The aim of this video is to provide real solutions in being able to bench press SAFELY AND HEAVY in the long term. My advice is strictly for LONGEVITY while getting strong in the process, this is not a "raw powerlifter" bench guide even though many tips may apply. That said...by bench pressing like a powerlifter, narrowing your grip, incorporating reverse band bench press, the slingshot, and performing lots of corrective exercises (mobility, connective tissue, rear delts, upper back, etc) you will be able to bench press for a long time without experiencing nagging pains or injuries. I cannot promise the term "forever" but I do know these tips will be very helpful. You can read the article I wrote here: outalpha.com/5-ways-to-bench-press-forever/
I recently made a Bench technique video. Your advice is spot on. I had to stop benching for 2 years as a result of bad form. I worked with powerlifting coaches and I'm back to benching heavier than ever. My last bench day I hit 360 for 10 reps with a close grip.
it sounds like Alex is writing an essay for his 10th grade gym teacher, there is an introduction, a thesis in the intro, 5 main points, and a conclusion
Loved this comment! And funny you mention that, I actually did write an article on the subject. Check it out here! outalpha.com/5-ways-to-bench-press-forever/
Alex is a fucking genius! I just started Naturally Enhanced after reading through it and am using one of the templates for the first 4 weeks before I start tailoring my own and GOD DAMN. First day I hit 3 Notable PR's for me. I am 155lbs 5'10" @19 yrs old and I hit A 195lbs Incline Close Grip Bench Press Paused, a 605lb Below the Knee Behind the Back Rack Pull(switched to behind the back due to lower back pain from an injury from a while back) and 110lbs for 5 reps on the barbell curl. I felt like a fucking beast and everyone was staring hardcore. My fucking right quad twitched like a mother fucker! In short on day one I can already feel the gains from Alex's Naturally Enhanced philosophy. Mother fucker knows his shit.
Alex, Bro, you are totally a living legend in the making. Those are not words used lightly. It's just that, your knowledge and the fact that you try everything out and adjust readily, and, the way you express at all... Bro, thanks for hooking up so many of us with such great info and things will think about. Awesome that you are so young and will be around for a long time. I plan on being in the gym for another 30 years at least so let's do this!
Alex, i've been running you're novice program for 2 weeks now and i have already gotten stronger. I love how i only lift 3 times a week and since it summer (im in highschool) i get plenty of sleep so i can go hard af especially on workout B( my favorite).
Don't overthink it man, band dislocations and facepulls as often as you can, fuck the rep and set scheme, there's no such thing. Just do a shit ton of them
AlphaDestiny First thing I did was go to 3 total body workouts a week and moved my grip closer as you said aka "power lifter form" . My first workout I would do something like this...warm up good then do a 5 rep standard bench with 225 then a 3 rep set at 245 then I'd do a double with 275..Taking about 3-5 min rest to ensure recovery and maximum power output I'd go 300 with a good solid pause at the bottom just for the hell of it. I would go to 325 with the red slingshot and and add 25 pound of chains on the bar to make the break point overloaded since that was my strong point of the lift.. I would do 3 sets of 2 with that set up.. Next I took a thick bar and put 290 and 35 pounds of chains and did a floor press 3x3. I'd follow that up with 2 sets of between 20-30 weight dips at 90 pounds plus the 10 pound chain. Finished off with rope tricep ext 4 sets 20 or 2 drop sets of whatever the hell I could manage.. My third total body session of the week I'd do the bench portion something like this. I'd set the power rack pins at chest height where I hand to squeeze under the bar and do a 5x3 with around 250-260 since the press off the chest at a dead stop is so damn hard.. Next I'd use the red sling and do a 3x3 decline bench press. I was able to put around 350 on this when my standard bench was 320 . Next I'd use the blue sling and do a close grip flat bench and do 2 sets of high rep work at 225. If finish off with the rope ext routine again. Since the poundage and volume was a little high for my taste every third week I'd do 2 workouts with 4x10 regular bench and 5 sets of body weight dips to failure as my chest routine. I would do a little more volume on my shoulder press work in those weeks. I ran this for a year and had crazy results. I'd take a week off from pressing here and there when I'd feel I was slowing down . I did other things like reverse and standard bands , reverse grip pin press, heavy dumbbell chain press..on and on, but this was my basic format. I moved on to other things after the year when I wanted my behind the back deadlift to improve and I focused on it but man the sling is king .
Just wanted to chime in that the yellow slingshot is actually the same material as the red slingshot, it just has angled sleeves. So it kicks in a little sooner, and is better if you have big arms
Yeah and it has the potential for 20% overload, whereas red is 10-15 max. It sounds like an interesting version, although if I had to upgrade I'd get the Mad Dog.
