement
@@ronburgandy7571 yeah I don't own a bench. I do ohp and I started doing landmine press to get more upper pec gains since dips are quite lower/mid pec dominant. I haven't benched in over a year.
@@AlexLeonidas OHP movement always made more sense to my brain than bench, so I sticked with it. But once I got bench form down, weights that I used to struggle with started flying. Now I'm focusing on pec development which is my weakest link in the bench press.
Same here. I strict ohp 92.5kg before I benched 100kg lmao. My bench is awful, it's something I'm just not very good at even with great form, great training methods etc. Yet my ohp strength has always been a natural gift even from day one of training.
Micha Schulz is another great example of a weighted calisthenics athlete who can hit a fairly big bench for not training it much. Competes in weighted dip competitions and benched 145kg after doing Planche work
That dude trains bench regardless of what he tells ppl. I just saw the vid bc I'm always interested in those types of stories. His technique is almost impeccable, you don't achieve that just with general strength but practicing the movement. Bench is probably one of the lifts in which technique deteriorates the fastest
Then again, you could make the case that an optimal test of carry-over strength from non-benching movements to benching requires atleast a few weeks of doing the bench itself, to get the technique down. It's still a legit showcase of carryover because you don't get super strong in a few weeks. I'm sure Micha didn't do heavy benching for months on end before attempting 145kg.
@@Wiizardii still. I think what this guy does is using bench as an accesory to dips, instead of the other way around. I know this bc I do it myself. His technique is to crisp for me to believe that he just peaked after a few weeks of benching. I'm not saying the carry over isn't there but for sure it's not just carry over without training the lift
@@rodrigodelgado4766 Bench isn't a technical lift unless you're arching to the max and using a max width grip. I bench with a medium-close Grip, and even after 18+ months of only Pushups, whenever I occasionally go to a gym when a friend invites me, ie once every few months, I have perfect form. Recently I broke my Rep PR for 100Kg on Paused Bench, went from 5 reps to 10 reps. Before this session, 7 months no Gym, only Push-up variations and weighted Pushups as my Chest exercises. Once you learn the form, it never goes away, it's like riding a bike, of course barring a long layoff where you stop training anything at all (which isn't the case in Calisthenics athletes). 😊
Alex is spot on with this! When I injured my AC joint, I pretty much had to stick with OHP (oddly didn't hurt my AC), Floor Presses and Weighted Close and Reverse Grip Push Ups. It took months but my AC joint finally got better and I broke past a bench plateau that I previously had. Strength is strength!
Finally, someone who knows about Bill Starr. I have his Strength Training for Football book. That guy provided better information than 90% of people in the fitness industry, even by today's standards.
@@EnkiriElite Yeah, exactly what I'm talking about. I'm fortunate to have two copies of that book since it's nearly impossible to find for a reasonable price these days. It's going for upwards of $300/400 these days.
Never been a fan of regular benching myself. Always found it weird for my built and I'm pretty obsessed with shoulders so I focused on OHP and dips for pushing movements over the last 2 years. Results have been insane in terms of aesthetics, but also my bench has gotten so much stronger than the last time I did it. I only test it once in a while to see where I'm at and I'm at a good level for somebody who doesn't bench at all. Not even dumbells which I liked in the past. Heavy weighted dips and OHP really builds your body for one, but also gives you that general strength to go with it.
@@Ac-he1mg Well, I have pics from when I started and today, but those are not appropriate for comparison between dips and bench. I started training long ago.
well this is a relief for me because everytime I bench the wrist pain just feels really uncomfortable and for some reason doing OHP instead does not aggravate pain to such a great extent.
When I had a very minor pec strain I stopped benching entirely and got my dumbbell overhead press from 55 lb db’s for 6 reps up to 75 lb dumbbells for 6. My bench before the strain was 225 for 5, afterwards recovering and no training chest for 3 months I got 225 for 8. Alex is spot on right here.
@@rafaeldutra7739 I think my potential was suffering because I would always do OHP after bench when my front delts were already gassed out. My best guess is that they were stronger than I had previously thought but never gave them the time of day. Thus, by training them hard and as my only pushing movement I got some decent strength gains.
I focused on weighted calisthenics for most of the pandemic, I built up to 135 “3 plates” for 5 on weighted dips. The other day I was squatting and realized it’d been a year since I had done barbell OHP, I repped 135 out for 11 and more in the tank, my shoulders are stronger than they’ve ever been and I do zero overhead pressing just weighted dips. To me the weighted dip is the greatest press of all time, building up chest shoulders triceps to maximum levels, while having carry over to all other presses. A couple years ago I was working a job that had me on the road living in hotels, I would go to the hotel gyms and do hundreds of dips, I would come home every other weekend and hit incline bench prs lol to me the dip/weighted dip is one of the greatest lifts of all time
Alex idk if u will see this Tbh man, thank you so much for giving me so much knowledge for free that has helped me so much in my journey. I can express nothing but gratitude. Please keep doing what your doing and never stop.❤️
That's why calisthenic is so underrated. With basic or no equipment you can reach advanced level of strenght. Imagine doing Full or Pseudo Planche Pushups and 45 down pushups, bro, i talk for experience. Your dips will be insane and that by default guarantee a strong bench
The reason calisthenics is underrated is because it can’t be marketed. How are they gonna sell you your own bodyweight? Only thing I can think is gymnastic rings but that is nothing in comparison to the amount of equipment that can be sold to you with free weight stuff.
