John Meadows in his program advocated db press before barbell work. I think it is a perfect way to sequence your exercises. He was very smart about proper programming. Good stuff Alex!!
Dude, I'm no expert im barely an intermediate but everything you said in this video I've been trying to tell people the longest. Most of it is common sense if you really think about it yet so many people do the complete opposite. Everything you said I noticed in the gym early on and adjusted my training to reflect it and it works wonders. From starting with the dumbells to the ohp going up from those higher stability reps. I notice often at the gym guys doing barbell bench with 2 plates or more then afterwards they go do dumbbell and barely lift the 60 pounders.
Preach bro!!!!! These are concepts that most lifters don't think about, it's a monkey see monkey do gym culture. But when you REALLY break down the nuances, some of these conventional approaches don't make the most sense.
These are gym bros who don't know what they are doing hahahaa just go in do think they work hard and out They don't even know what programming is? Hell they don't even know basic things like deload
I've been doing my "heavy" pressing / pulling work on machines and I'm loving it for the stability. It feels laser focused. Just hit 300# x 5 on the hammer strength decline chest press. Gonna march that up to 10-12 and then probably rotate exercises a little. Swiss bar flat bench is next on my 'want to try' list. Figuring out which movement to do heavy and which to do light might take some experimenting (if I do half swiss bar / half machine to keep in a little consistency). I'll probably stick with whatever beats up my joints less. 😁
I’m tall with long limbs and most machines and back machines in particular feels like shit. The sense of being crushed my free weights and the cool aspect of weighted calisthenics make me train harder for those too. But machines are probably superior for pure size.
@@AlexLeonidas by chance I did the dumbell BP first then the barbell BP following it. As feeling goes, it just felt better. More I train sometimes think if it feels better, follow it.
Have actually been doing DB presses before moving onto BB incline work recently and I’ve found it so much easier to progress both lifts compared to doing bb work first then trying to stabilise heavy DB’s. Props Alex!
let's goo another video to look forward to, your videos always keep me watching start to end, appreciate the training tips and discussions and love the format! edit: I've made lots of progress on Dumbbell Bench thanks to you, strongly appreciate it! Had to limit myself from benching but watching you talk about Bench variations and how useful dumbbells can be especially with shoulder issues has motivated me.
Very interesting ideas. As far as why you don't see many db bench presses with low reps, I feel like most of it comes down not the the instability of the movement itself, but to the instability and awkwardness of the setup. If more gyms had the "racks" for dumbbells where you can lift them while you are already lying on the bench, more people would do 1RMs for sure (still less than on the barbell version tho I would guess). When it comes to barbells or dumbbells first, tried db first for a a months or two, not the best in my experience. You are right that even the more stable of the two will tax the stabilizer muscles to some degree, and hence stability on the less stable lift will be a bit harder. But we do need to consider that the main movers will be all the more exhausted and so you will use less weight anyways, maybe even so "little" that stability is not the main concern. So bb benching first might mean you need to drop your db bench by a bit, be it because of strength or stability. Doing dumbbells first however will limit your bb bench by quite a bit, not because of stability but because the main movers are fried. So you get a bit more out of the first exercise this way, but you get way less out of the second one when compared to doing it the "traditional" way.
I don’t think anyone would still do 1rm with dumbbells if they had the setup to where they can lift dumbbells off a rack. If they did then it’d be stupid regardless because DBs still require an extreme amount stability. That is exactly why when you DB press, your 1rm on it is far less then the barbell version.
@@giovannijmnz You are right, that's why I said MOST of it comes down to setup, not all. When it comes to 1RMs DBs are a poor choice eater way, but doing 3-6 reps would be tolerable in terms of stability during the movement, but I find that getting into the starting position is already awkward here.
instabilty adds another layer of difficulty so if you combine it with heavy weights it will make it even harder. With lighter weights its not as much of an issue because you dont have to fight balance AND weight at the same time so all of this makes perfect sense. Great video.
I personally start every of my chest workout with incline dumbbells THEN flat barbell lol for the reason you mention: the stability aspect. I want to be as fresh as possible (and focus my upper chest). Focusing on your hypertrophy goal and ignoring the powerlifting dogma can be hard, i know. I've been there as well
you literally look more swole everytime i see you, you look like a mass monster now, love watching your progression it motivates me to push myself more thank you the great content
In regards to the proposition of the strength drop off when doing barbell first vs dumbbell first. It may depend on the extent the stabilizers limit the movement vs the prime movers. It may be highly individual. It's damn sure worth a shot to try dumbbells first for many reasons though. First of all going into the barbell movement with the stabilizers prefatigued from the dumbbell movement is going to develop those stabilizers. Stabilizing is inherently more endurance oriented then moving. You are preventing unwanted movement for time. That's just what it is. "You can't press what you can't stabalize" - Matt Wenning. If you can gain size while gaining stability it's going to potentiation strength gains. You can also use this in a pivot week if you don't really need a full deload, but you need to dial it back. It would turn lighter technique work into harder lighter technique work. Then if the dumbbells are particularly lighter it's somewhat of a warm up for the barbell work. Shit you could probably sandwich some ab work, or something in between the two, and have almost no interference in the latter. If you get the reps on the top set, and then they dropped off on the next few sets, I'm gonna say it didn't interfere significantly enough to not see it as a warm up. Manipulation of sequencing is a highly underrated way to improve training.