What are your thoughts doing pin press instead of floor presses on your novice program? I have trouble excelling in the floor press and find myself stalling. Can pin pressing be a better alternative and if so how high should I set the pin
Bro don’t let your friends be stupid, never go heavy on those bench presses, your shoulder can’t handle that much.Why do you think we all go low on lateral raises etc?
Alex for your novice program on workout B isnt 2 sets of trap bar deaflift too little? i can only hit the gym twice a week so shulntd i do more like 3 or 5 sets?
thanks for the advice bro. I lift by myself so I'm definitely going to try the bands when lifting over what i rep with. gonna look into the sling shot as well. good stuff keep it up.
Building big lats so you have something to tuck your elbows against is going to be beneficial as well. I stopped doing bench because I had uneven lat development so I felt really weak on the left side. I also started feeling some shoulder pain. So I have abandoned the barbell benchpress for now.
I know I'm late on this Alex but I kinda like spending time in the gym so can't I do splits twice a week then? (Kind of like in a fullbody type of way) Like for example: Monday: Chest/bi Tuesday: Back/tri Wednesday: Shoulders/legs then repeat! and I would obviously lower the amount of exercises in one day as in (3 exercises monday, 3 thursday when it comes to chest and 2/2 bi) and I could maybe add an intensity and volume day for each muscle. Would that work? Thanks and keep up the great work!
my shoulder felt absolutely destroyed a couple months ago. the pain kept me up at night. I've been benching only with the slingshot for the last two months and I have no shoulder pain at all now. it's fucking amazing. I also started spending much more time warming up the shoulders beforehand, which definitely helped, but I really believe the slingshot saved my shoulder.
Alpha... I did flat and incline with a grip about 2.5" in than normal and felt a serious pump! idk if it was just because of my 8 rep sets on "light" day... I'll try this on heavy day and see if I can break my flat bench plateau I've been stuck at! Thanks for the suggestions!
I do fullbody workouts 2 or 3 times per week. Is it ok if the primary chest exercise is the benchpress every single time?? I am interested in the whole chest and especially the upper (thats why i do not replace bench with dips)
Thank you. So if I understood it correctly, just go back 30% on my pulling exercises? How fast should I go back up? Assume it's the normal 5 lbs per workout as I normally do?
Alex, Louie Simmons was quoted saying use a wide grip for bench to help your bench press. do u think doing more wide grip bench presses will transfer over to a bigger bench
How did u add so much size to ur chest when ur an advanced lifter? In ur recent trap bar deadlift your pecs looked insane. Do you think the crazy amount of volume u did on push-ups some months ago made u gain more nuclei?
Well I always had a great chest. Keep in mind I did calisthenics for years with high volume pushups. My chest may have reduced in size when I stopped benching for a year, but it came back immediately when I started doing pushups, dips, and bench press. Realistically, I can get massive pecs doing pushups only. Just the way my body works
thanks again Alex. I followed your advice to the t on recovering from a rotator cuff injury. I switched to a block bench press and did ohp 2x a week to keep traction on the injured area.......after 2 months im PAIN FREE!!!! definatly going to invest in a slingshot now. Im having trouble breaking the 315 mark on bench, ive only hit it once in the past before my injury. bench is my weak point, yet my upper back n delts are prime cuts (very developed).......you might get an email from me, i need a program to help me crush this last plateau.
Hey Alex, whats do you think about that most 45 pound plates doesnt actually weigh 45 pound and that they can be around 3 pounds wrong. How would you work around that. Lets say if you are benching 4 plates and its 192 on one side and 168 on the other for example. Sorry for bad english
AlphaDestiny would you consider a bench with elbow sleeves such as those by mark bell as raw? I'm not sure if they make you slightly stronger. I don't think you can use them in most pl meets but although I don't compete I want my lifts to be as legit as possible. Thanks
with reverse band bench are you not neglecting the bottom....where most injuries happen therefore you are not as strong at the bottom so when doing regular bench you're at higher risk of injury since at the top you are strong but not when you get to the bottom
No because you are still doing work. Say my reverse bands take 40lbs off a 400 bench. That's still 360 off the chest, you see? More than enough to stay strong in that area.
Alex, what tips do you have for trap imbalance. Can i add any accessory work for traps while i'm following your novice program? If so what do you recommend
are you going to make a calisthenics book like Naturally enhanced, could be calishthenics enhanced. i want to be able to do handstands and handstand push ups but i dont know how to build up to it.