@@unnaturalatrophy5377 Weird how calisthenics is not that popular in my country, a small southeast Asia country. In here, the fitness trend is riding bicycle, which cost a lots of money lol.
I'm thankful to live in Texas where only the clowns wear masks to signal their virtue and rest of state is completely scamdemic free. Gyms have been open for almost an entire year now. I'm truly sorry to all of you gym brothers and sisters.
@@AlexLeonidas Great video, I do OHP, close grip bench press, and french presses as my bench press supplement and all of those lifts are going up every week since I'm doing all 4 on a 3 day full body split 🔥
Last year I followed your advice no bench just dips and ohp and in age of 39 after few months without bench I did my life best bench it was so great thanks man.
Alex you’re a great example for young men. I think a lot of people, myself included would love to hear more about your mindset, habits, success principles, etc.
For a 145lb guy what would you say the ratios are for the major lifts (beginner, intermediate, advanced, elite) Bench: Deadlift: Squat: Overhead Press: Bicep Curl:
Love this video. Haven’t trained bench in 4 years and hit 265 just from a few months of weighted dips. Trying to hit 315 without doing any bench variations
I dip anywhere between 3 and 4 plates, in addition to building up more advanced ring strength variations. I remember when gym bros let me join in on a bench session one day, and remember having a full-blown discussion on proper cues of the bench while I'm slowly moving 275lbs around for reps Strength is strength
Very informative. I need to take ohp more seriously! Can you make this into a series? So a video like this for improving squat, deadlift and other big exercises without actually doing them?
Focusing just in strenght for now and im really surprised that you didn't mentioned rows,pull ups, lat pulldowns and pulling exercices in general they helped me a lot for my bench (incline)
when i first started lifting my bench was my strong point (im only 5’9” with very short arms) and it shot up quick. then i injured my shoulder during OHP and had to take a break from the gym. when i came back i stayed away from barbell excercises OHP and bench specifically, got real strong with dumbell (incline) bench and dumbell shoulder press (strong than prior to the injury) but neither of these seemed to have much carry over to my barbell bench or barbell OHP when i revisited them after my shoulder stopped feeling weird. for me at least it seems like i need to get good at an excercise and be consistent with training it to see improvements in that lift. i have seen this with squats, OHP, bench, deadlifts. only body part that i seem to get stronger no matter what the excercise is in my back. just my personal experience. great video alex thanks for the content.
Amazing video my man, ça me rappelle ta vidéo "Be jacked with only 135 lbs" Tu m'as remotivé à m'y remettre il y a quelques semaines et je t'en remercie énormément! Je me suis acheté un peu de matériel et je compte faire ce programme, qu'en penses-tu? : Push 1: Weighted dips (3/5x3-5) OHP (3x8-12) Pushups (3xAMRAP) Behind the neck extensions (4x8-12)+Triceps extensions with a band Lateral raises+Face-pull+Crunch (3x15-30) Pull 1: Weighted chinups (3/5x3-5) Bodyweight pullups (3xAMRAP) Rowing with dumbell (3x8-12) Curl rotation (4x6-10) Rear delt flies+Face-pull+Crunch (3xAMRAP) Push 2: CGBP (3x4-8) OHP (3x8-12) Pushups (3xAMRAP) Skull crushers (3x8-12)+band extensions triceps Face-pull+Crunch (3xAMRAP( Pull 2: Pullups (10xAMRAP) Bent over rows (3x8-12) Curl EZ bar (3x8-12) Rear delt flies+Face-pull+Crunch (3xAMRAP)
I recently got back into my local gym and training. While training at home I was doing dumbbell over head presses and chest presses. Almost 10 months later, without training standard barbell bench I hit 170 lbs for 10 reps. Before my gym closed I was lucky to hit 135 for 10 reps.
Great video. IMO you picked the 3 top alternate pressing exercises that will blast up a flat bench. I was always a pretty strong benched, and had a year where I had no access to a gym and little expendable income. I had park close by with parallel bars, so I invested in a belt and plates. Lots of weighted pushups, dips and pullups. Not only did it do amazing things for my physique, but when I got back to the gym, my bench was actually stronger after a couple sessions of finding the groove!
Weighted dips + OHP combo is not overhyped. These two exercises build crazy mobility and carryover to many exercises. do all different variations too and gains will be off the charts
@@shaundias6313 I tried every other day for 2 months too and I felt fine. The frequency really allows you to progress fast, but doesn't beat you down necessarily. With dips you can go to failure a bit more often too, just the movement although a coumpound lift, it's not as taxing as bench. But I recommend different variarion for the every other day sessions. Maybe a standart dip for day A and a paused dip for day B and you can play with the rep ranges.
Hey alpha big fan of your channel. Can you give some tips on those people with poor shoulder health on how to exactly do a proper dip. I always feel pain whilst performing them but then again I might have been doing them wrong the whole time
Thanks for this advise, I feel ok now to stop benching, for some reason I hate doing bench but love OHP. My friend who is competitive bodybuilder told me that he doesn't know how much he can bench as for past 10 years he is only doing dumbbell presses, so I did my research and stumbled upon this video :D
Hey Alex, my max bench is over 350 and my ohp is up there as well, but my weighted dip is horrendous relative to a lot of other guys who bench around the same. While I don’t ever do this lift, so that could be the reason for it lagging behind, do you think bringing up the weighted dip would do much for my bench? I’ve started to implement it after watching this video but idk if it’ll have much carryover if my bench is already pretty high
I stopped benching for years due to shoulder issues, but I was still able to OHP. When I tried benching for the first time in years last year I was able to do above 300 for the first time in my life. However, I seemed to feel the bulk of the weight on my deltoids/triceps and I barely felt any of it in my pecs. Whereas when I used to bench all the time I mainly felt it in my pecs.