Thanks brother, I love BOS and am honored to work with them. Would love to replace the CAP plates with their e-coat series, though ngl I like the ease of use of these plates.
Because of you I started overhead pressing more. I’m doing 20lb over body weight on the seated OHP and 10lb over body weight on the standing w/leg drive. I’m about 10lb under without leg drive. Shoulders are started to look great and feel better than before keep up the good content me strength thanks you
I think dumbbells are limited not only by the instability factor but also by the loading. At some point the range of motion will get compromised by the width/thickness of those plates and at that point you are better off with barbells.
@@KurokamiNajimi the majority of people who suffer from muscle imbalances are novice trainees, at that point you'll use 80s or 85s tops. Alex' dumbbells can be loaded since 100lbs and above.
@@kachucho872 I disagree you can see slight imbalances in people at all levels, they go neglected because they’re hard to fix and it can end up wasting a lot of time. Just think if you normally can do 15 hard sets to a muscle max and you’re trying to fix an imbalance that means you have to hold back the bigger side. And you should be preventing imbalances in the first place, dumbbells help do that. At some point they do just get too big especially if you’re a bigger guy but ways you can diminish that is sticking to higher rep range like 15-20 (60% of 200 for example is 120), put 1-2 25s at the front of Olympic dumbbells and 10s/5s at the end so you’re basically only worried about the length of the smaller plates, and use dumbbell movements after you’re pre fatigued. That 120 for example could turn into using only 100. Plus you can decrease the weight each set to maintain the same RIR
I really like your videos Alex! I’ve been doing calisthenics for 3 years and weighted calisthenics for about 1 year and a half. I’ve also been taking weightlifting more seriously, since December 2021, mostly focusing on the squat, bench press, and deadlift. My squat right now is 350lbs. My deadlift is 290lbs, and my bench press is also 290lbs w/ a spotter. I’m currently trying to bulk up to 160lbs, and you’re videos are inspiring me to take things to the next level! Keep it up AlphaDestiny 💪💪💪!!!
I also believe that doing dumbell bench press before the barbell version would help a lot with mobility and muscle activation- possibly reducing injury risk and likely bringing more gains. It’s definitely an idea to push forward!
I agree so much.... I OHP Barbell one wk then dumbbells the next. Weighted dips then twice a month ring dips.... rings are HARD!!!!...... but I can see the benefits to my overall strength. Back to OHP... Since Covid lockdowns to now, I squat 5x6-10 then OHP 5x8-10 one wk then the opposite the wk after all the time. I really feel it in my entire chain and posture, I feel and look better. T-Bar Rows and Dumbbells rows
Also train your stabilising muscles directly. lateral, posterior delts, rotator cuffs, core muscles. The increased stability alone could easily give you an extra 10-20% strength on "unstable movements"
My buddy who did hard time said lots of dumbbell really increased his bench. That said, try a slight decline bench wide on the bar or beyond shoulder with the dumbbell for 6-8.
Tried out arm blaster curls for the first time today, definitely gonna keep them in the bicep movement rotation. Great points and editing/production as always brother
Also Alex, my gym has a dumbbell monolift (lifts them off for you then flips back like a regular rack monolift but for DBs). Would this in your opinion make say 3 or 5 RMs on db pressing a viable option for max upper days? Thanks again
Lots of good ideas and things to take away to experiment with in training! What's the shirt size and beard trim lengths in this video? Everything looks on point 👌
Glad it got you thinking, Jeremy! This comfy tee is a medium. Chin is 12mm, sides are 9mm-7mm-5mm-3mm-1mm (faded) and used a straight razor on neck + cheek line.
@@AlexLeonidas I love spring resistance there is no momentum and it gets harder the more they are stretched plus it gives me so nostalgia because I had a chest expander and grippers growing up it always made me feel strong like I could bend steel bars
Real quick about the volume waa equated on you doing 10x3 and 3x12 on OHP. Looking back, and while looking at the effeftive rep model, it seems likely you were overtraining your delts with 10x3, because at a certain RPE intensity per set, youd be gettiing effective reps PER set in those 10 sets. Where as youd get at most 15 effeftive reps on 3x12, thats if you went to FAILURE.
I’m trying to get out the mindset of doing heavy every session. definitely after I took a 3 month break I was trying so hard to get my strength back by lifting heavy. I then told my self I have to slow down and just start over back to square one by doing little weight with more reps. So now I’m trying to force more on my techniques, muscle endurance and try to find a perfect strength/power to muscle ratio.
Alex! Great video as always. Question: when it comes to heavy singles. Should I work up to 1 heavy rep for one set and then go for 3 sets for volyme 3x10. Or should I stick to 3 heavy sets like I'm doing now with one day strenght/intesity and one day volyme in a week. Which is better for strenght and hyptrophy gains? Thanks bro you!
First is the way I've been doing it from 2020-2022, second from 2014-2019. The gains are VERY comparable but I do prefer the heavy single + back-downs since it's slightly easier on recovery and is a lot more simple to program. No matter what though.. you can't go wrong.
If my general goal is calisthenics skills and bodyweight strength, would you say its better to do wall supported handstand push-ups before AD press, or is the other way around still better?
Ron Williams on UA-cam says overhead presses will mess up your shoulders because the heavy weights cause the shoulder joint to wear down. He recommends lateral raises since those go with the natural movement of the shoulder joint.