Alex plz explain how progression takes place in volume days (like if I'm rotating every 2 weeks, I did my first volume day in the 1st week, how should I improve the next week). Also should we improve by increasing weight or reps on every single exercise on volume and intensity day?
How come I can 1RM a 225 CGBP paused (pins at chest) incline yet my standard bench is 225x5. Could it be because im not used to the horizontal movement pattern and because I'm used to vertical presses?
Alex, how can I do bulgarian light with like 3/4 compound movements? And won't 0 accessory work cause any injuries? Cause you need some sort of high rep work to keep the tissue healthy. I know accessory work won't be optimal for CNS recovery when doing the bulgarian light but is there a way to do some? I mostly do forearm work like an armwrestler, rear delts and bi's&tri's
Alex I just noticed that I was made to dip because of my short arms and the range of motions is very short for me but the thing is I am very heavy (around 225lbs 20% bodyfat) so I can do maybe 7-8 reps maybe 10 in a good day. I can benchpress around 265lbs for max tho. When should I do weighted dips? because even if I do 5x5 with my bodyweight I sometimes still feel im not ready for weighted and man I just got into calisthenics too and my big legs are not helping at all..I cant do even 1 pullup lol, I mostly did Tbar rows for my back.
how often do you reply to the questions in your novice program. i tweaked my lower back and i wanted to know how to add what you done to rehab your back in the novice program
Yo alex how to choose the slingshot size? Large means 141-180 lbs on Amazon, doesn't realle intends your arms lenght or stuffs like that? Can you clarify this?
Clement Franklin do intermittent fasting and dont go below loosing 1pound weekly, because if you try to loose 2 pounds, alot of that will be muscle mass
Clement Franklin aah, in that case just eat less, drink more water and exercise, really simple. also, u can try using carnitine before workout, do it with carbs, helped me alot
I've been doing alot of pin presses from chest level and it feels so much better than toutch and go or even pause bench. Can I swap bench press to pin presses completely and still get good carryover?
arm and chest dominant is all about physique. You should try to train technique to activate and use your chest more than your shoulders so that mostly the chest is being used in push motions not your shoulder, if your problem is chest strength
good video, i used to bench like a total bro a few years back, ended up getting injured. One thing that was clear was my pushing strength far exceeded my rowing strength, I was benching 2 plates, yet I was dumbbell rowing 24kg dumbbells lol..now my rowing is stronger than my bench which is ideal haha
alex im not strong i am defffinetly novice ive been on your novice program for 1 month but i wanna buy your ne book and wondering will i make even better gains also you said its 2 times workout in the gym and 2 at home with bands and im wondering since bands are expensive i dont have them do you have templates only for the gym?
In NE there are over 300 exercises so you're 100% covered no matter what. I wouldn't say the gains will be significantly better except for the yoke (neck traps upper back) but if you enjoy high exercise selection, low reps + high reps, you will like NE.
Yo Alex, would you recommend mobility work for individuals like yourself that are hyper-mobile (double jointed)? You've said in the past that you don't personally.
I'm pretty sure my form is good on bench and I always do the steps you said in step 1 but the front of my shoulders ALWAYS hurt. what am I doing wrong?
what one exercise can I add to the novice program to strengthen my glute, hamstring, lower back, & abs ur novice program is effective but my back is a weak link it gets strained and ik it's because it is weak
I'll put Romanian deadlift but I can't do reverse hypers cause my gym doesn't have the machine I do it on a high table but I can't add resistance so it isn't contributing to strengthen gains for my posterior chain that assist in getting stronger in pulling and pushing exercise it just feels like endurance
I may get a slingshot one day, but probably not for a few years. I'm too busy harvesting these close grip + mini-band bench gains. You were totally right that bands are like steroids cause at the top of my press its an added 50+ lbs, and I'm able to double the reps I can do with that band tension as opposed to with straight weight.
Alex, what do I do if the bench press kills my shoulders even though I bench like a powerlifter? I can't bench more than 135 without feeling like my AC joint is going to explode.
You probably have other issues that go beyond the scope of this video. Maybe a past injury or serious imbalance. I would get that checked out by a professional, and I HIGHLY recommend you get a slingshot. Probably the blue one for your strength level
Thanks for the reply. I don't have any serious imbalances, other than a left right lat one, my back isn't lagging since I can row 185 x3 and do 25 lb chin ups x3. My dumbbell bench is 70 lbers for 2 reps and my standing OHP is 110 x1, so I'm not sure what the problem is. Clearly my back and shoulder health isn't that bad since I'm pulling and pushing those numbers, right?
