10 years cancer free! When I stopped watching guys on gear my gains went through the roof. It led me to find Alex and those rack pulls are a staple on my back days now! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone out there!
The chest expander, together with daily dead hang stretches, are fixing a decade-long issue with shoulders that have severely impaired my squat, causing crippling biceps pain. The expander has literally changed my life, and I can’t thank you enough for promoting it.
Was the Biceps pain more like around the brachialis? Ive been noticing I get severe brachialis-like pain the upper body day after squats while doing pullups and bench. Really kills my gains. If its that, fixing your shoulders helped that?
@@luca934 I had severe brachialis pain during training for almost half a year last year. I thought it was tendonitis and stopped doing biceps/brachialis isolation. It turned out to be a trigger point, which I was able to fix within 2 weeks. I simply took a lacrosse ball and massaged the painful area myself while bending my arm with the help of the other to get deeper into the trigger point.
@@luca934 Yes, and down into the forearm. Adding muscle mass to the upper back to provide a proper shelf for the bar, and doing regular brachial hangs is helping. I still have some of the pain, it's just less than it was right now.
Hey Alex. I've been doing BTN presses for a while following your guidelines and my shoulders feel better than ever. I bench pain-free now and the reps feel a lot smoother. And BTN work was definitely a breath of fresh air as side raises were starting to feel a bit repetitive, so thanks a lot. Wishing you all the best!
How is your delt hypertrophy after doing BTN especially for side delts? I ditched side lateral raises and started doing BTNs a while ago but can't yet say anything about hypertrophy. But they really do feel good, I am doing them with 60kg/135lbs at the moment and my shoulders never felt better!
@@doml7750 a minor difference, the strength curve of bands is different, it gets way harder in the stretched position, than springs do. springs also get harder the more you pull, but it's different, it's like... bands are 2x as tough when stretched 10%, 5x as tough when stretched 20%, etc., whereas springs it's more like it's 2x as tough when stretched 10%, and 3x as tough when stretched 20%, etc. there's also the safety issue, bands are more likely to snap than springs are (though springs can malfunction as well). i've heard of people losing an eye when a band snapped and hit them in the eye. with springs, i never head of that, but i guess it's theoretically possible with them as well. best thing to do is wear goggles or similar when using either one just to be safe.
Can you do another video on chest expanders, and focus on how to add them into a lifting program? Say I do bench press twice a week, rows and pull ups once a week, legs once a week, biceps and triceps once a week, where does chest expander fit into that? Just as a finisher exercise? Or dedicate a whole workout to it?
Hey man! I'm not Alex but i have used the chest expander some time ago, and what i would tipically do is just to use it when working my rear delt or triceps as a replace for straight weight excersices. So, if you tipically do rear delt flies for your rear delt you would just swap the excersice for horizontal pull aparts one day and vertical pull aparts the other day. Sorry for the long text, hope that helps.
@dokoloco4559 I could read a book on it, so feel free to expand on that (see what I did) so how did you track your progress, would you hold the tension for a certain amount of time and then count the reps or just seek failure and do random combinations?
For someone who primarily does the canonical weight lifting techniques (olympic), the Lu raises are godsent, truly. I can finally do them without aggravating my shoulder issues using your specific technique/angle, thanks and appreciate your expertise!
Alex just want to say THANK YOU for consistently delivering some of the absolute best weight training information/content on all of youtube!!! Can't believe you give us these videos for free, your advice and info has helped me immensely and I can't thank you enough.
21:51 I bought the Baraban Chest Expander because of your videos a year ago and I still love it! No comparison to cheaper expanders! I am currently at 6 springs for 24 reps on incline pullaparts. Soon I will try 7 springs but I give my shoulder joints a little more time to adapt.
i have them too but rarely use them, mainly because i work out in the gym and bringing them to the gym seems like a hassle. but when i do home workouts, they are a part of it.
I'm curios about the incline pull aparts you mentioned, do do them seated on an incline bench or standing, and if you do them on a bench what's the angle you use?
@dokoloco4559 i'm not the original poster, but the way i do them is standing, at a 45 degree angle (halfway between an overhead pull apart and a chest height pull apart)
Yo, Alex! Thanks for making this. For the next Q&A, my question would be this: What are your thoughts on the 5x5 program and your experience using low volume, heavy weight for muscle and strength gain.