Your tips are always usefull Alex ! I need a tips , I have dumbbell like your but how do you set up for dumbbell shoulder press ? It very difficul for me with this kind of dumbbell
See ua-cam.com/video/sOrPdOTJQ6s/v-deo.html&t It's not so black and white. I prefer variations of the barbell bench press given the higher stability, and I've found ways of getting even more ROM than dumbbells which are problematic when you get strong enough. Though the one dimensional textbook answer would be "Dumbbells provide a superior stretch and allow you to fully adduct the humerus, and allow you to move naturally". I believe there's more to it, and my best answer is to mix in both. Cheers.
thank for the video reminds me more to fix my imbalance on my left pec being weaker then my right I got get on doing more dumbbell press before doing bench
I've been relegated to only heavy dumbbell and machines for my chest pressing because of a shoulder issue. Barbell bench absolutely exposes this weak link and the instability it brings. The funny thing is I can barbell OHP for the most part without the shoulder limitation.
The reason I typically don't use unstable/dumbbell movements as my primary movers is because its harder to control the weight vs the more modular dumbbells. This is something to consider though
For a long time I did nothing but barbell bench. Didn’t get much stronger. Now dumbells are my preferred chest exercise. I love the great veriety the offer. I often train chest twice a week. Dumbbells + machine on day one, barbell + machine or cable day two.
idk barbell overhead press seems inferior to dumbbell ohp but then again i have way more experience with the db. I feel like the barbell does help and has carry over to the dumbell making it easier. Ultimately have to develop and go hardcore on both to get the most mileage.
"Allways" did barbell before dumbell, flat or incline because of being able to do more weight on BB & longer ROM, dumbells after because its more of a Spoto/board press because dumbels are thicker, so it would be more of a mid to high ROM strength builder. Later figured out I can do dumbbells neutral.....
I did 120kg reverse lunge on each leg as 1RM. My squat is in the 200's (lbs) and deadlift in the 300's (lbs). Is my lunge considered intermediate or advanced?? (even tho i may be novice in the squat&deadlift)
I have been doing dumbbell before bench press. And yes i totally agree my arms shake during the dumbbell press even though i am fresh. My body feels like it's tired already even tho it's my first exercise i am going to stick to this reverse way for few months to train my stabilizers.
Hi Alex. Greetings from Malaysia. I have a question regarding the ME method. What do you think of running upper lower split where for upper, I do two ME days follow up with bodybuilding stuffs. One would be focusing on bench press and the other weighted pull-ups. Lower body would be ME on one day and volume on the other. How long should I milk the back off works for the selected ME lifts before I rotate those as well. Thank you for all the contents for all these years.
i do my barbell press before dumbell, because i train in homegym, and it's easier to warm up on barbell, than changing disk on dumbell. when i finish with barbell i can switch to the dumbells ASAP
I'll stick to barbell first, dumbell second. But only because I go for a loaded deep long stretch of the pecs on the latter, which would harm performance on the barbell way too much.
Hey Alex, what collars are you using on your adjustable dumbbells? Mine slip a little bit when going heavy and I’d like some that prevent the plates from sliding off.
Hi alex, does unilateral dumbell work like switching from double to single hand bicep curls, double to single hand rear delt flies overcome the biological law of accommodation as u said it for dumbell pressing and dumbell ohp done unilaterally?
I maxed db bench press in my gym (30kg) going for that seated db shoulder press next, sitting at 22.5kg right now. I find that with this unstable movements, if you don't have a spotter is really dangerous, the db can drop in your face cause fatigue/failure can happen at the top of the movement without you noticing. I like to call it the "surprise element" lol you feel like you can do 2 or 3 more reps then it fails at the top out of nowhere.
A question for your Q&A: Been lifting since I was 13, now 26. I always had a problem building my shoulders because every time I go hard on shoulder presses, lateral raises and other shoulder exercises I get mad upper back/ neck tensions the next day. I am very well aware of form and such, but there might be something I’ve missed. Please help a brother get em boulder shoulders😮💨
Yo Alex, do you think pyramid sets are good for hypertrophy? I usually do for my db bench/shoulder press, 65, 75, 80, 85, then do a back down set of something like 55, I try to hit at least 8-12 reps for all of those sets though
Reverse pyramid training is better than normal IMHO. I'll only ramp up like that when I'm new to a lift/very uncertain of my strength. I'd say if you did that same workout in reverse, more PRs would happen.
Hey Alex was wondering what're your thoughts on Nordic curls and sissy squats as a secondary movement to squats and deadlifts in comparison to leg curls and extensions
I stopped the video at 7:07 to give my thoughts but i start off a workout with dumbbells because they make me feel more warmed up so like today ill do single arm dumbbell press up to 110 to failure ill get around 20x then ill work up to a set of 10 with 235 for incline. I lift more in this fashion
wow, I was just contemplating switching from standing barbell ohp to seated... I like the standing version, but I'm barely progessing and I sometimes get neck/upper back pain. I'm still a novice tho, so not sure if I should switch it out just yet...
It's a heck of alot easier that's for sure. Standing is a hard lift to progress on maybe do some variations seated would be good, z press etc. what helped me the most on standing ohp was getting my 5s up and doing singles every couple weeks. Also do it in a rack with the safety pins were you start that will help alot. These things got my standing ohp to 245. But hey dude goodluck ohps are chaddy.