Right, then it's probably something else that I do not understand. Sadly this is the area where I have the least amount of knowledge. I still recommend the slingshot though
The aim of this video is to provide real solutions in being able to bench press SAFELY AND HEAVY in the long term. My advice is strictly for LONGEVITY while getting strong in the process, this is not a "raw powerlifter" bench guide even though many tips may apply.
That said...by bench pressing like a powerlifter, narrowing your grip, incorporating reverse band bench press, the slingshot, and performing lots of corrective exercises (mobility, connective tissue, rear delts, upper back, etc) you will be able to bench press for a long time without experiencing nagging pains or injuries. I cannot promise the term "forever" but I do know these tips will be very helpful.
You can read the article I wrote here: outalpha.com/5-ways-to-bench-press-forever/
1st rep
I recently made a Bench technique video. Your advice is spot on. I had to stop benching for 2 years as a result of bad form. I worked with powerlifting coaches and I'm back to benching heavier than ever. My last bench day I hit 360 for 10 reps with a close grip.
AlphaDestiny How big are your forearms and upper arms?
@Corey
Upper arm 16.5, forearm hard to say depending how I flex it. I'd say it's a tad under 15 inches
AlphaDestiny I've got a long way to go to catch up
it sounds like Alex is writing an essay for his 10th grade gym teacher, there is an introduction, a thesis in the intro, 5 main points, and a conclusion
Loved this comment! And funny you mention that, I actually did write an article on the subject.
Check it out here! outalpha.com/5-ways-to-bench-press-forever/
Yall had to write essays in gym?? WTF
WackoKillerDan ye wtf i had to only run and watch big black asses
Nikita facts
Honestly, that’s high school and college level writing it’s not that hard bro
Do this for squats and deadlifts as well, please :)
Alpay Demircan I've never seen him doing any squats
I'm betting he knows a lot about it anyway :P
Mone Olivetti he used to do box squats
Please alex^
Alex is a fucking genius! I just started Naturally Enhanced after reading through it and am using one of the templates for the first 4 weeks before I start tailoring my own and GOD DAMN. First day I hit 3 Notable PR's for me. I am 155lbs 5'10" @19 yrs old and I hit A 195lbs Incline Close Grip Bench Press Paused, a 605lb Below the Knee Behind the Back Rack Pull(switched to behind the back due to lower back pain from an injury from a while back) and 110lbs for 5 reps on the barbell curl. I felt like a fucking beast and everyone was staring hardcore. My fucking right quad twitched like a mother fucker! In short on day one I can already feel the gains from Alex's Naturally Enhanced philosophy. Mother fucker knows his shit.
That's what's up! The gains will keep coming my friend :)
AlphaDestiny Alex I'm going to buy your NE too. But I have beginning golfers elbow. Any advise?
Yo Alpha, give us more workout videos
Amen to that
i want him to get to 200lbs asap then he said he will cut to 10% bf just to prove to us the bear mode works but i wanna see him that lean!
Alex, Bro, you are totally a living legend in the making. Those are not words used lightly. It's just that, your knowledge and the fact that you try everything out and adjust readily, and, the way you express at all... Bro, thanks for hooking up so many of us with such great info and things will think about. Awesome that you are so young and will be around for a long time. I plan on being in the gym for another 30 years at least so let's do this!
Alex, i've been running you're novice program for 2 weeks now and i have already gotten stronger. I love how i only lift 3 times a week and since it summer (im in highschool) i get plenty of sleep so i can go hard af especially on workout B( my favorite).
Alex can u do a video on fixing posture. Thanks for uploading all the time
CircuitsMadeEasy yes alex please do this
CircuitsMadeEasy he has a playlist that goes over that already.
Joaquin Bustos dude I'm seeing you everywhere 😂
Baddicus B we have similar taste bro 😂
CircuitsMadeEasy I NEED THAT BAD.
Lol I dont even bench press (yet) but I just love watching his vids. Alex is the type of guy who can talk about anything and make it interesting.
His old videos were cringey AF though lol. He's changed quite alot.
Favourite channel on UA-cam right now
Can you make a video on how to fix shoulder impingement? Can't bench or ohp, btw great video Alex.
Shivam Gohri Overhead broomstick stretches and band face pulls fixed mine
Action Flaps What overhead stretches were they? And how often did you do band facepulls, what resistance, and what rep scheme?
Shivam Gohri Just google overhead broom stick stretch. I used a light band 3 times a week 3 sets of 20
Don't overthink it man, band dislocations and facepulls as often as you can, fuck the rep and set scheme, there's no such thing. Just do a shit ton of them
Shivam Gohri facepulls for 3 sets of 30 reps fixed it for me.