Alex, I got greedy on the lying leg curls a few weeks ago. I was doing full stack for 15+ reps so I decided to do full stack one legged for AMRAP. I did only one with my right leg, and then I tried with my left. On the lengthened, starting point I put all my force into the movement and I heard the hamstring fibers tear for about 1 full second, even though I had earplugs at max volume and I thought that I pulled them like in those cringy bicep tear videos because I felt them rupturing from the knee. They didn't pull like those videos but I stopped doing hamstring work because it still hurts a little bit. I'll start again once I recover but now, I have pain in my ass, next to the asshole (left side) whenever I do lunges or rotate to throw a left hook (boxing) and the pain radiates to my front left hip. What can I do? I dont care if it hurts massively I just want to be back. I can still back squat 210 kgs but I did hex bar deadlifts yesterday and Im hurting today
You have an injury. Seek professional medical help. Why are you looking for help from UA-camrs jfc. Alex is amazing, but he's not a doctor. Go get help.
@ would love to see it bro. I dabbled in cali for a couple months. If I start seeing you conquering those advanced moves, I might have to reconsider starting it again myself
Thanks for answering :) I'll buy it once I'm able and report back, then. Thank you so much for all the knowledge, Alex. I can't wait for another year of training learning from you :)
Tip for calisthenics bros training for the OAPU and FL at the same time: Do horizontal expander pull aparts to train the upper back without having to involve the lats, after you've maxed out on weighted pull ups. Perfect combo that lets you train the front lever muscles while still maxing out on pull ups
Separate your days with straight arm training and bent arm training. High effort straight arm High volume bent arm Rest High volume straight arm High effort bent arm Rest Rest
Hi Alex, I started my One arm pull up journey some months ago, and I finally got it, but I tried one of yours back workouts, but with some little changes and I really liked it, so I'm thinking on stop doing OAP on my pull day, and only doing it on my arm day (I usually do them on both days). Btw the back workout is Weighted Normal Pull Ups, Weighted Inverted Rows + Pull Aparts, Super Wide Chest to Bar Pull Ups and L-sit Chin Ups
Hey Alex ! One time you enumerered the benefits of full range of motion (standardisation of reps, being strong in every range) but I can't find it anymore and I remember that you had more than two points! Could you do a specific segment about those benefits? Love your work ❤
I love my Expander. Got the standard Baraban, doubt I’ll ever need the Rollon as I am happy to increase reps once I get to 7 springs. Definitely feel the benefits.
you mentioned arm wrestling, Alex, would be awesome if you could talk a little bit more in depth about the sport and how to progress with certain gym lifts!!
Thank you for answering my question! I don’t seem to notice any strength difference when doing other lifts like squats, deadlifts, OHP, curls, etc. It’s just the bench for whatever reason…
Hey Alex, love the QnA! Quick question, I notice you don’t touch the clavicle on AD press anymore, why is that? I’m not sure if I should continue to try to touch the clavicle or not.
For more of a JM Press squishy effect, slightly more triceps focused (especially with chains) and apparently the delts have good leverage here. Plus I don't notice a big performance difference in going lower. Right under the chin is fine.
@@AlexLeonidasTouching the clavicle helped me standardise but I noticed that in different gyms the incline of the benches were slightly different from each other which made a difference in the weight I could use (65-75° in the first setting down). I will try to go to around neck level instead. Thank you!
Hey Alex, I got two questions : 1. Is the reverse grip bench or incline bench still in your programming for this block? 2. Any chance you would be able to upload your music collection as something we could pay to access? Istg I would kill to have your collection
Hi Alex! Jeff Nippard just now dropped a video on his bulk and bulking in general. In it he advocates a surplus of around 5-10 of maintenance meaning he used a surplus of 200 calories per day. What are your thoughts on this? To me it seems low and that a more aggressive bulk coupled with cutting could produce faster and better results, especially if you push close to or into low 20% bodyfat. A video on your impression of Jeff's video would be interesting to see.
21:52 Been training with the chest expander for a few months now and I love it. Similar hardcore vibe to training with chains. Absolutely has blown up my upper back which was already a strong point of my physique. Small footprint, high quality, versatile, it's totally worth it. I also like that it gives me a nice shortened bias tricep exercise with the sideways press.