As a novice, OHP stability shouldn't be limiting you too badly. It's as you get closer to 135lbs/your bodyweight where this problem becomes more noticeable. I would milk the gains for as long as possible, then make the full switch. Minimum be a late intermediate IMO.
I seen a guy max out seated dumbbell shoulder press lmao... he grabbed 90s and did 1 rep with the spotter. I was that spotter! I did a 30lb curl as well
On my low quality bench at home the bench press feels weird. I am not build for this i have long arms small clav. Bone. Maybe i should try db bench at the gym
Going by what you mentioned in this video, if I’m worried about stability with a reverse lunge of 210 for about 3x6 reps overall, would it be better for me to go sub 150 with a 15-25 rep range?
Alex,i have question...what advice would you give me about snap city? When i deadlift ,i get serious pain in lower back..its repeting cycle,im only doing rdls
Question I recently thought of that would be relevant in the strength vs size discussion and prove that there’s really not much difference between the 2. Most of us think of things as you start doing higher intensity to peak your 1 RM on a lift which by extension increases your volume work. But is that really true, if you can do 220 for 12 that means you’re at 70% of 315 even though you currently can’t do 315. When you peak to that your set of 12 is still gonna be 220. Could you even go past 315 in strength without gaining more muscle? I’m guessing that you cannot, where would the strength be coming from? If 315 isn’t your neurological peaked max then 220 or any other set of numbers wouldn’t be your 12 rep max unless you’re in the novice stage where you’re always making neuro gains
Hey Alex! I currently have a 240lb bench and 170lb standing strict ohp... but my progress (especially on bench) has slowed greatly. Is this a sign that my upper body pushing is ready for concurrent periodization? Squats and rows do not yet have this issue.
I hit a wall getting my bench up gave it away for a year trained like a high intensity bodybuilder focused on db incline an machines an floor press an one day thought fuck it I'll have ago at bench first time after a year so my form wasn't set in the best but hit an all-time pr 190kg previously 160 so it definitely works taking a break from a main movement
can you do a video on poor posture? (rounded back and shoulders, forward head posture). There are a lot of videos about that on youtube but none seems to work.... and it's a major problem of the 21st century....
Bro what do I do.....my wrists can't seem to keep up with the weights i can take. Like 35kg dumbels screw my wrists now that i progressed to them with the dumbel bench press.
John Meadows in his program advocated db press before barbell work. I think it is a perfect way to sequence your exercises. He was very smart about proper programming.
Good stuff Alex!!
How John was ahead on so many concepts!!!!
@@AlexLeonidas Meadows = one of the GOATS (RIP)
Dude, I'm no expert im barely an intermediate but everything you said in this video I've been trying to tell people the longest. Most of it is common sense if you really think about it yet so many people do the complete opposite. Everything you said I noticed in the gym early on and adjusted my training to reflect it and it works wonders. From starting with the dumbells to the ohp going up from those higher stability reps. I notice often at the gym guys doing barbell bench with 2 plates or more then afterwards they go do dumbbell and barely lift the 60 pounders.
Preach bro!!!!! These are concepts that most lifters don't think about, it's a monkey see monkey do gym culture. But when you REALLY break down the nuances, some of these conventional approaches don't make the most sense.
These are gym bros who don't know what they are doing hahahaa just go in do think they work hard and out
They don't even know what programming is? Hell they don't even know basic things like deload
I've been doing my "heavy" pressing / pulling work on machines and I'm loving it for the stability. It feels laser focused. Just hit 300# x 5 on the hammer strength decline chest press. Gonna march that up to 10-12 and then probably rotate exercises a little. Swiss bar flat bench is next on my 'want to try' list. Figuring out which movement to do heavy and which to do light might take some experimenting (if I do half swiss bar / half machine to keep in a little consistency). I'll probably stick with whatever beats up my joints less. 😁
Swiss bar + machine pressing is a KILLER combo! Get the best out of both worlds, and no doubt it's joint friendly. You're doing great man.
I’m tall with long limbs and most machines and back machines in particular feels like shit. The sense of being crushed my free weights and the cool aspect of weighted calisthenics make me train harder for those too. But machines are probably superior for pure size.
The weighted rings dip was a great example of this concept/variable, great content as per👌💯
As an avid trainer and equally as avid youtube fitness fanatic, I must say this is the first video that has really made me think in a while. 😊
Awesome Liam, I'm happy it got you thinking :)
@@AlexLeonidas by chance I did the dumbell BP first then the barbell BP following it. As feeling goes, it just felt better. More I train sometimes think if it feels better, follow it.
yo alex I just hit a 190 x 6 seal row and a 240 bench at 150 lbs. super happy rn with my progress especially since my bench has always struggled
Great ratios and pound for pound strength!!
Have actually been doing DB presses before moving onto BB incline work recently and I’ve found it so much easier to progress both lifts compared to doing bb work first then trying to stabilise heavy DB’s. Props Alex!
Those dumbbells look sick!
They're a game changer!
@@AlexLeonidas 😂😂wtf are you guys talking about? The look big and bulky for no reason + they are pointy and can’t put them on your knees
@@iamcorneliu1097 the point is that they're dumbbells bro
@@iamcorneliu1097 screw you hater i hate you!!!😢❤
What dumbells are those?
let's goo another video to look forward to, your videos always keep me watching start to end, appreciate the training tips and discussions and love the format! edit: I've made lots of progress on Dumbbell Bench thanks to you, strongly appreciate it! Had to limit myself from benching but watching you talk about Bench variations and how useful dumbbells can be especially with shoulder issues has motivated me.