That's actually amazing!! Makes sense about the pecs too, so imagine what's possible if you do serious chest work with this current strength. More hardcore PRs would 100% occur.
Hey Alex, could you do a video about high rep pullups and dips with 10kg, 20kg, 16kg, 20kg and 32kg? These are usually the weights used when doing the high reps. In my opinion this type of training is not really talked about but i think it can be very effective to build strength as seen by elite calisthenics athletes and yourself. You have knowledge about this and for me it seems very interesting to know more information about, thanks.
Great vid as always, Alex! Could you give me some recommendations for what kind of home squat rack I should buy or which one you have? Looking to expand my home gym
I don't even train flat bench, If your goals are general strength and size I find it to be overrated and prefer weighted dips as a main movement. Because of lockdown I've been messing around with floor press and the carryover is strong for sure
Don’t forget accessories ! Triceps and all 3 heads of the shoulder are super important for all pressing. Also very important in order to prevent injuries. (Dips , behind the neck triceps, diamond pushups etc. )
59, just getting back to weight training. One thing I noticed is how much my push up routine added to my bench. I have been on and off the '100 push up challenge' for awhile, and even as I trained bench my push up count doesn't rise much, but if I really tuck into a push up routine, my bench jumps. Makes sense a heavy overhead press would help the bench. Besides, who doesn't also want a killer overhead press! Imagine if it was possible to bench 3 plates, but you could only shoulder press 95 pounds. I want to be strong all over. Cheers
What do you think about Weighted Pushups as a main lift? Dips feel VERY uncomfortable and Pushups with 2 and 3 plates have been a nice alternative for me. I do em in the air with the parallel bars, weight hanging. Thoughts? Surprised you didn't include them in the video
Not a problem, if you have the right setup (which sounds like you do) the carryover will be similar to weighted dips. Though the strength standards will be different.
I prioritise OHP. One exercise that’s most important to me. My goal is 100 kg/225 lb, currently at 80kg after a one month gap. Hopefully can achieve that goal. Also do close grip bench and incline bench
Alex. I spent about a year training my arms 2-3 a week. I’m tired of training arms and want my training to be all compound lifts. If I stop training arms, will they get enough stimulus from my compounds ( pull ups, bench, etc.) to maintain their size?
I dont know what is your experience, but my guess is that u can definitely maintain the size, maybe reduce it to once a week can actually help promote the growth
Totally opposite experience here. I decided to go for OHP/Dip specialisation for 12 weeks, no benching at that time. Before my 1rm bench was 150kg at 71kg body weight. I progressed OHP 1rm from 75 to 85, progressed weighted dip from 55 to 80 (!), then did a taper week for regular bench and my 1rm dropped to 132,5kg. No changes in body weight. I even tried to implement floor press for 4 weeks - also progressed from 137,5 to 155, after that my regular bench stayed at 132,5kg. So I would say it varies from a person to person, or at a certain level of strength is no longer applicable, as the more elite you are, the more regular bench you need to maintain your strength at this exercise.
I love the OHP a lot, but I have always done it with dumbbells, yet I see in your videos you are always doing them with a barbell. Do you find that barbell OHPs are just generally better than dumbbell OHPs?
Hey Alex, do you think weighted dead hanging is a good method to grow the lats? Is it dangerous if you build up to doing crazy weights? There's a video on TH-cam of someone doing ~700lbs
From a weighted stretch standpoint, possibly. Though maybe doing overloaded negatives would be a better choice. 700lbs sounds a bit intense.. heck even going in the 2-300s is destroying for most. That said, I've never attempted to push my limits on dead hangs so I can't make any strong statements.
It would seem to me weighted dips with the belt on your lower back is a great way to have serious back problems. Instead, maybe push down row machine or push forward row machine is better. At 185 bench, getting legs in shape for leg drive appears to be important.
Hi, Bro, I have been doing pistol squats 2 sets of 25 reps per leg 2-3 times a week. Recently I attempted 500 bodyweight squats: 250 150 100. Would high rep bodyweight squat develop my leg strength and endurance better or I should stick to pistol squats?
Hey Alex, got any tips on neck variations for a concurrent periodization type of program. I wonder if performing the same neck extensions and curls could cause overuse injuries in the future. Thanks in advance.
I firmly believe that you can get a solid bench press performance by mostly doing push-ups. Reason being: Both push-ups and bench press literally work the same muscle. Speaking from personal experience, my old 1RM was 185 lbs (84 kg) back in high school. Didn’t bench for years. It wasn’t until COVID hit and I started working out again and I began basing my training on calisthenics for the upper body. After almost an entire year of doing push-ups and a whole bunch of its variations, I became curious about what my new 1RM is. And come to find out I went from 185 lbs to 225 lbs (4x 45 lb plates on each side) and I haven’t done bench press even once.
Hey Alex! What are your thoughts on using cables instead of barbell or dumbbells for isolating triceps? Are they worse then using a BB or DB for skull crushers or extensions?
I personally love cables for tricep isolation, but the carryover is better with barbell/dumbbell extensions since the strength curve is more specific. For bodybuilding I would not worry about this though, and keep in mind you can always do both. These days I hit pushdowns first, extensions after. This way I get more out of less weight, with less elbow abuse.