Hey Alex, loving the Q&A's. You're providing us with so much information. I have a question myself. I intend to start a low volume high frequency program based around calisthenics. Is adding bodyweight sets as a drop set in addition to two hard sets worth it?
Alex, tips on programming bench in a non conjugate fashion? Doing 2x a week one day low reps intensity the other higher reps with a variation but stuck on a nasty plateau - thanks
Man what should I focus on? Where do I fit mobility, neck, forearms, calves, rotator cuffs, abs, gpp training, rack pulls? I always feel lost I feel like there’s a thousand things I should be doing but idk how to plan them
This may not be the best place to ask, but I recently saw a reddit post stating that Alex no longer recommends his Naturally Enhanced program and suggests that he wouldn't use that style now. So my question is does Alex have a new program he suggests and if so where could I find it?
What do you think about emoms for strength? I've been training weighted pull Ups and dips with that method and is by far the most efficient progress i've ever done. Would you do a video about emoms for strength? I LOVE your channel. Very usefull. Have a nice day 💪
Hey Alex, I've been dealing with some rotator cuff pain for a few months now. I'm finding that underhand movements like reverse grip bench and chin ups are generally pain free for me, but normal bench and pull ups aggravate the injury. Is there any problem with moving to primarily underhand movements, at least until the injury is healed? I've been enjoying and making so much progress with reverse grip bench that I want to keep it even after my shoulder is better. Thanks for all you do, keep up the great work!
Hey Alex (and everyone else with a similar experience), how do you cope with strength loss over a cut? I imagine it would be something like making sure you're stronger at the same lean bodyweight compared to your strength levels the last time you were at that lean bodyweight to make sure you know that, in some way, you still improved your strength despite the loss in absolute strength due to the cut.
Alex, I am a bicep non-responder. I just don't feel my biceps when curling whether its barbell (ez or straight) or even dumbells. I'm a calisthenics athlete and my pulling strength is good (I can do a 1 arm pullup, being 190lbs at 5'11. Whenever I do reverse barbell curls, I feel my biceps more. Why is that and how can I grow my bi's?
Hello, Alex. Wanted to know your opinion on arm day (or just to move bic / tric to lower day for example). I've just never seen you do your arms separately, but I might be wrong. Thanks for the content!
Since the resistance curve of the pull up is most difficult at the top, pulling explosively at the bottom to fly through the top with momentum can be effective. Does this mean that a dynamic effort day of doing unweighted or lightly weighted explosive pull ups has carryover to weighted pull up 1RM, by developing explosivity?
@@AlexLeonidas so is the gym bro shoulder press form 90 degrees flared to the sides is good? Because i only do 45 degrees so my elbows are in front of me
As a person with long femurs I can’t comfortably back squat, so I opt out for using front squats. Should I stick with front squats or try to find a way to tolerate back squats?
Hey Alex, I’ve been having trouble with preacher curls, whenever I progress to new a weight(80lb ez bar) the transition is never smooth, always failing miserably not even being able to hit the minimum reps(6) for the first set. It always happens as soon as the weight is parallel to the ground, it just feels impossibly heavy to lift back up. If didn’t know any better I would think I’m ego lifting. Thanks❤.
Hey Alex, what do you think of Ryan Maclellan's position on bulking? he says you can stay pretty lean all year round making gains, and he is pretty advanced getting great results with this.
Hey Alex! I got a question for you and it legit has me confused af. How come I can deadlift way more on a Deficit Deadlift than on conventional?? Deficit is supposedly harder but to me conventional is harder. I have long limbs too, long legs and arms and a short torso
Hey alex , is it possible to stick to hyperextensions and leg curls to effectively target the hamstrings? Instead of doing deadlift variations or good mornings? As hyperextensions still train hip extension?
Alex any thoughts on a belt squat? Got low back issues so it’s the only variation of squats I’m doing atm do you think I’m missing out on a lot of leg gains?
Alex, curious if you've ever taken 6 months or so off from lifting? i have a buddy that did, life happened. when he got back at it he was 10ish pounds fluffier and felt like he had almost newbie sensitivity...like super refreshed and ready to roll. might try it... what do you think?