Could you please do one for deadlifts?
Sure
AlphaDestiny thanks mate
Solid info as always! Something that has helped my bench press go up is really focusing on OHP too.
very imformative. ive used a few of these techniques and i agree with all your points 100%
Sling shot took my raw from 320-435 in a year. I was stuck at 320 for about 6 years until I purchased one from Mark Bell at the Arnold Classic.
Damn that is amazing Randon!
How did you program the slingshot into your training? I would love to hear how you did it.
AlphaDestiny First thing I did was go to 3 total body workouts a week and moved my grip closer as you said aka "power lifter form" . My first workout I would do something like this...warm up good then do a 5 rep standard bench with 225 then a 3 rep set at 245
then I'd do a double with 275..Taking about 3-5 min rest to ensure recovery and maximum power output I'd go 300 with a good solid pause at the bottom just for the hell of it. I would go to 325 with the red slingshot and and add 25 pound of chains on the bar to make the break point overloaded since that was my strong point of the lift.. I would do 3 sets of 2 with that set up.. Next I took a thick bar and put 290 and 35 pounds of chains and did a floor press 3x3. I'd follow that up with 2 sets of between 20-30 weight dips at 90 pounds plus the 10 pound chain. Finished off with rope tricep ext 4 sets 20 or 2 drop sets of whatever the hell I could manage.. My third total body session of the week I'd do the bench portion something like this. I'd set the power rack pins at chest height where I hand to squeeze under the bar and do a 5x3 with around 250-260 since the press off the chest at a dead stop is so damn hard.. Next I'd use the red sling and do a 3x3 decline bench press. I was able to put around 350 on this when my standard bench was 320 . Next I'd use the blue sling and do a close grip flat bench and do 2 sets of high rep work at 225. If finish off with the rope ext routine again. Since the poundage and volume was a little high for my taste every third week I'd do 2 workouts with 4x10 regular bench and 5 sets of body weight dips to failure as my chest routine. I would do a little more volume on my shoulder press work in those weeks. I ran this for a year and had crazy results. I'd take a week off from pressing here and there when I'd feel I was slowing down . I did other things like reverse and standard bands , reverse grip pin press, heavy dumbbell chain press..on and on, but this was my basic format. I moved on to other things after the year when I wanted my behind the back deadlift to improve and I focused on it but man the sling is king .
which helps best for having a strongerlockout?
Just wanted to chime in that the yellow slingshot is actually the same material as the red slingshot, it just has angled sleeves. So it kicks in a little sooner, and is better if you have big arms
Yeah and it has the potential for 20% overload, whereas red is 10-15 max. It sounds like an interesting version, although if I had to upgrade I'd get the Mad Dog.
Best channel for advice on improving mobility, posture and warm up routine ? Thanks in advance
Running novice program, strained my left pec yesterday floor pressing, shit hurts.
I did rack pulls yesterday, today my upper back is fried, but not necessarily my traps. can u tell me why
My ribs hurt after i do my abs workout. It is normal? Any idea?
How come get shoulder pain when I do not bench/ or military press wide? The pain started some time after I started overhead press sholder width wide.
Alex when you say it "builds the shoulders" does it really though ?
What are your thoughts doing pin press instead of floor presses on your novice program? I have trouble excelling in the floor press and find myself stalling. Can pin pressing be a better alternative and if so how high should I set the pin
Can you use the slingshot for dumbell press?
You can but it's a bit weird
This is great info! a friend of mine maxed out at 265 and went with the guillotine bench and tore his shoulder.
Damn
Bro don’t let your friends be stupid, never go heavy on those bench presses, your shoulder can’t handle that much.Why do you think we all go low on lateral raises etc?
Alex for your novice program on workout B isnt 2 sets of trap bar deaflift too little? i can only hit the gym twice a week so shulntd i do more like 3 or 5 sets?
no it's more then enough trust me just follow the program do exactly what it says ..I'm doing the same program
thanks for the advice bro. I lift by myself so I'm definitely going to try the bands when lifting over what i rep with. gonna look into the sling shot as well. good stuff keep it up.
Hey Alex, do you know anything about training your jaw? Do you know any good excersises for it?
What about reverse grip bench press does it carry over to regular bench press ?
Meh, not really the best tbh even Greg Nuckols talked about it. I'd rather you just do bench variations
Building big lats so you have something to tuck your elbows against is going to be beneficial as well. I stopped doing bench because I had uneven lat development so I felt really weak on the left side. I also started feeling some shoulder pain. So I have abandoned the barbell benchpress for now.