Hey Alex, I am trying to improve my OHP and I was wondering if do you think it is a good idea to train it 3 times at week but when I get the chance, do it 2 times at day, once in the morning and the other at the night.
Thanks I just subscribed and saw your 8 bench press tips from 7 years ago. Why did you turn comments off? Any bro scientists or educated personal trainers know if this guy is legit? Or where to start watching his best videos.
I love dips, but just buggered my shoulders a few weeks back, doing them. Kicking myself now. I am older and just back at it and got too enthusiastic. My chest has always been fairly strong, but my shoulders weren't up to it. I pushed a little too much. I tried going less deep, but then it is not a dip to me. I will revisit when i get my overall strength up. Younger guys dip away. Weighted dips 25 years ago were one of my all time faves.
Amazing. For a potential push day (PPL split), would it be fine to just do weighted dips and OHP consecutively as the prime movements (lateral raises, cables, etc as accessories)? Currently weighted dips at my prime push.
Since you're talking about weighted calisthenics athletes, I had to mention guys like Solo Nero and Ranjit from London, and of course french Baki who is a real monster. All of them have huge dip PRs and they have insane handstand pushups (equivalent to a really heavy OHP I guess). They have incredible shoulders and pecs
In my current home setup, the pins cant be setup at a correct height for floor press, i know you have mentioned before that pin presses can be a little tougher on your joints, can pin presses still provide the same benefit? Cheers alex
I've been putting ring dips / ring pushups in my programming for additional volume for my push work. Love doing a lot of OHP volume at the moment, and Z press is NO JOKE. :)
I started doing weighted dips back in college because all of the benches were constantly taken, the movement is no joke and the gains are too real. super underrated movement
Do you only do weighted dips instead of bench?
@@ronburgandy7571 yeah I don't own a bench. I do ohp and I started doing landmine press to get more upper pec gains since dips are quite lower/mid pec dominant. I haven't benched in over a year.
@@jtsandig ill have to look up a landline press. I’ve never heard of it.
@jordan Standig same for me, my college gym had one rack and for every thing and it was always taken so I started doing dips instead
So true, I didn't bench for 6 months. Just did weighted dips and my bench blew up quick while losing weight.
Shoutout to everyone who wishes their OHP was stronger lol
If you have the mobility, doing the btn press has helped me a lot with the main ohp.
@@nathan4243 too risky tbh
@@TheNetrunner_ Just like anything else, form is key. But if you go into anything with doubts, nothing will change.
The best I can do... is 10reps with the bar😔
I lost all kinds of overhead press strength out of nowhere and can’t get it back... I swear I blink and I lose 40 lbs on my presses :(
Legit. Did 185 for 3 reps on OHP before ever hitting 225 on bench. Then learned to bench properly and got 260 bench for 3 reps in one month.
That's CRAZYYYYY MAN!
@@AlexLeonidas OHP movement always made more sense to my brain than bench, so I sticked with it. But once I got bench form down, weights that I used to struggle with started flying. Now I'm focusing on pec development which is my weakest link in the bench press.
Same here. I strict ohp 92.5kg before I benched 100kg lmao. My bench is awful, it's something I'm just not very good at even with great form, great training methods etc. Yet my ohp strength has always been a natural gift even from day one of training.
@@DDB-91 same man, bench is my weakest lift at 105kg xD
Wtf
Micha Schulz is another great example of a weighted calisthenics athlete who can hit a fairly big bench for not training it much. Competes in weighted dip competitions and benched 145kg after doing Planche work
That dude trains bench regardless of what he tells ppl. I just saw the vid bc I'm always interested in those types of stories. His technique is almost impeccable, you don't achieve that just with general strength but practicing the movement. Bench is probably one of the lifts in which technique deteriorates the fastest
Then again, you could make the case that an optimal test of carry-over strength from non-benching movements to benching requires atleast a few weeks of doing the bench itself, to get the technique down. It's still a legit showcase of carryover because you don't get super strong in a few weeks. I'm sure Micha didn't do heavy benching for months on end before attempting 145kg.
@@Wiizardii still. I think what this guy does is using bench as an accesory to dips, instead of the other way around. I know this bc I do it myself. His technique is to crisp for me to believe that he just peaked after a few weeks of benching. I'm not saying the carry over isn't there but for sure it's not just carry over without training the lift
Valid point
@@rodrigodelgado4766 Bench isn't a technical lift unless you're arching to the max and using a max width grip.
I bench with a medium-close Grip, and even after 18+ months of only Pushups, whenever I occasionally go to a gym when a friend invites me, ie once every few months, I have perfect form.
Recently I broke my Rep PR for 100Kg on Paused Bench, went from 5 reps to 10 reps. Before this session, 7 months no Gym, only Push-up variations and weighted Pushups as my Chest exercises.
Once you learn the form, it never goes away, it's like riding a bike, of course barring a long layoff where you stop training anything at all (which isn't the case in Calisthenics athletes). 😊
You always provide content that is extremely relevant to the general trainee , especially during this time. With limited equipment
Alex is spot on with this! When I injured my AC joint, I pretty much had to stick with OHP (oddly didn't hurt my AC), Floor Presses and Weighted Close and Reverse Grip Push Ups. It took months but my AC joint finally got better and I broke past a bench plateau that I previously had. Strength is strength!
Now that's what's up!!
Finally, someone who knows about Bill Starr. I have his Strength Training for Football book. That guy provided better information than 90% of people in the fitness industry, even by today's standards.