Hey Alex, what are your thoughts on using resistance bands for hypertrophy? I have very limited room in my apartment, only having access to a pull-up bar with gymnastics rings, so I have been moving on to weighted calisthenics but also doing a lot of band movements for my chest, back, shoulders and arms, treating them like a cable machine when anchored to my door. I know that you made a few videos on bands a couple years ago and was wondering on what your thoughts on them are nowadays?
I can only train MWF and can't recover from full body. If I did upper and lower alternating on those days, would any upper body exercises or muscles be able to be shifted to the lower days without compromising (a) muscle recovery and (b) joint health before the next upper day?
Hey Alex I’m doing single arm dumbbell preacher curls as my bicep isolation right now, and my dominant right arm won’t stop growing while my left barley grows if at all. I’m training the left arm a lot closer to failure but with equivalent sets and reps to my right arm. My right arm ends up 4-5 rir while my left is one rir or failure. Should I scale back my intensity for the left arm or add sets or something?
Hey Alex, how do you suggest people discover their own “optimal” volume ? I feel like I’m teetering between doing too little ( with FOMO) versus blasting a muscle group and getting niggles or strains
My right bicep sometimes starts clicking and hurting when I do wider grip pull ups, it starts at any grip past shoulder width. I’m not sure if it is tendonitis but I was wondering if you’d have any tips about it.
You talk a lot about avoiding injuries from overuse but how to go about it once you notice you do have some kind of overuse injury let's say in the pec tendon?
Hi Alex, starting your novice program but my ceiling is too low to OHP. Should I do AD press or seated OHP without back support? And any other general tweaks you’d make to the program?
10 years cancer free! When I stopped watching guys on gear my gains went through the roof. It led me to find Alex and those rack pulls are a staple on my back days now! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone out there!
Congratulations.
Congratulations, Tim! You beat the odds and came back stronger, plus following the right guys early on. What a combination!
@AlexLeonidas appreciate u bro! 💯
@@naughtiousmaximus7853 💪
this is fantastic, congrats
The chest expander, together with daily dead hang stretches, are fixing a decade-long issue with shoulders that have severely impaired my squat, causing crippling biceps pain. The expander has literally changed my life, and I can’t thank you enough for promoting it.
Was the Biceps pain more like around the brachialis?
Ive been noticing I get severe brachialis-like pain the upper body day after squats while doing pullups and bench. Really kills my gains.
If its that, fixing your shoulders helped that?
@@luca934
I had severe brachialis pain during training for almost half a year last year.
I thought it was tendonitis and stopped doing biceps/brachialis isolation. It turned out to be a trigger point, which I was able to fix within 2 weeks. I simply took a lacrosse ball and massaged the painful area myself while bending my arm with the help of the other to get deeper into the trigger point.
@@luca934 Yes, and down into the forearm. Adding muscle mass to the upper back to provide a proper shelf for the bar, and doing regular brachial hangs is helping. I still have some of the pain, it's just less than it was right now.
Hey Alex. I've been doing BTN presses for a while following your guidelines and my shoulders feel better than ever. I bench pain-free now and the reps feel a lot smoother. And BTN work was definitely a breath of fresh air as side raises were starting to feel a bit repetitive, so thanks a lot. Wishing you all the best!
How is your delt hypertrophy after doing BTN especially for side delts? I ditched side lateral raises and started doing BTNs a while ago but can't yet say anything about hypertrophy. But they really do feel good, I am doing them with 60kg/135lbs at the moment and my shoulders never felt better!
Love to hear about your progress, Akar! 3D Delt gains and now pain-free for all presses 💯
Side raises feeling repetitive is so true. Yeah they're great but they're boring as hell to do
bros sunglasses makin him look like a vanilla morpheus
Morpheus if he believed in his muscles instead of matrix magic bs
🤣
Chest expander really is a must-have, it has REVOLUTIONIZED my shoulder and arm growth
I can also attest to this it’s a game changer
i have a chest expander but it uses bands and not springs does that make a difference?
@@doml7750 a minor difference, the strength curve of bands is different, it gets way harder in the stretched position, than springs do. springs also get harder the more you pull, but it's different, it's like... bands are 2x as tough when stretched 10%, 5x as tough when stretched 20%, etc., whereas springs it's more like it's 2x as tough when stretched 10%, and 3x as tough when stretched 20%, etc.
there's also the safety issue, bands are more likely to snap than springs are (though springs can malfunction as well). i've heard of people losing an eye when a band snapped and hit them in the eye. with springs, i never head of that, but i guess it's theoretically possible with them as well. best thing to do is wear goggles or similar when using either one just to be safe.