I know I'm late on this Alex but I kinda like spending time in the gym so can't I do splits twice a week then? (Kind of like in a fullbody type of way) Like for example:
Monday: Chest/bi
Tuesday: Back/tri
Wednesday: Shoulders/legs then repeat! and I would obviously lower the amount of exercises in one day as in (3 exercises monday, 3 thursday when it comes to chest and 2/2 bi) and I could maybe add an intensity and volume day for each muscle.
Would that work? Thanks and keep up the great work!
What's your opinion of ultra wide bench ? In terms of effectiveness. I remembered Louis said it has helped his bench tremendously.
It is very effective, but I don't go lower than 5 reps. I also use a suicide grip on this.
my shoulder felt absolutely destroyed a couple months ago. the pain kept me up at night. I've been benching only with the slingshot for the last two months and I have no shoulder pain at all now. it's fucking amazing.
I also started spending much more time warming up the shoulders beforehand, which definitely helped, but I really believe the slingshot saved my shoulder.
Very nice! The slingshot truly is incredible, it's even allowed guys with double rotator cuff problems to bench safely again.
i stopped every flat pressing movement few weeks ago because shoulder pain
how to fix it please?
Incline is OK for my shoulders atm
Alpha... I did flat and incline with a grip about 2.5" in than normal and felt a serious pump! idk if it was just because of my 8 rep sets on "light" day... I'll try this on heavy day and see if I can break my flat bench plateau I've been stuck at! Thanks for the suggestions!
I only train with my sling shot on bench. I love it.
I'd like to get lean, not shredded. do you have any tips on losing strength, feeling like shit (tired and pissed off all the time) while cutting?
Yo Alex, as an intermediate lifter, can I please replace your regular power shrug to behind-the-back power shrug?
Hey Alex it looks like my left lat is a alot wider/ more developed than my right lat. even though im right handed. whats that about?
While running ur novice program if you're in your early teens should we run the least amount of sets or can we go all the way to the highest set
What brand bands do you use?
shoulder rehab/prehab video please
I do fullbody workouts 2 or 3 times per week. Is it ok if the primary chest exercise is the benchpress every single time?? I am interested in the whole chest and especially the upper (thats why i do not replace bench with dips)
make a video on strengthening tendons and ligaments
Hey Alex, how do I fix a really bad lat imbalance? It is making my presses and pulling exercises imbalanced and painful.
I recommend you watch this video ua-cam.com/video/_J_9pv_zlCo/v-deo.html&t
Thank you. So if I understood it correctly, just go back 30% on my pulling exercises? How fast should I go back up? Assume it's the normal 5 lbs per workout as I normally do?
I say go by feel. As long as you're making progress while using sound technique, thing should be fine.
Thanks alot. I really appreciate it.
Got a heavy upper body day today,this shit gonna come in handy
Alex what are good strength standards for neck training?
Alex, Louie Simmons was quoted saying use a wide grip for bench to help your bench press. do u think doing more wide grip bench presses will transfer over to a bigger bench
It will, but be careful when doing it.
How did u add so much size to ur chest when ur an advanced lifter? In ur recent trap bar deadlift your pecs looked insane. Do you think the crazy amount of volume u did on push-ups some months ago made u gain more nuclei?
Well I always had a great chest. Keep in mind I did calisthenics for years with high volume pushups. My chest may have reduced in size when I stopped benching for a year, but it came back immediately when I started doing pushups, dips, and bench press.
Realistically, I can get massive pecs doing pushups only. Just the way my body works
great advice man ,thanks!
Alex, ive emailed you. im confused about the paypalling.
do i send you money before or after?
What about benching as a tall person with a big wingspan?Isnt it better to widen the grip to lift more weight
I still recommend a narrower grip. Slightly wider than shoulder width is perfect
Does anyone know if Naturally Enhanced has a large strength component or is it mostly for yoke development?
Includes everything, it's 458 pages of knowledge.
I've been doing close grip reverse band bench with minis lately, shoulders feel great and my triceps are blowing up.