Only the strongest shall survive! Bill starr was one of my idols as well!
@@EnkiriElite Yeah, exactly what I'm talking about. I'm fortunate to have two copies of that book since it's nearly impossible to find for a reasonable price these days. It's going for upwards of $300/400 these days.
Never been a fan of regular benching myself. Always found it weird for my built and I'm pretty obsessed with shoulders so I focused on OHP and dips for pushing movements over the last 2 years. Results have been insane in terms of aesthetics, but also my bench has gotten so much stronger than the last time I did it. I only test it once in a while to see where I'm at and I'm at a good level for somebody who doesn't bench at all. Not even dumbells which I liked in the past. Heavy weighted dips and OHP really builds your body for one, but also gives you that general strength to go with it.
I would like to do something similar. Do you have pictures of the progress that I can see?
@@Ac-he1mg Well, I have pics from when I started and today, but those are not appropriate for comparison between dips and bench. I started training long ago.
well this is a relief for me because everytime I bench the wrist pain just feels really uncomfortable and for some reason doing OHP instead does not aggravate pain to such a great extent.
1.) OHP
2.) Weighted Dips
3.) Floor Press
Bonus: add at least one tricep extension per workout.
I'd say, only tricep isolations needed are overhead ones or a pulldown with your elbows behind you. (long head stuff)
I think all other tricep mass can be got by pressing or some form of dip.
Also, weighted push ups
@@warriorstrength6797yes it’s good
When I had a very minor pec strain I stopped benching entirely and got my dumbbell overhead press from 55 lb db’s for 6 reps up to 75 lb dumbbells for 6. My bench before the strain was 225 for 5, afterwards recovering and no training chest for 3 months I got 225 for 8. Alex is spot on right here.
That's awesome man!!
@@AlexLeonidas thanks. My decision to emphasize OHP in that time was solely thanks to your videos. Keep up the great content, man.
Man, HOW did you manage to improve your dB shoulder press so much in only 3 months?
I'm stuck on the 55 lbs dB for 2 months.
@@rafaeldutra7739 I think my potential was suffering because I would always do OHP after bench when my front delts were already gassed out. My best guess is that they were stronger than I had previously thought but never gave them the time of day. Thus, by training them hard and as my only pushing movement I got some decent strength gains.
@@kylejarmolych Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.
Great tips as usual! Please do another one for squat and deadlift.
Definitely will!
@@AlexLeonidas hi can you do one on how to build size with only bodyweights
I focused on weighted calisthenics for most of the pandemic, I built up to 135 “3 plates” for 5 on weighted dips. The other day I was squatting and realized it’d been a year since I had done barbell OHP, I repped 135 out for 11 and more in the tank, my shoulders are stronger than they’ve ever been and I do zero overhead pressing just weighted dips. To me the weighted dip is the greatest press of all time, building up chest shoulders triceps to maximum levels, while having carry over to all other presses. A couple years ago I was working a job that had me on the road living in hotels, I would go to the hotel gyms and do hundreds of dips, I would come home every other weekend and hit incline bench prs lol to me the dip/weighted dip is one of the greatest lifts of all time
Now that's amazing!!
I got a 80kg OHP first time from just weighted dips too
What is the best acessory for weighted Dips???
BigDaddy tbh I was doing mostly just dips, weighted dips and push ups, pause bench and weighted dips go hand and hand though
@@tommydreamer101 Thanks man
Honestly I've watched a couple of your videos lately and man, you are basically the GOAT at making fitness videos.
Alex idk if u will see this Tbh man, thank you so much for giving me so much knowledge for free that has helped me so much in my journey. I can express nothing but gratitude. Please keep doing what your doing and never stop.❤️
That's why calisthenic is so underrated. With basic or no equipment you can reach advanced level of strenght. Imagine doing Full or Pseudo Planche Pushups and 45 down pushups, bro, i talk for experience. Your dips will be insane and that by default guarantee a strong bench
The reason calisthenics is underrated is because it can’t be marketed. How are they gonna sell you your own bodyweight? Only thing I can think is gymnastic rings but that is nothing in comparison to the amount of equipment that can be sold to you with free weight stuff.
@@tvhead7074 it needs more coaching than other stuff though.
Yeah especially high Rep calisthenics is underrated as fck. The Most ppl say thats endurance, but it's pure strength.
@@tvhead7074
I guess calisthenics is for minimalist broke people likes me lol
@@unnaturalatrophy5377
Weird how calisthenics is not that popular in my country, a small southeast Asia country. In here, the fitness trend is riding bicycle, which cost a lots of money lol.
perfect video. my stupid gym taped off all the bench presses for social distancing
Wtf. Thats so stupid
I'm thankful to live in Texas where only the clowns wear masks to signal their virtue and rest of state is completely scamdemic free. Gyms have been open for almost an entire year now. I'm truly sorry to all of you gym brothers and sisters.
@@brandon6101 you are lucky dude. I live in Canada, land Of the brain dead sheep......
I love your style of videos, informative and straight to the point.
Thanks Mikael, real recognize 👊
@@AlexLeonidas Great video, I do OHP, close grip bench press, and french presses as my bench press supplement and all of those lifts are going up every week since I'm doing all 4 on a 3 day full body split 🔥
Last year I followed your advice no bench just dips and ohp and in age of 39 after few months without bench I did my life best bench it was so great thanks man.