Can you do another video on chest expanders, and focus on how to add them into a lifting program? Say I do bench press twice a week, rows and pull ups once a week, legs once a week, biceps and triceps once a week, where does chest expander fit into that? Just as a finisher exercise? Or dedicate a whole workout to it?
Hey man! I'm not Alex but i have used the chest expander some time ago, and what i would tipically do is just to use it when working my rear delt or triceps as a replace for straight weight excersices. So, if you tipically do rear delt flies for your rear delt you would just swap the excersice for horizontal pull aparts one day and vertical pull aparts the other day. Sorry for the long text, hope that helps.
@dokoloco4559 I could read a book on it, so feel free to expand on that (see what I did) so how did you track your progress, would you hold the tension for a certain amount of time and then count the reps or just seek failure and do random combinations?
For someone who primarily does the canonical weight lifting techniques (olympic), the Lu raises are godsent, truly. I can finally do them without aggravating my shoulder issues using your specific technique/angle, thanks and appreciate your expertise!
Alex just want to say THANK YOU for consistently delivering some of the absolute best weight training information/content on all of youtube!!! Can't believe you give us these videos for free, your advice and info has helped me immensely and I can't thank you enough.
Hey Alex, appreciate the timestamps a lot! I know you are a busy man, so I suggest outsourcing this work to the comment section 😊.
Thanks man but I'll always do it first
@@AlexLeonidas SOLID answer
Appreciate these long form Q&As and I will miss them!
Happy Thanksgiving from your brothers in the US!!!
Thanks for answering my question! You’re ability to excel at gym lifts and body weight movements is unreal.
Alex, This content of this video is really excellent.
Thank you Dustin. Unfortunately, my Q&As don't get much attention compared to my other videos.
Great questions all around and Alex Merced it !!
A good old Alex Q&A in a chill afternoon, nice!
Excellent points about the good morning. Such an effective movement.
21:51 I bought the Baraban Chest Expander because of your videos a year ago and I still love it! No comparison to cheaper expanders!
I am currently at 6 springs for 24 reps on incline pullaparts. Soon I will try 7 springs but I give my shoulder joints a little more time to adapt.
i have them too but rarely use them, mainly because i work out in the gym and bringing them to the gym seems like a hassle. but when i do home workouts, they are a part of it.
I'm curios about the incline pull aparts you mentioned, do do them seated on an incline bench or standing, and if you do them on a bench what's the angle you use?
@dokoloco4559 i'm not the original poster, but the way i do them is standing, at a 45 degree angle (halfway between an overhead pull apart and a chest height pull apart)
9:45 When logging weight used in a public gym, I always account for the amount of pulleys - one pulley, half of the indicated load used etc.
Yo, Alex! Thanks for making this. For the next Q&A, my question would be this: What are your thoughts on the 5x5 program and your experience using low volume, heavy weight for muscle and strength gain.
Alex, I got greedy on the lying leg curls a few weeks ago.
I was doing full stack for 15+ reps so I decided to do full stack one legged for AMRAP. I did only one with my right leg, and then I tried with my left. On the lengthened, starting point I put all my force into the movement and I heard the hamstring fibers tear for about 1 full second, even though I had earplugs at max volume and I thought that I pulled them like in those cringy bicep tear videos because I felt them rupturing from the knee. They didn't pull like those videos but I stopped doing hamstring work because it still hurts a little bit. I'll start again once I recover but now, I have pain in my ass, next to the asshole (left side) whenever I do lunges or rotate to throw a left hook (boxing) and the pain radiates to my front left hip. What can I do? I dont care if it hurts massively I just want to be back. I can still back squat 210 kgs but I did hex bar deadlifts yesterday and Im hurting today
Even doing glute bridges from the ground hurt, I forgot to mention. Thanks for everything you do.
@@Uwyrlsjsval7291y3ipmaybe give your legs a rest and see a doctor before you injure yourself further…
Im liking this comment cause you need help bro, get well soon.
@@InternetUser2409thanks a lot for the support sir! I'll put all the effort into it.
You have an injury. Seek professional medical help. Why are you looking for help from UA-camrs jfc. Alex is amazing, but he's not a doctor. Go get help.