Nice man!
my problem is that I'm a lot stronger off the chest than in the lockout.. board presses?
thanks again Alex. I followed your advice to the t on recovering from a rotator cuff injury. I switched to a block bench press and did ohp 2x a week to keep traction on the injured area.......after 2 months im PAIN FREE!!!! definatly going to invest in a slingshot now. Im having trouble breaking the 315 mark on bench, ive only hit it once in the past before my injury. bench is my weak point, yet my upper back n delts are prime cuts (very developed).......you might get an email from me, i need a program to help me crush this last plateau.
do I use A or B if I'm starting on Wednesday for ur novice program
Hey Alex, whats do you think about that most 45 pound plates doesnt actually weigh 45 pound and that they can be around 3 pounds wrong. How would you work around that. Lets say if you are benching 4 plates and its 192 on one side and 168 on the other for example. Sorry for bad english
doesn't matter, if you convert to kilos it doesn't make much a difference anyway
Alex, what if I did starting strength with trapbar deads instead of regular deads to save my back? Would I need assistance work to lrevent imbalances
How long will it take me to get from a 225 one rep max to a 315 one rep max on bench running ur program?
WackoKillerDan There really is no set time frame. Especially after you pass 225. Gains will come at different rates for different people.
do you still do cold showers and do you recommend it
I do recommend, but I do contrast showers
what are contrast showers?
Alternate between hot and cold during the same shower
AlphaDestiny would you consider a bench with elbow sleeves such as those by mark bell as raw? I'm not sure if they make you slightly stronger. I don't think you can use them in most pl meets but although I don't compete I want my lifts to be as legit as possible. Thanks
They are raw, but you can't compete with them. Doesn't matter though, it's well worth it.
with reverse band bench are you not neglecting the bottom....where most injuries happen therefore you are not as strong at the bottom so when doing regular bench you're at higher risk of injury since at the top you are strong but not when you get to the bottom
No because you are still doing work. Say my reverse bands take 40lbs off a 400 bench. That's still 360 off the chest, you see? More than enough to stay strong in that area.
Alex, what tips do you have for trap imbalance. Can i add any accessory work for traps while i'm following your novice program? If so what do you recommend
are you going to make a calisthenics book like Naturally enhanced, could be calishthenics enhanced. i want to be able to do handstands and handstand push ups but i dont know how to build up to it.
Alex do you know if synergist and stabilizers muscles grow with progressive overload? is it as significant as the targeted muscle?
Great video as alweys
Alex plz explain how progression takes place in volume days (like if I'm rotating every 2 weeks, I did my first volume day in the 1st week, how should I improve the next week). Also should we improve by increasing weight or reps on every single exercise on volume and intensity day?
My right upper pec is flat compared to my left. Very strange.
How come I can 1RM a 225 CGBP paused (pins at chest) incline yet my standard bench is 225x5. Could it be because im not used to the horizontal movement pattern and because I'm used to vertical presses?
That's probably it. Or you're very shoulder dominant
Alex why do i get nausea after a workout it feels like im gonna puke and i get extremely tired and slow also.
How long should the pause be on bench?
1-2 seconds is fine
World Class Douche Bag 45 milliseconds
Alex, how can I do bulgarian light with like 3/4 compound movements? And won't 0 accessory work cause any injuries? Cause you need some sort of high rep work to keep the tissue healthy. I know accessory work won't be optimal for CNS recovery when doing the bulgarian light but is there a way to do some? I mostly do forearm work like an armwrestler, rear delts and bi's&tri's
Alex I just noticed that I was made to dip because of my short arms and the range of motions is very short for me but the thing is I am very heavy (around 225lbs 20% bodyfat) so I can do maybe 7-8 reps maybe 10 in a good day. I can benchpress around 265lbs for max tho. When should I do weighted dips? because even if I do 5x5 with my bodyweight I sometimes still feel im not ready for weighted and man I just got into calisthenics too and my big legs are not helping at all..I cant do even 1 pullup lol, I mostly did Tbar rows for my back.
how often do you reply to the questions in your novice program. i tweaked my lower back and i wanted to know how to add what you done to rehab your back in the novice program
Yo alex how to choose the slingshot size? Large means 141-180 lbs on Amazon, doesn't realle intends your arms lenght or stuffs like that? Can you clarify this?
Base it off arm measurement not weight, otherwise you can get screwed. I think there's a chart.
ok i'll check it out, thanks bro
Does the pause bench press lead to better chest gains?
Yes
Alex do u have any ideas on getting leaner?
Clement Franklin do intermittent fasting and dont go below loosing 1pound weekly, because if you try to loose 2 pounds, alot of that will be muscle mass
Paulius Jurys intermittent fasting will be bad for my schedule.
Clement Franklin aah, in that case just eat less, drink more water and exercise, really simple. also, u can try using carnitine before workout, do it with carbs, helped me alot
Paulius Jurys it seems like pills lol. I'll talk to a doctor and my trainer before taking it tho. Thanks!!
I can't go narrow on the bench because my arms are longs af and its more easy go wide
how much weight were you benching in the video? 405?