He's fake!
Very interesting ideas. As far as why you don't see many db bench presses with low reps, I feel like most of it comes down not the the instability of the movement itself, but to the instability and awkwardness of the setup. If more gyms had the "racks" for dumbbells where you can lift them while you are already lying on the bench, more people would do 1RMs for sure (still less than on the barbell version tho I would guess).
When it comes to barbells or dumbbells first, tried db first for a a months or two, not the best in my experience.
You are right that even the more stable of the two will tax the stabilizer muscles to some degree, and hence stability on the less stable lift will be a bit harder. But we do need to consider that the main movers will be all the more exhausted and so you will use less weight anyways, maybe even so "little" that stability is not the main concern. So bb benching first might mean you need to drop your db bench by a bit, be it because of strength or stability.
Doing dumbbells first however will limit your bb bench by quite a bit, not because of stability but because the main movers are fried. So you get a bit more out of the first exercise this way, but you get way less out of the second one when compared to doing it the "traditional" way.
I don’t think anyone would still do 1rm with dumbbells if they had the setup to where they can lift dumbbells off a rack. If they did then it’d be stupid regardless because DBs still require an extreme amount stability. That is exactly why when you DB press, your 1rm on it is far less then the barbell version.
@@giovannijmnz You are right, that's why I said MOST of it comes down to setup, not all. When it comes to 1RMs DBs are a poor choice eater way, but doing 3-6 reps would be tolerable in terms of stability during the movement, but I find that getting into the starting position is already awkward here.
I agree, set-up is a limiting factor. I tweaked my bicep just the other day getting 85's into place on incline DB presses.
Agree. Also much easier to warm up on barbell. Warming up with DB press is a pain - particularly with a home gym set up and threaded collars
1:31 Dr. Mike from RP went over this, very true. Body will automatically lower force production to try and stabilize.
instabilty adds another layer of difficulty so if you combine it with heavy weights it will make it even harder. With lighter weights its not as much of an issue because you dont have to fight balance AND weight at the same time so all of this makes perfect sense. Great video.
I personally start every of my chest workout with incline dumbbells THEN flat barbell lol for the reason you mention: the stability aspect. I want to be as fresh as possible (and focus my upper chest). Focusing on your hypertrophy goal and ignoring the powerlifting dogma can be hard, i know. I've been there as well
Couldn't have said it better bro!
you literally look more swole everytime i see you, you look like a mass monster now, love watching your progression it motivates me to push myself more thank you the great content
In regards to the proposition of the strength drop off when doing barbell first vs dumbbell first. It may depend on the extent the stabilizers limit the movement vs the prime movers. It may be highly individual.
It's damn sure worth a shot to try dumbbells first for many reasons though.
First of all going into the barbell movement with the stabilizers prefatigued from the dumbbell movement is going to develop those stabilizers. Stabilizing is inherently more endurance oriented then moving. You are preventing unwanted movement for time. That's just what it is. "You can't press what you can't stabalize" - Matt Wenning.
If you can gain size while gaining stability it's going to potentiation strength gains.
You can also use this in a pivot week if you don't really need a full deload, but you need to dial it back. It would turn lighter technique work into harder lighter technique work.
Then if the dumbbells are particularly lighter it's somewhat of a warm up for the barbell work. Shit you could probably sandwich some ab work, or something in between the two, and have almost no interference in the latter.
If you get the reps on the top set, and then they dropped off on the next few sets, I'm gonna say it didn't interfere significantly enough to not see it as a warm up.
Manipulation of sequencing is a highly underrated way to improve training.
I was freaking out watching the beginning....my dislocated shoulders said stop!
Loving this Bells of Steel sponsorship. I love their stuff. Are you going to replace the infamous CAP plates?
Thanks brother, I love BOS and am honored to work with them. Would love to replace the CAP plates with their e-coat series, though ngl I like the ease of use of these plates.
Because of you I started overhead pressing more. I’m doing 20lb over body weight on the seated OHP and 10lb over body weight on the standing w/leg drive. I’m about 10lb under without leg drive. Shoulders are started to look great and feel better than before keep up the good content me strength thanks you
Very thought provoking vid. Great stuff as usual.
I think dumbbells are limited not only by the instability factor but also by the loading. At some point the range of motion will get compromised by the width/thickness of those plates and at that point you are better off with barbells.
You need dumbbells to fix muscle imbalances
@@KurokamiNajimi the majority of people who suffer from muscle imbalances are novice trainees, at that point you'll use 80s or 85s tops. Alex' dumbbells can be loaded since 100lbs and above.
This. If we could get denser and smaller DB’s or plates , it’d fix a lot of issues lol
@@kachucho872 I disagree you can see slight imbalances in people at all levels, they go neglected because they’re hard to fix and it can end up wasting a lot of time. Just think if you normally can do 15 hard sets to a muscle max and you’re trying to fix an imbalance that means you have to hold back the bigger side. And you should be preventing imbalances in the first place, dumbbells help do that. At some point they do just get too big especially if you’re a bigger guy but ways you can diminish that is sticking to higher rep range like 15-20 (60% of 200 for example is 120), put 1-2 25s at the front of Olympic dumbbells and 10s/5s at the end so you’re basically only worried about the length of the smaller plates, and use dumbbell movements after you’re pre fatigued. That 120 for example could turn into using only 100. Plus you can decrease the weight each set to maintain the same RIR
I really like your videos Alex! I’ve been doing calisthenics for 3 years and weighted calisthenics for about 1 year and a half. I’ve also been taking weightlifting more seriously, since December 2021, mostly focusing on the squat, bench press, and deadlift. My squat right now is 350lbs. My deadlift is 290lbs, and my bench press is also 290lbs w/ a spotter. I’m currently trying to bulk up to 160lbs, and you’re videos are inspiring me to take things to the next level! Keep it up AlphaDestiny 💪💪💪!!!