Loved the fast advice on shoulder pain.
Next tine you cut, would you consider trying out planche, human flag, and iron cross ?
At this point, might as well! When I do cut, it might be the last time I bulk for real.
@ would love to see it bro. I dabbled in cali for a couple months. If I start seeing you conquering those advanced moves, I might have to reconsider starting it again myself
Thanks Alex for all you do: the most noble of noble-natties! ❤
Great educational video Alex! 💪💪
Thanks for answering :)
I'll buy it once I'm able and report back, then.
Thank you so much for all the knowledge, Alex. I can't wait for another year of training learning from you :)
The video picture has strong Charles Bronson vibes, in a good way. Looking naturally enhancccced brah 👌
Please do some videos on cooking and meal prep!
Tip for calisthenics bros training for the OAPU and FL at the same time:
Do horizontal expander pull aparts to train the upper back without having to involve the lats, after you've maxed out on weighted pull ups.
Perfect combo that lets you train the front lever muscles while still maxing out on pull ups
Separate your days with straight arm training and bent arm training.
High effort straight arm
High volume bent arm
Rest
High volume straight arm
High effort bent arm
Rest
Rest
Hi Alex, I started my One arm pull up journey some months ago, and I finally got it, but I tried one of yours back workouts, but with some little changes and I really liked it, so I'm thinking on stop doing OAP on my pull day, and only doing it on my arm day (I usually do them on both days). Btw the back workout is Weighted Normal Pull Ups, Weighted Inverted Rows + Pull Aparts, Super Wide Chest to Bar Pull Ups and L-sit Chin Ups
Chest expander is truly the best equipment i ever invested in
Can't wait to listen to this
U better stop before I Alex ur Leonidas
Bruh what? 😂
no don't start that......noooo
@@lewisstrongofficial💉
Gregging my Doucette to this video...
Geoffreying verity my schofield
Hey Alex ! One time you enumerered the benefits of full range of motion (standardisation of reps, being strong in every range) but I can't find it anymore and I remember that you had more than two points!
Could you do a specific segment about those benefits?
Love your work ❤
I love my Expander. Got the standard Baraban, doubt I’ll ever need the Rollon as I am happy to increase reps once I get to 7 springs. Definitely feel the benefits.
great stuff appreciate it man
you mentioned arm wrestling, Alex, would be awesome if you could talk a little bit more in depth about the sport and how to progress with certain gym lifts!!
I was lucky and found a used chest expander from the 80s for about $10 online. It has been a lot of fun to use.
Full body training updated video please bro I'm begging ❤❤❤
Thank you for answering my question! I don’t seem to notice any strength difference when doing other lifts like squats, deadlifts, OHP, curls, etc. It’s just the bench for whatever reason…
Hey Alex, love the QnA! Quick question, I notice you don’t touch the clavicle on AD press anymore, why is that? I’m not sure if I should continue to try to touch the clavicle or not.
For more of a JM Press squishy effect, slightly more triceps focused (especially with chains) and apparently the delts have good leverage here. Plus I don't notice a big performance difference in going lower. Right under the chin is fine.
@@AlexLeonidasTouching the clavicle helped me standardise but I noticed that in different gyms the incline of the benches were slightly different from each other which made a difference in the weight I could use (65-75° in the first setting down). I will try to go to around neck level instead. Thank you!
My home plates are mostly cheap, and all weigh more than listed. One "45" is 47.4 in reality.
My 2 york calibrated plates are 45lb 2oz and 45lb 1oz
Hey alex!
Can you do a video about the mike tyson push ups?
Love the video's 💪🏼
Bro low key looks like Eric Kanevsky when he wears shades
Happy Thanksgiving Alex 💪🦃
Hey Alex, I got two questions :
1. Is the reverse grip bench or incline bench still in your programming for this block?
2. Any chance you would be able to upload your music collection as something we could pay to access? Istg I would kill to have your collection
the vigorous steve style will be great
Hi Alex! Jeff Nippard just now dropped a video on his bulk and bulking in general. In it he advocates a surplus of around 5-10 of maintenance meaning he used a surplus of 200 calories per day. What are your thoughts on this? To me it seems low and that a more aggressive bulk coupled with cutting could produce faster and better results, especially if you push close to or into low 20% bodyfat. A video on your impression of Jeff's video would be interesting to see.
runs to translate "chest expander"
Rocking those Ranged Top Glasses 😎
21:52 Been training with the chest expander for a few months now and I love it. Similar hardcore vibe to training with chains. Absolutely has blown up my upper back which was already a strong point of my physique.