405 with slingshot
Why don't you try to do a press only meet ? Great video ! #RoadTo100k !
Maybe I will, I know I'd do well
I've been doing alot of pin presses from chest level and it feels so much better than toutch and go or even pause bench. Can I swap bench press to pin presses completely and still get good carryover?
Sure but pins can beat up your joints a bit, I wouldn't do them every single week. Maybe rotate touch and go, pause, and off pins.
Alpha i have a very weak chest compared to arms-shoulders, my bench is 200 pounds. am i too weak or am i just arm dominant?
arm and chest dominant is all about physique. You should try to train technique to activate and use your chest more than your shoulders so that mostly the chest is being used in push motions not your shoulder, if your problem is chest strength
alex can you make a list of book of what books you read regarding fitness or self improvement thank you ;)
Your thoughts on Candito's linear program?
good video, i used to bench like a total bro a few years back, ended up getting injured. One thing that was clear was my pushing strength far exceeded my rowing strength, I was benching 2 plates, yet I was dumbbell rowing 24kg dumbbells lol..now my rowing is stronger than my bench which is ideal haha
alex im not strong i am defffinetly novice ive been on your novice program for 1 month but i wanna buy your ne book and wondering will i make even better gains also you said its 2 times workout in the gym and 2 at home with bands and im wondering since bands are expensive i dont have them do you have templates only for the gym?
In NE there are over 300 exercises so you're 100% covered no matter what. I wouldn't say the gains will be significantly better except for the yoke (neck traps upper back) but if you enjoy high exercise selection, low reps + high reps, you will like NE.
AlphaDestiny ALRIGHT I'm buying it thanks! I don't need bands right?
Bands 100% optional, although I do recommend em. Thanks for your support!
AlphaDestiny ALRIGHT I just bought IT! thanks
Awesome, thanks man.
Yo Alex, would you recommend mobility work for individuals like yourself that are hyper-mobile (double jointed)? You've said in the past that you don't personally.
Depends which areas you're tight in. I barely do it but occasionally I get tight and mobility work helps.
AlphaDestiny Excellent, thanks for the reply Al.
I thought I heard Lobliner say that Shaw is currently injured?
He injured his hamstring I believe, not his shoulders.
I'm pretty sure my form is good on bench and I always do the steps you said in step 1 but the front of my shoulders ALWAYS hurt. what am I doing wrong?
Maybe you have muscular imbalances or lingering issues from the past.
Alex, do you believe in NoFap?!
Lol
MFWIIC 9 From what I remember from his livestreams he does, but believes porn is the main problem.
MFWIIC 9 What is the purpose of nofap for lifting? can you explain
AWAD
WTWQ
what one exercise can I add to the novice program to strengthen my glute, hamstring, lower back, & abs ur novice program is effective but my back is a weak link it gets strained and ik it's because it is weak
Hyperextension, reverse hypers. Maybe RDLs
I'll put Romanian deadlift but I can't do reverse hypers cause my gym doesn't have the machine I do it on a high table but I can't add resistance so it isn't contributing to strengthen gains for my posterior chain that assist in getting stronger in pulling and pushing exercise it just feels like endurance
I was thinking glute bridges
Regular Old Plumbus That doesnt do shit to strengthen your back
Eric Leonardo my whole posterior chain I need a good overloading exercise
I may get a slingshot one day, but probably not for a few years. I'm too busy harvesting these close grip + mini-band bench gains. You were totally right that bands are like steroids cause at the top of my press its an added 50+ lbs, and I'm able to double the reps I can do with that band tension as opposed to with straight weight.
awesome video
So can i bench everyday
could you make a video on the earthquake bar?
Sadly I don't have it at my gym. But it's a GREAT barbell man
where is leg drive
Alex, what do I do if the bench press kills my shoulders even though I bench like a powerlifter? I can't bench more than 135 without feeling like my AC joint is going to explode.
2Fist Uppercut accept your fate
You probably have other issues that go beyond the scope of this video. Maybe a past injury or serious imbalance. I would get that checked out by a professional, and I HIGHLY recommend you get a slingshot. Probably the blue one for your strength level
Thanks for the reply. I don't have any serious imbalances, other than a left right lat one, my back isn't lagging since I can row 185 x3 and do 25 lb chin ups x3. My dumbbell bench is 70 lbers for 2 reps and my standing OHP is 110 x1, so I'm not sure what the problem is. Clearly my back and shoulder health isn't that bad since I'm pulling and pushing those numbers, right?
Right, then it's probably something else that I do not understand. Sadly this is the area where I have the least amount of knowledge.
I still recommend the slingshot though