Great work Collin!!!!
@@AlexLeonidas Thank you Alex! My goal now is to get my deadlift and bench press passed 315lb, and eventually get them to 365lbs.
You’re a true scientist Alex. Your insight never fails to surprise me!
Thank you Ayush!
The number of plates on those dumbbells sure makes you look badass Alex!
Love the vibes with these heavy dumbbells!
I also believe that doing dumbell bench press before the barbell version would help a lot with mobility and muscle activation- possibly reducing injury risk and likely bringing more gains. It’s definitely an idea to push forward!
I agree so much.... I OHP Barbell one wk then dumbbells the next. Weighted dips then twice a month ring dips.... rings are HARD!!!!...... but I can see the benefits to my overall strength. Back to OHP... Since Covid lockdowns to now, I squat 5x6-10 then OHP 5x8-10 one wk then the opposite the wk after all the time. I really feel it in my entire chain and posture, I feel and look better. T-Bar Rows and Dumbbells rows
Also train your stabilising muscles directly. lateral, posterior delts, rotator cuffs, core muscles. The increased stability alone could easily give you an extra 10-20% strength on "unstable movements"
My buddy who did hard time said lots of dumbbell really increased his bench. That said, try a slight decline bench wide on the bar or beyond shoulder with the dumbbell for 6-8.
"hard time"
Tried out arm blaster curls for the first time today, definitely gonna keep them in the bicep movement rotation. Great points and editing/production as always brother
Also Alex, my gym has a dumbbell monolift (lifts them off for you then flips back like a regular rack monolift but for DBs). Would this in your opinion make say 3 or 5 RMs on db pressing a viable option for max upper days? Thanks again
This is real interesting as a take. Gonna review my training, move dumbbell movements in front of barbells
Lots of good ideas and things to take away to experiment with in training!
What's the shirt size and beard trim lengths in this video? Everything looks on point 👌
Glad it got you thinking, Jeremy!
This comfy tee is a medium. Chin is 12mm, sides are 9mm-7mm-5mm-3mm-1mm (faded) and used a straight razor on neck + cheek line.
Sick video bro
You r so creative 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻👍🏻
That robert baraban chest crusher looks awesome I am jealous of your gym
Love the Chest Krusher!! You just have to add one piece at a time, over the years your home gym can become great.
@@AlexLeonidas I love spring resistance there is no momentum and it gets harder the more they are stretched plus it gives me so nostalgia because I had a chest expander and grippers growing up it always made me feel strong like I could bend steel bars
After watching this whole video, starting a workout with dumbbell press instead of bench seems to make a ton of sense.
Really gets you thinking eh? I'm going to personally do this then share how it goes.
Real quick about the volume waa equated on you doing 10x3 and 3x12 on OHP. Looking back, and while looking at the effeftive rep model, it seems likely you were overtraining your delts with 10x3, because at a certain RPE intensity per set, youd be gettiing effective reps PER set in those 10 sets. Where as youd get at most 15 effeftive reps on 3x12, thats if you went to FAILURE.
I’m trying to get out the mindset of doing heavy every session. definitely after I took a 3 month break I was trying so hard to get my strength back by lifting heavy.
I then told my self I have to slow down and just start over back to square one by doing little weight with more reps.
So now I’m trying to force more on my techniques, muscle endurance and try to find a perfect strength/power to muscle ratio.
Alex! Great video as always. Question: when it comes to heavy singles. Should I work up to 1 heavy rep for one set and then go for 3 sets for volyme 3x10. Or should I stick to 3 heavy sets like I'm doing now with one day strenght/intesity and one day volyme in a week.
Which is better for strenght and hyptrophy gains?
Thanks bro you!
First is the way I've been doing it from 2020-2022, second from 2014-2019.
The gains are VERY comparable but I do prefer the heavy single + back-downs since it's slightly easier on recovery and is a lot more simple to program. No matter what though.. you can't go wrong.
Great stuff there! May I know where did you get your adjustable dumbbells from? I'm planning on getting something like that for my home gym.
Bells of Steel homie! www.bellsofsteel.com/#a_aid=Leonidas
Getting those sweet, sweet Geoffrey Verity Schofield faces for extra hypertrophy.
Rear delts looking juicy my guy!
If my general goal is calisthenics skills and bodyweight strength, would you say its better to do wall supported handstand push-ups before AD press, or is the other way around still better?
Ron Williams on UA-cam says overhead presses will mess up your shoulders because the heavy weights cause the shoulder joint to wear down. He recommends lateral raises since those go with the natural movement of the shoulder joint.
Hey Alex! Will you be making a video on how you’re going to approach your cut this time round?
Not sure since it'll be the same approach as usual. Will definitely provide physique + food updates though.