Small footprint, high quality, versatile, it's totally worth it. I also like that it gives me a nice shortened bias tricep exercise with the sideways press.
Hey Alex, loving the Q&A's. You're providing us with so much information. I have a question myself. I intend to start a low volume high frequency program based around calisthenics. Is adding bodyweight sets as a drop set in addition to two hard sets worth it?
Alex, tips on programming bench in a non conjugate fashion? Doing 2x a week one day low reps intensity the other higher reps with a variation but stuck on a nasty plateau - thanks
I only program conjugate for breaking through strength plateaus. If volume day/intensity isn't cutting it, you need more specialized programming.
Man what should I focus on? Where do I fit mobility, neck, forearms, calves, rotator cuffs, abs, gpp training, rack pulls? I always feel lost I feel like there’s a thousand things I should be doing but idk how to plan them
I'm commenting every video to get you to open online coaching
8:51 Don’t worry my dudes - I gotchu:
“Bro - why did you bring a scale to the gym…?
💪 ❤
Can you please make a video on weighted archer push up
This may not be the best place to ask, but I recently saw a reddit post stating that Alex no longer recommends his Naturally Enhanced program and suggests that he wouldn't use that style now. So my question is does Alex have a new program he suggests and if so where could I find it?
THAT SAID, thumbs up
What do you think about emoms for strength? I've been training weighted pull Ups and dips with that method and is by far the most efficient progress i've ever done. Would you do a video about emoms for strength? I LOVE your channel. Very usefull. Have a nice day 💪
Unlock Godly levels of strength💪🏽
Chest expander FTW
Can you make a video on Breathing Squats and Pullovers for RIBCAGE EXPANSION
Hey Alex, I've been dealing with some rotator cuff pain for a few months now. I'm finding that underhand movements like reverse grip bench and chin ups are generally pain free for me, but normal bench and pull ups aggravate the injury. Is there any problem with moving to primarily underhand movements, at least until the injury is healed? I've been enjoying and making so much progress with reverse grip bench that I want to keep it even after my shoulder is better.
Thanks for all you do, keep up the great work!
Hey Alex (and everyone else with a similar experience), how do you cope with strength loss over a cut?
I imagine it would be something like making sure you're stronger at the same lean bodyweight compared to your strength levels the last time you were at that lean bodyweight to make sure you know that, in some way, you still improved your strength despite the loss in absolute strength due to the cut.
Make this shoulder pain answer a standalone video
Alex, I am a bicep non-responder. I just don't feel my biceps when curling whether its barbell (ez or straight) or even dumbells. I'm a calisthenics athlete and my pulling strength is good (I can do a 1 arm pullup, being 190lbs at 5'11. Whenever I do reverse barbell curls, I feel my biceps more. Why is that and how can I grow my bi's?
Hello, Alex. Wanted to know your opinion on arm day (or just to move bic / tric to lower day for example). I've just never seen you do your arms separately, but I might be wrong. Thanks for the content!
Since the resistance curve of the pull up is most difficult at the top, pulling explosively at the bottom to fly through the top with momentum can be effective.
Does this mean that a dynamic effort day of doing unweighted or lightly weighted explosive pull ups has carryover to weighted pull up 1RM, by developing explosivity?
Hey Alex what's your opinion on using honey, warm water and salt mixed together as a pre workout?
Alex you say don’t do dumbbell 90° shoulder press but at the same time you encourage us to do behind the neck press isn’t that the same thing?
I recommend going below 90 degrees on the behind the neck press so no.
@@AlexLeonidas so is the gym bro shoulder press form 90 degrees flared to the sides is good? Because i only do 45 degrees so my elbows are in front of me
For side delts, yes but you still need to being the dumbbells low. Also control the negative more. No jerkiness.@bin3skar237
Real you have to do isolation to maximise your arms
As a person with long femurs I can’t comfortably back squat, so I opt out for using front squats. Should I stick with front squats or try to find a way to tolerate back squats?