Alex you’re a great example for young men. I think a lot of people, myself included would love to hear more about your mindset, habits, success principles, etc.
Hi Alex.
We need more videos about low back strenght. Glute descompensacion etc.
Back troubles, etc.
Will do Cristian!
Alex, I’m so grateful for your channel and all the time, effort, and work you put into your videos. Seriously, thank you.
For a 145lb guy what would you say the ratios are for the major lifts (beginner, intermediate, advanced, elite)
Bench:
Deadlift:
Squat:
Overhead Press:
Bicep Curl:
i did only bench for 1 month it went up from 235 to like 255 and my ohp went up from 155 to 160 so yeah carryover is amazing between these lifts
Love this video. Haven’t trained bench in 4 years and hit 265 just from a few months of weighted dips. Trying to hit 315 without doing any bench variations
Film it when you achieve it please
@@tariqo16 For sure. I'll make a video and link it to this comment chain!
@@jack8998 have you tested your progress yet?
My pressing is stagnant as fuck right now. Thanks for this bro.
Tartaria
I dip anywhere between 3 and 4 plates, in addition to building up more advanced ring strength variations. I remember when gym bros let me join in on a bench session one day, and remember having a full-blown discussion on proper cues of the bench while I'm slowly moving 275lbs around for reps
Strength is strength
Always interested to hear what you say. Love your channel.
Very informative. I need to take ohp more seriously! Can you make this into a series? So a video like this for improving squat, deadlift and other big exercises without actually doing them?
Absolutely can brother.
Looking forward to it 👌🏾👌🏾
Your video timing is impeccable
Focusing just in strenght for now and im really surprised that you didn't mentioned rows,pull ups, lat pulldowns and pulling exercices in general they helped me a lot for my bench (incline)
Thanks Alex! Really learned something new!
when i first started lifting my bench was my strong point (im only 5’9” with very short arms) and it shot up quick. then i injured my shoulder during OHP and had to take a break from the gym. when i came back i stayed away from barbell excercises OHP and bench specifically, got real strong with dumbell (incline) bench and dumbell shoulder press (strong than prior to the injury) but neither of these seemed to have much carry over to my barbell bench or barbell OHP when i revisited them after my shoulder stopped feeling weird. for me at least it seems like i need to get good at an excercise and be consistent with training it to see improvements in that lift. i have seen this with squats, OHP, bench, deadlifts. only body part that i seem to get stronger no matter what the excercise is in my back. just my personal experience. great video alex thanks for the content.
Amazing video my man, ça me rappelle ta vidéo "Be jacked with only 135 lbs"
Tu m'as remotivé à m'y remettre il y a quelques semaines et je t'en remercie énormément! Je me suis acheté un peu de matériel et je compte faire ce programme, qu'en penses-tu? :
Push 1:
Weighted dips (3/5x3-5)
OHP (3x8-12)
Pushups (3xAMRAP)
Behind the neck extensions (4x8-12)+Triceps extensions with a band
Lateral raises+Face-pull+Crunch (3x15-30)
Pull 1:
Weighted chinups (3/5x3-5)
Bodyweight pullups (3xAMRAP)
Rowing with dumbell (3x8-12)
Curl rotation (4x6-10)
Rear delt flies+Face-pull+Crunch (3xAMRAP)
Push 2:
CGBP (3x4-8)
OHP (3x8-12)
Pushups (3xAMRAP)
Skull crushers (3x8-12)+band extensions triceps
Face-pull+Crunch (3xAMRAP(
Pull 2:
Pullups (10xAMRAP)
Bent over rows (3x8-12)
Curl EZ bar (3x8-12)
Rear delt flies+Face-pull+Crunch (3xAMRAP)
Agree 100%, rarely bench but had a new PR at 120KGs just by doing weighted dips 10 reps @ 40KGs and handstand push ups twice a week.
Always look forward to your vids, thank you!
I recently got back into my local gym and training. While training at home I was doing dumbbell over head presses and chest presses. Almost 10 months later, without training standard barbell bench I hit 170 lbs for 10 reps. Before my gym closed I was lucky to hit 135 for 10 reps.
Will definitely be adding floor pressing to my training. Thanks bro.
Great video. IMO you picked the 3 top alternate pressing exercises that will blast up a flat bench. I was always a pretty strong benched, and had a year where I had no access to a gym and little expendable income. I had park close by with parallel bars, so I invested in a belt and plates. Lots of weighted pushups, dips and pullups. Not only did it do amazing things for my physique, but when I got back to the gym, my bench was actually stronger after a couple sessions of finding the groove!
Definitely a unique video. Love your content.
Weighted dips + OHP combo is not overhyped. These two exercises build crazy mobility and carryover to many exercises. do all different variations too and gains will be off the charts
First time I hit 100kg for 2 reps PR on the bench was after the lockdown when the gyms were closed for a few months and i was dipping every other day.
What kind of reps or weight did you dip to hit a 100kg bench?
How was your recover if you were doing it every other day
@@fdsafsgrgsdg242 Interested too, to know your sets, reps and weight on weighted dips
@@shaundias6313 I tried every other day for 2 months too and I felt fine. The frequency really allows you to progress fast, but doesn't beat you down necessarily. With dips you can go to failure a bit more often too, just the movement although a coumpound lift, it's not as taxing as bench. But I recommend different variarion for the every other day sessions. Maybe a standart dip for day A and a paused dip for day B and you can play with the rep ranges.