Your tips are always usefull Alex ! I need a tips , I have dumbbell like your but how do you set up for dumbbell shoulder press ? It very difficul for me with this kind of dumbbell
Dumbell flat press and dumbell incline or the barbell version for pure chest gainz?
See ua-cam.com/video/sOrPdOTJQ6s/v-deo.html&t
It's not so black and white. I prefer variations of the barbell bench press given the higher stability, and I've found ways of getting even more ROM than dumbbells which are problematic when you get strong enough. Though the one dimensional textbook answer would be "Dumbbells provide a superior stretch and allow you to fully adduct the humerus, and allow you to move naturally". I believe there's more to it, and my best answer is to mix in both. Cheers.
thank for the video reminds me more to fix my imbalance on my left pec being weaker then my right I got get on doing more dumbbell press before doing bench
Alex, greetings! Are there spots available on your online coaching service?
I've been relegated to only heavy dumbbell and machines for my chest pressing because of a shoulder issue. Barbell bench absolutely exposes this weak link and the instability it brings. The funny thing is I can barbell OHP for the most part without the shoulder limitation.
The reason I typically don't use unstable/dumbbell movements as my primary movers is because its harder to control the weight vs the more modular dumbbells. This is something to consider though
For a long time I did nothing but barbell bench. Didn’t get much stronger. Now dumbells are my preferred chest exercise. I love the great veriety the offer.
I often train chest twice a week. Dumbbells + machine on day one, barbell + machine or cable day two.
idk barbell overhead press seems inferior to dumbbell ohp but then again i have way more experience with the db. I feel like the barbell does help and has carry over to the dumbell making it easier. Ultimately have to develop and go hardcore on both to get the most mileage.
"Allways" did barbell before dumbell, flat or incline because of being able to do more weight on BB & longer ROM, dumbells after because its more of a Spoto/board press because dumbels are thicker, so it would be more of a mid to high ROM strength builder. Later figured out I can do dumbbells neutral.....
bro speaking straight fax
I did 120kg reverse lunge on each leg as 1RM. My squat is in the 200's (lbs) and deadlift in the 300's (lbs). Is my lunge considered intermediate or advanced?? (even tho i may be novice in the squat&deadlift)
I have been doing dumbbell before bench press. And yes i totally agree my arms shake during the dumbbell press even though i am fresh. My body feels like it's tired already even tho it's my first exercise i am going to stick to this reverse way for few months to train my stabilizers.
Hi Alex. Greetings from Malaysia. I have a question regarding the ME method.
What do you think of running upper lower split where for upper, I do two ME days follow up with bodybuilding stuffs. One would be focusing on bench press and the other weighted pull-ups. Lower body would be ME on one day and volume on the other.
How long should I milk the back off works for the selected ME lifts before I rotate those as well.
Thank you for all the contents for all these years.
i do my barbell press before dumbell, because i train in homegym, and it's easier to warm up on barbell, than changing disk on dumbell.
when i finish with barbell i can switch to the dumbells ASAP
I'll stick to barbell first, dumbell second.
But only because I go for a loaded deep long stretch of the pecs on the latter, which would harm performance on the barbell way too much.
Hey Alex, what collars are you using on your adjustable dumbbells? Mine slip a little bit when going heavy and I’d like some that prevent the plates from sliding off.
I like my Rogue USA aluminum collars. Use 'em for my BB and oly style dumbells. Rock solid 👍
Hi alex, does unilateral dumbell work like switching from double to single hand bicep curls, double to single hand rear delt flies overcome the biological law of accommodation as u said it for dumbell pressing and dumbell ohp done unilaterally?
This information is 🔥 👏🏽
In a commercial gym I have done a 1 rep Max on the Dumbbell Bench Press before ha ha
Clearly I'm a nut job cause I've done triples on super heavy dumbbell flat bench. But this makes a lot of sense might switch it up
Awesome man! Serious lifters often try unique approaches so I'm not surprised.
I maxed db bench press in my gym (30kg) going for that seated db shoulder press next, sitting at 22.5kg right now.
I find that with this unstable movements, if you don't have a spotter is really dangerous, the db can drop in your face cause fatigue/failure can happen at the top of the movement without you noticing. I like to call it the "surprise element" lol you feel like you can do 2 or 3 more reps then it fails at the top out of nowhere.
The dumbbells at the gym I go to only go up to 40lb so I do high reps century set get me so sore I can hardly move the next day
both ways have pros and cons but i wouldn't recommend to train barbell and db presses with same angle in same session anyway 🙂
great tips bro
I like doing 30 degree incline dumbbell bench before close grip bench press.
A question for your Q&A:
Been lifting since I was 13, now 26.
I always had a problem building my shoulders because every time I go hard on shoulder presses, lateral raises and other shoulder exercises I get mad upper back/ neck tensions the next day.
I am very well aware of form and such, but there might be something I’ve missed.
Please help a brother get em boulder shoulders😮💨
Maybe try partials on laterals
@@ew-zd1th Can absolutely give them a try, but what’s the reasoning behind partials?
I mean, how would it affect my neck tension?
@@adriaanmorosan i think its harder to shrug on partials and this can isolate more the side delts
@@ew-zd1th Oh okay then I got it, thank you very much for taking your time🙏🏼
Whats the brand of the plates you using for your loadable dumbells
Yo Alex, do you think pyramid sets are good for hypertrophy? I usually do for my db bench/shoulder press, 65, 75, 80, 85, then do a back down set of something like 55, I try to hit at least 8-12 reps for all of those sets though
Reverse pyramid training is better than normal IMHO. I'll only ramp up like that when I'm new to a lift/very uncertain of my strength. I'd say if you did that same workout in reverse, more PRs would happen.