What are tips to boost your sleep/immune system? I have to constantly skip training days because of my health
I don’t care what anyone says, reverse banded/doggystle hip thrust are an S Tier movement 💪🏻
Hey Alex,
I’ve been having trouble with preacher curls, whenever I progress to new a weight(80lb ez bar) the transition is never smooth, always failing miserably not even being able to hit the minimum reps(6) for the first set.
It always happens as soon as the weight is parallel to the ground, it just feels impossibly heavy to lift back up. If didn’t know any better I would think I’m ego lifting.
Thanks❤.
Thoughts on down workouts with weights? for example like 15 down push ups but with 20kg on your back. How would you go about programming this?
is it good idea to do only down workouts 5 days a week with supersets and different variations?
Hey Alex, what do you think of Ryan Maclellan's position on bulking? he says you can stay pretty lean all year round making gains, and he is pretty advanced getting great results with this.
Hey Alex! I got a question for you and it legit has me confused af. How come I can deadlift way more on a Deficit Deadlift than on conventional?? Deficit is supposedly harder but to me conventional is harder. I have long limbs too, long legs and arms and a short torso
Have you ever talked about isometrics? What are your thoughts?
Should i focus on being able to bench 225 first for reps before i start focusing on upper chest and incline presses
Hey alex , is it possible to stick to hyperextensions and leg curls to effectively target the hamstrings? Instead of doing deadlift variations or good mornings? As hyperextensions still train hip extension?
Just wondering if you train with music. I was thinking of stopping soon as I feel like I can focus on my form more
Hell yeah
Alex any thoughts on a belt squat? Got low back issues so it’s the only variation of squats I’m doing atm do you think I’m missing out on a lot of leg gains?
Does Robert Baraban sell his super springs on its own? I haven't seen it listed as a separate option on his website.
Gotta contact him directly for that since it comes with the Rollon
Alex, curious if you've ever taken 6 months or so off from lifting? i have a buddy that did, life happened. when he got back at it he was 10ish pounds fluffier and felt like he had almost newbie sensitivity...like super refreshed and ready to roll. might try it... what do you think?
Hey Alex, what are your thoughts on using resistance bands for hypertrophy? I have very limited room in my apartment, only having access to a pull-up bar with gymnastics rings, so I have been moving on to weighted calisthenics but also doing a lot of band movements for my chest, back, shoulders and arms, treating them like a cable machine when anchored to my door. I know that you made a few videos on bands a couple years ago and was wondering on what your thoughts on them are nowadays?
Also, have you ever tried band-resisted, not assisted, pullups and dips? It also sounds like a good way to progress
I can only train MWF and can't recover from full body. If I did upper and lower alternating on those days, would any upper body exercises or muscles be able to be shifted to the lower days without compromising (a) muscle recovery and (b) joint health before the next upper day?
Hey Alex, do you do jump rope for cardio? Thanks for the vids.
Hey Alex I’m doing single arm dumbbell preacher curls as my bicep isolation right now, and my dominant right arm won’t stop growing while my left barley grows if at all. I’m training the left arm a lot closer to failure but with equivalent sets and reps to my right arm. My right arm ends up 4-5 rir while my left is one rir or failure. Should I scale back my intensity for the left arm or add sets or something?
Hey Alex, how do you suggest people discover their own “optimal” volume ?
I feel like I’m teetering between doing too little ( with FOMO) versus blasting a muscle group and getting niggles or strains
What program would you recommend for OHP specialisation?
Man,all these years I was wondering....."what happened to ALPHA DESTINY".
My right bicep sometimes starts clicking and hurting when I do wider grip pull ups, it starts at any grip past shoulder width. I’m not sure if it is tendonitis but I was wondering if you’d have any tips about it.
Hey Alex, would you say that pullovers for more lat isolation volume isn't needed if you are already doing 2 vertical pulls in one workout?
Hey alex, what would be your approach to OHP specialization?
I want to hit a 225 OHP 1 RM within the next 4 month
Do you think the max effort method is superior?
And would you get the same results with another powerlifting method
You talk a lot about avoiding injuries from overuse but how to go about it once you notice you do have some kind of overuse injury let's say in the pec tendon?
Hi Alex, starting your novice program but my ceiling is too low to OHP. Should I do AD press or seated OHP without back support? And any other general tweaks you’d make to the program?
No back support, off the knees or seated on a bench.