Hey alpha big fan of your channel. Can you give some tips on those people with poor shoulder health on how to exactly do a proper dip. I always feel pain whilst performing them but then again I might have been doing them wrong the whole time
I really like your philosophie lesson today, bravo my friend, i wish your channel to expand even more
Ill come back to this thanks a lot! weighted dips how did I forget about that i cant use my equipment for 1 week now I know what im going to do
Always great advice dude!
I love the OHP much more than the Bench press; I use it as a the main lift on every upper body training
Same, feels more badass and manly
Thanks for this advise, I feel ok now to stop benching, for some reason I hate doing bench but love OHP.
My friend who is competitive bodybuilder told me that he doesn't know how much he can bench as for past 10 years he is only doing dumbbell presses, so I did my research and stumbled upon this video :D
Hey Alex, my max bench is over 350 and my ohp is up there as well, but my weighted dip is horrendous relative to a lot of other guys who bench around the same. While I don’t ever do this lift, so that could be the reason for it lagging behind, do you think bringing up the weighted dip would do much for my bench? I’ve started to implement it after watching this video but idk if it’ll have much carryover if my bench is already pretty high
I stopped benching for years due to shoulder issues, but I was still able to OHP. When I tried benching for the first time in years last year I was able to do above 300 for the first time in my life. However, I seemed to feel the bulk of the weight on my deltoids/triceps and I barely felt any of it in my pecs. Whereas when I used to bench all the time I mainly felt it in my pecs.
That's actually amazing!! Makes sense about the pecs too, so imagine what's possible if you do serious chest work with this current strength. More hardcore PRs would 100% occur.
Hey Alex, could you do a video about high rep pullups and dips with 10kg, 20kg, 16kg, 20kg and 32kg? These are usually the weights used when doing the high reps. In my opinion this type of training is not really talked about but i think it can be very effective to build strength as seen by elite calisthenics athletes and yourself. You have knowledge about this and for me it seems very interesting to know more information about, thanks.
Great vid as always, Alex! Could you give me some recommendations for what kind of home squat rack I should buy or which one you have? Looking to expand my home gym
This is right on and I think in general there is a ton of carry over from lifting to things like rowing even without even doing any rowing training
I don't even train flat bench, If your goals are general strength and size I find it to be overrated and prefer weighted dips as a main movement.
Because of lockdown I've been messing around with floor press and the carryover is strong for sure
Floor press and dips, my faves.
Don’t forget accessories ! Triceps and all 3 heads of the shoulder are super important for all pressing. Also very important in order to prevent injuries. (Dips , behind the neck triceps, diamond pushups etc. )
Now just wait for the squat and deadlift version, thanks for the video!
59, just getting back to weight training. One thing I noticed is how much my push up routine added to my bench. I have been on and off the '100 push up challenge' for awhile, and even as I trained bench my push up count doesn't rise much, but if I really tuck into a push up routine, my bench jumps.
Makes sense a heavy overhead press would help the bench. Besides, who doesn't also want a killer overhead press! Imagine if it was possible to bench 3 plates, but you could only shoulder press 95 pounds. I want to be strong all over. Cheers
Awesome video! 🔥🔥🔥
Good stuff man!
This is sick advise, gang!
You need to invest in a High/Low Cable Pulley system attachment to your rack. You can have your own plates or a stack of plates as the resistance.
Alpha please make a vid on bodyweight traps, no rings no dip bars.
Check this out homie!
th-cam.com/video/pqERUAZhmNg/w-d-xo.html&t
Uploaded: 8 seconds ago! Jeez I'm early! Any food vids coming soon bro?
Hopefully he makes a cooking/recipe/day of eating video
@@amkool6135 Yeah man I hope that too :D
he's a vegan isn't he?
@@omp365 I think so yeah!
@@socloseagain4298 yeah, avoid that.
What do you think about Weighted Pushups as a main lift? Dips feel VERY uncomfortable and Pushups with 2 and 3 plates have been a nice alternative for me. I do em in the air with the parallel bars, weight hanging. Thoughts? Surprised you didn't include them in the video
Not a problem, if you have the right setup (which sounds like you do) the carryover will be similar to weighted dips. Though the strength standards will be different.
I've always had pec tightness untill I saw your dips video and tried slingshot assisted dips as my main volume exercise this cycle
Pay this guy ! He giving us golden nuggets
I prioritise OHP. One exercise that’s most important to me. My goal is 100 kg/225 lb, currently at 80kg after a one month gap. Hopefully can achieve that goal. Also do close grip bench and incline bench
You got this bro, especially since you're also doing CGBP and inclines.
Thanks Alex. On the dip is there a lifting weight vs body weight standard? 1:1? 1:2?
Alex. I spent about a year training my arms 2-3 a week. I’m tired of training arms and want my training to be all compound lifts. If I stop training arms, will they get enough stimulus from my compounds ( pull ups, bench, etc.) to maintain their size?
I dont know what is your experience, but my guess is that u can definitely maintain the size, maybe reduce it to once a week can actually help promote the growth
@6:17 "regular bubble bench press" lol
Totally opposite experience here. I decided to go for OHP/Dip specialisation for 12 weeks, no benching at that time. Before my 1rm bench was 150kg at 71kg body weight. I progressed OHP 1rm from 75 to 85, progressed weighted dip from 55 to 80 (!), then did a taper week for regular bench and my 1rm dropped to 132,5kg. No changes in body weight.
I even tried to implement floor press for 4 weeks - also progressed from 137,5 to 155, after that my regular bench stayed at 132,5kg.