There is something so masculine about black shirts and fully developed yoke on a man that just induces respect.
Hey Alex was wondering what're your thoughts on Nordic curls and sissy squats as a secondary movement to squats and deadlifts in comparison to leg curls and extensions
Fire. Topic. Sheesh
I stopped the video at 7:07 to give my thoughts but i start off a workout with dumbbells because they make me feel more warmed up so like today ill do single arm dumbbell press up to 110 to failure ill get around 20x then ill work up to a set of 10 with 235 for incline. I lift more in this fashion
Whats your thougs about pec minor dips? You think teaining this muscle can make you look bigger?
wow, I was just contemplating switching from standing barbell ohp to seated... I like the standing version, but I'm barely progessing and I sometimes get neck/upper back pain. I'm still a novice tho, so not sure if I should switch it out just yet...
It's a heck of alot easier that's for sure. Standing is a hard lift to progress on maybe do some variations seated would be good, z press etc. what helped me the most on standing ohp was getting my 5s up and doing singles every couple weeks. Also do it in a rack with the safety pins were you start that will help alot. These things got my standing ohp to 245. But hey dude goodluck ohps are chaddy.
I'm in a similar boat. One thing that helped me a little bit was adding more variety. (Barbell, Dumbbell, One arm, Behind the Neck, etc.)
As a novice, OHP stability shouldn't be limiting you too badly. It's as you get closer to 135lbs/your bodyweight where this problem becomes more noticeable. I would milk the gains for as long as possible, then make the full switch. Minimum be a late intermediate IMO.
@@Blondeguylifts ohps are chaddy af, especially standing.
@@6393dude yeah that seems smart, I might do that.
I have a home gym..only limited to barbell work...I have enough weight for curls and extensions but using dumbells for ohp would be useless for me
I seen a guy max out seated dumbbell shoulder press lmao... he grabbed 90s and did 1 rep with the spotter. I was that spotter! I did a 30lb curl as well
On my low quality bench at home the bench press feels weird. I am not build for this i have long arms small clav. Bone. Maybe i should try db bench at the gym
What brand of dumbells? I want to buy some
Are you going to update your novice program soon?
No plans on doing that, would be a new program instead
Bro. Did you tried planche anytime?
In my home gym for shoulder I can only do dumbell ohp, hs pushups and sandbag ohp, wich one is the most stable? The HS right?
Going by what you mentioned in this video, if I’m worried about stability with a reverse lunge of 210 for about 3x6 reps overall, would it be better for me to go sub 150 with a 15-25 rep range?
What do you think about JPG
And rjewers and thia optimal training
Alex,i have question...what advice would you give me about snap city? When i deadlift ,i get serious pain in lower back..its repeting cycle,im only doing rdls
film your lifts and post them. IF your form is the issue ... you will know it then 😉
Question I recently thought of that would be relevant in the strength vs size discussion and prove that there’s really not much difference between the 2. Most of us think of things as you start doing higher intensity to peak your 1 RM on a lift which by extension increases your volume work. But is that really true, if you can do 220 for 12 that means you’re at 70% of 315 even though you currently can’t do 315. When you peak to that your set of 12 is still gonna be 220. Could you even go past 315 in strength without gaining more muscle? I’m guessing that you cannot, where would the strength be coming from? If 315 isn’t your neurological peaked max then 220 or any other set of numbers wouldn’t be your 12 rep max unless you’re in the novice stage where you’re always making neuro gains
Hey Alex! I currently have a 240lb bench and 170lb standing strict ohp... but my progress (especially on bench) has slowed greatly. Is this a sign that my upper body pushing is ready for concurrent periodization? Squats and rows do not yet have this issue.
It's been ready a long time ago brother
@@AlexLeonidas Good to know! I'll start with pin bench and seated ohp next week then. Appreciate it.
Hey Alex, can you make a video about reverse lunges, i miss a video about this Bro, thanks
Nice video
I hit a wall getting my bench up gave it away for a year trained like a high intensity bodybuilder focused on db incline an machines an floor press an one day thought fuck it I'll have ago at bench first time after a year so my form wasn't set in the best but hit an all-time pr 190kg previously 160 so it definitely works taking a break from a main movement
I love ring dips
Ring dips are highly underrated and humbling!
U mind giving tips on how you stay so disciplined and ambitious, it’s lacking so badly in todays society for men in my opinion
I've made some mindset videos, but I definitely agree with you bro.
See "How To Regain Your Drive" ua-cam.com/video/HT9-0ACGZ_A/v-deo.html&t
So, DB incline press or Incline push ups? For maxing out
can you do a video on poor posture? (rounded back and shoulders, forward head posture). There are a lot of videos about that on youtube but none seems to work.... and it's a major problem of the 21st century....
time to order adjustable dumbells and a shitload of 10lb plates
Saves A TON of money bro and gets the job done!
Bro what do I do.....my wrists can't seem to keep up with the weights i can take. Like 35kg dumbels screw my wrists now that i progressed to them with the dumbel bench press.
try wrist scraps
Brad did an unstable lift this week and got injured.
Your stability fails before your muscles at higher percentages
So if you want to get big with KB high reps instead of small ladders, got it