So I would say it varies from a person to person, or at a certain level of strength is no longer applicable, as the more elite you are, the more regular bench you need to maintain your strength at this exercise.
I love the OHP a lot, but I have always done it with dumbbells, yet I see in your videos you are always doing them with a barbell.
Do you find that barbell OHPs are just generally better than dumbbell OHPs?
Hey Alex, do you think weighted dead hanging is a good method to grow the lats? Is it dangerous if you build up to doing crazy weights? There's a video on TH-cam of someone doing ~700lbs
From a weighted stretch standpoint, possibly. Though maybe doing overloaded negatives would be a better choice. 700lbs sounds a bit intense.. heck even going in the 2-300s is destroying for most. That said, I've never attempted to push my limits on dead hangs so I can't make any strong statements.
Thanks.
I do OHP and dips already.
I'll add floor press to the mix.
It would seem to me weighted dips with the belt on your lower back is a great way to have serious back problems. Instead, maybe push down row machine or push forward row machine is better. At 185 bench, getting legs in shape for leg drive appears to be important.
Got my OHP from 185 to 225 and my bench stayed at 245 the whole time so it doesn't work for everyone
We need a video on doing dips the right way to prevent elbow pain because sometimes doing dips hurts
Do you think OHP and Ring dips are good combo as well ? Currently don’t have a dip bar but have rings.
Definitely bro! Ring dips are brutal, especially RTO style.
Use wrist wraps for rings when going weighted
Hey alpha. My outter quad bigger than right. What do you suggest for this. Or shouldnt i see this
Hi, Bro, I have been doing pistol squats 2 sets of 25 reps per leg 2-3 times a week. Recently I attempted 500 bodyweight squats: 250 150 100. Would high rep bodyweight squat develop my leg strength and endurance better or I should stick to pistol squats?
Hey Alex, got any tips on neck variations for a concurrent periodization type of program. I wonder if performing the same neck extensions and curls could cause overuse injuries in the future. Thanks in advance.
I firmly believe that you can get a solid bench press performance by mostly doing push-ups. Reason being: Both push-ups and bench press literally work the same muscle.
Speaking from personal experience, my old 1RM was 185 lbs (84 kg) back in high school. Didn’t bench for years. It wasn’t until COVID hit and I started working out again and I began basing my training on calisthenics for the upper body. After almost an entire year of doing push-ups and a whole bunch of its variations, I became curious about what my new 1RM is. And come to find out I went from 185 lbs to 225 lbs (4x 45 lb plates on each side) and I haven’t done bench press even once.
Is it possible that doing high volume push ups on a consistent will increase bench press?
YOU KNOW YOUR SHIT BIG DAWG!!!!
THANKS!
Hey Alex! What are your thoughts on using cables instead of barbell or dumbbells for isolating triceps? Are they worse then using a BB or DB for skull crushers or extensions?
I personally love cables for tricep isolation, but the carryover is better with barbell/dumbbell extensions since the strength curve is more specific. For bodybuilding I would not worry about this though, and keep in mind you can always do both. These days I hit pushdowns first, extensions after. This way I get more out of less weight, with less elbow abuse.
if you're weaker on floor press compared to bench what is the bottle neck?
these are great. i always wanted to specialize in the OHP
Hey Alex, I am trying to improve my OHP and I was wondering if do you think it is a good idea to train it 3 times at week but when I get the chance, do it 2 times at day, once in the morning and the other at the night.
Thanks
I just subscribed and saw your 8 bench press tips from 7 years ago. Why did you turn comments off?
Any bro scientists or educated personal trainers know if this guy is legit? Or where to start watching his best videos.
I love dips, but just buggered my shoulders a few weeks back, doing them. Kicking myself now. I am older and just back at it and got too enthusiastic. My chest has always been fairly strong, but my shoulders weren't up to it. I pushed a little too much. I tried going less deep, but then it is not a dip to me.
I will revisit when i get my overall strength up. Younger guys dip away. Weighted dips 25 years ago were one of my all time faves.
Amazing. For a potential push day (PPL split), would it be fine to just do weighted dips and OHP consecutively as the prime movements (lateral raises, cables, etc as accessories)?
Currently weighted dips at my prime push.
Oh for sure man, those two in one workout already got you covered. With the accessories that's just bonus :)
Enjoy the gains!
@@AlexLeonidas huge fan. Thanks man!
Thanks Alex, I hate the bench but people keep asking about it
Can i focus just on dumbell bench, ohp and triceps extensions and improve my barbell bench?
Since you're talking about weighted calisthenics athletes, I had to mention guys like Solo Nero and Ranjit from London, and of course french Baki who is a real monster. All of them have huge dip PRs and they have insane handstand pushups (equivalent to a really heavy OHP I guess). They have incredible shoulders and pecs
Baki do 100kg OHP like is nothing
In my current home setup, the pins cant be setup at a correct height for floor press, i know you have mentioned before that pin presses can be a little tougher on your joints, can pin presses still provide the same benefit?
Cheers alex
I've been putting ring dips / ring pushups in my programming for additional volume for my push work. Love doing a lot of OHP volume at the moment, and Z press is NO JOKE. :)
I am small sized guy, 5'5 60kgs, I managed to hit 100kg easily one rep without training it for a year, just weighted dips!
I didn't bench for years but did weighted Dips.
My first Bench was 260lb 😅
Insane bro!
Great video bro, I always look forward to watching your next one! Keep the great content coming and God Bless!
Dude your shoulders are looking massive!